This is the first art educator’s showcase for the Department of Art & Design at Lamar University. Katelyn Gilley’s art educator showcase features her pedagogical beliefs and art education theories that inform her teaching practices. This showcase contains her teacher/artist statement, teaching philosophy, artwork, and where to find this research. The binder on the pedestal showcases her student teaching experiences during a sixteen-week clinical teaching semester at Liberty Middle School. Inside the binder are art lesson plans she has taught and evaluated, along with examples of the students’ artworks.

Overall, Kaitlyn’s work as an art educator was inspired by class readings that include the Eight Studio Habits of Mind. The authentic tools explored in the Eight Studio Habits, give us a lens into how artists think and create (Hetland & Winner, et al., 2014). The eight studio habits are -- Developing craft, engaging and persisting, envisioning, expressing, observing, reflecting, stretching and exploring, and understanding art worlds. Additionally, Love & Logic (Fay & Funk, 1995) aligns with her classroom management because of the authors’ emphasis on building positive relationships with students.