In the Classroom | joywaldinger

Teaching Philosophy (Head, Heart & Hands)

We learn when we are involved and engaged. Art is a powerful tool that can generate change on a personal, local and global level because it is hands-on, interactive, and boundless. The Head, Heart, and Hands Pedagogy guides my art education practice since it integrates all three domains of learning: cognitive (head), affective (heart), and experiential (hands). Through collaboration, I use art in my practice as an emotional outlet and as a teaching tool to enhance other subjects such as math, science, literature, and history. With a STEAM Education approach, my students receive a well-rounded experience with art so they can be the creative problem solvers our world needs. As an environmentalist, I bring nature appreciation and environmental activism to my students to expand their ideas about what an artist can be. I am passionate about educating the next generation about sustainability by sharing knowledge and using recycled materials. Art and science are both dedicated to finding truth and beauty. They are better together than apart. I also emphasize project-based learning, collaboration, and experimentation with materials. I believe that innovation happens when convergent thinkers, those who march straight ahead toward their goal, combine forces with divergent thinkers – those who professionally wander, who are comfortable being uncomfortable, and who look for what is real. Creativity and ingenuity have always been central to progress. Problem-solving, fearlessness, critical thinking, and making skills are helpful in life and the art classroom. The art classroom is a unique space where students can become autonomous learners and leaders through trial and error and consistent reflection. Art education should open students up to new experiences. In my classroom, my students learn to investigate, question, and review art through a community of inquiry where risk-taking in art-making and art-thinking that questions the status quo and searches for personal or social truths is encouraged.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Adaptive Art Teaching Experience

ASPIRA Bilingual Charter Cyber School

Adaptive Art Teacher

(2021-present)

I teach Autism Support and Life Skills Support students from 14-21 years old in the STAR (Students transitioning to adulthood responsibilities) program. I held this position in the 2021-2022 school year when this program used to be located at Olney Charter High School

High School Teaching Experience

Olney Charter High School

Art Teacher (Studio 1 Foundations)

(2018-2019 and 2019-2020)

Art classroom website: https://artatolneycharterhs.wixsite.com/mrsjoysartclass

My partnerships:

-The Print Center Residency

-Temple University: Tyler School of Art

-The Shutterbugs-The Philadelphia Flower Show

-Dreamline

-The Mural Arts Program

-Doodle for Google

The Charter High School of Architecture + Design (CHAD)

Design Teacher

March 2016-June 2018

2.1.18

I wanted to share that senior

environmental design class had their 5th cooking class at Penn State Extension today. This is part of a monthly cooking class series with Penn State Extension. Students will receive certificates at the end of their classes. We cooked a breakfast, lunch and dinner with a special guest: Atiba from SolFood215.

1.26.18

My Senior Environmental Design class finally finished their Pressed Plant collages for the Philadelphia Flower Show! So proud of their work! Can't wait for the flower show: March 3rd-11th 2018!

My Design Tech students created simple stop motion animation films for their final. They viewed works by PES and were inspired to create their own.

1. 11.18

I wanted to share that my seniors had a visit from Miss Rita Denis (a longtime flower show exhibitor and blue ribbon winner) from PHS (Pennsylvania Horticulture Society) today. We reviewed how to enter the Pressed Plants exhibition and prepared our entries with Rita's expertise and suggestions.

The students will be framing their work and entering the 2018 Flower Show, the theme this year is The Wonders of Water. All entries receive free tickets to the Flower Show and an opportunity to receive awards.

Check out the work we accomplished today! See pictures below!

https://theflowershow.com/about

12.5.17

I wanted to share that I took my senior environmental design

class to the Philadelphia Museum of Art today to see Philadelphia Assembled. This exhibition joins art and civic engagement. Initiated by artist Jeanne van Heeswijk and shaped by hundreds of collaborators, it tells a story of radical community building and active resistance. Challenging, inspiring, and as big as the city, Philadelphia Assembledasks: how can we collectively shape our futures? This project articulates a collective narrative about our city around five principles:

Reconstructions: How do we rewrite our histories?
Sovereignty: How do we define self-determination & unity?
Sanctuary: How do we create safe spaces?
Futures: How do we reimagine our tomorrow?
Movement: How do we share knowledge?

What began in 2013 as conversations and gatherings manifested in spring 2017 as programs, meals, and installations throughout Philadelphia. Now reuniting the works and ideas that emerged in these public actions, Philadelphia Assembled transforms the Perelman Building into a civic stage where the city is performed.

11.17.17

My seniors installed new work in the corner gallery at 7th and Sansom. The class theme was music & Philadelphia and addressed environmental issues with the use of recycled materials.

Artist : James “ The Thought” Kaihorn , Tymeer “Marion” Scales , Tyrim “The Kid” Harvey

Title : The Glumania Mallage

Style : The “Mallauge” Collection ( The Mosaic Collage )

Media : Recycled Items , Beads And CD Disks

Date : November 2017

Bonus : We created this project to express the fact the everyday trash can be used to create art . The theme of the projects was music and recyclables. The collection is titled “The Glumania Mallage”. Our team created 3 different projects using only glue and recycled objects. Half of the project is titled ”The Diskadier “. “The Diskadier” Is a chandelier / disco ball made with string and various CD Disks Created by “The Kid & Marion”. The “Muscyclable” Is Collage Of Recycled Objects To show the world how recycled objects can be used to make art and hopefully encourage the world to expand the options of things to do with recycled objects.

Artist: Keyatta Marks, Day’sha Davis, Eric Maple

Title: Airplanes

Style: Origami

Media: Paper, String, Hula-Hoop, etc

Date: Fall 2017

BONUS: We created this project with the motivation of the B.O.B song “Airplanes.” It inspired us to make our project based off of airplanes, which is relatable to the theme of waste production. Instead of trash we used recycled paper and strings to properly make an illustration of the lyrics put in our art piece.

“Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars

I could really use a wish right now, a wish right now, a wish right now.”

Artist: Caitlin Rutledge

Title: Love Park

Style: Installation Art

Media: Found materials

Date: November 2017

Bonus: I chose to create a model out of items that could be found around the house and class to just turn trash into something new. The items I used for this piece are objects that are not really used over and over after the first time. I decided to use things such as straws, toilet rolls, plastic bags, broken pins and small scraps of cardboard because they do not get recycled much. I chose to focus on Love Park because it is a place people visit when coming to Philadelphia. It also has music events, festivals and concerts that can relate to the class themes of the project: Philadelphia and music.

Artist: Daijah Freeman & Alana Bunch

Title: Raining Trash

Style: Installation Art

Media: Recycled materials (water bottles, egg carton, newspaper, plastic bags) hula hoop, and string

Date: Fall 2017

Bonus: We created an installation art piece that depicts an image of raining trash using recycled materials, hula hoop, and string. Based on our class’s theme, music, the song Umbrella by Rihanna gave us the idea for our project. Our art piece is illustrating the air and general pollution in Philadelphia. We painted trash orange to show the “orange” high ozone days in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, we have over a month of unhealthy air to breathe. Philadelphia is ranked 16th high in ozone days. We used the hula hoop to act as a cloud/sky. We used the string to hang the umbrella and the trash from the hula hoop.

“You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh

Under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh

Under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh”

By Rihanna.

Artist: Joshua Smith, Dontae Powell

Title: Music Waste

Style: Mosaic painting

Media: Recycled CD’s

Date: November 2017
Bonus: We made this project because of how music is listened to today. Music is bought electronically downloaded on phones, computers and tablets. As a result, the commercial aspect of music has been altered and the use of CD’s is no longer needed. Although people may still buy CD’s for nostalgic purposes, they will still say that it is easier and more convenient to buy, stream, or download it.

Artist: Jashan Smith

Title: Cds Collections

Style: Installation art

Media: print pens, pen, cds, and glue.

Date: fall 2017

Bonus: I created my project to show my skills and to do something with CDs. It addresses the theme because it has old CDs in it. I found and collect the CDs first. Then I printed and start designing them.

Artist: Dave DeVoue & Karizma Lark

Title: The Human-Polluted Delaware River

Style: Installation Art

Media: Beads, plastic bottle tops, plastic scraps, cardboard, colorful tiles, paint, keyboard, netting

Date: Fall 2017

BONUS: We decided to create a project on the pollution in Philadelphia because it is a huge topic that is repeatedly brought up upon the society. The Delaware River is a huge representation of how much pollution there is today in Philadelphia. In fact, it is the 5th most polluted river in the United States and is known as “A Polluter’s Paradise”.. We wanted to show the dirtiness and discoloration of the water due to the large amount of pollution, so we included a mix of blue, tan and brown beads. To add a touch of design to the river we created a mosaic piece on the sides of the display with colorful tiles. We used letters from a keyboard and different scraps of plastic like bottle tops, netting, trash bags, and egg cartons, showing the trash thrown into the river by humans. According to an environmental group, in 2010 there was more than 10 million pounds of toxic waste dumped into the river. The overall idea that we were trying to overcome is to show awareness of how much we have polluted the Delaware River. We hope that this model awaken the eyes of Philadelphians to stop polluting the river because we are hurting both our environment and aquatic life. As a community, everyone should use trash cans and recycle bins, instead of throwing them not only in the river but in the brotherly love streets of Philadelphia.

Elementary & Middle school Experience

W.C. Longstreth Elementary School: 5700 Willows Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143

2020-2021 school year

As the K-8th grade art teacher I worked hard to bring my students partnerships and unique opportunities to grow them as scholars and artists. One of my professional goals has been coaching pre-service teachers via my partnerships with Temple University: Tyler School of Art & Architecture and Artist Year.

My partnerships:

- Temple University: Tyler School of Art & Architecture

- The Philadelphia Flower Show (students won 3rd place in the Miniature Settings category in 2021 with our entry: ROAR: THE MANE ATTRACTION)

- Dreamline

- The Mural Arts Program

- Artist Year Fellowship

ARTS AND ARTISTS OUTDOORS:

Mander Recreation Center: 2140 N. 33rd St. Philadelphia, PA 19121

Fall 2015-Spring 2016

A20 is a cutting-edge partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation that pairs middle school youth with a professional artist-in-residence at their local recreation center to create artwork that highlights a nearby green space. Our environmental focus was water ecology and environmental stewardship and our material focus was fiber weavings and mandalas. The spring semester involved a mural in the Pool Room based on diatoms. Typical classes involved field trips, experiments, special speakers, public art making. There were also additional weekend community days.