Wonder & Curiosity

Wonder and curiosity have driven humankind to extraordinary achievements. As educators we are tasked with helping to light the fires of wonder and curiosity so that our students may burn brightly on the paths they choose to venture down. Learners internalize information when allowed to forge a personal connection to that which engages our inherent curiosities and stimulates our sense of wonder.

Learning needs to be active and inspired, and with little learners in particular, there needs to be encouragement, support, and gentle guidance while they wonder at and explore the world around them. Art education serves as the most versatile and expansive way to help learners actively engage with information and reconcile their internal and external experiences. Art allows learners to explore concepts and materials as well as complex histories while inviting them to engage, interact and express themselves with those very things. This gives them a strong sense of autonomy and empowerment as they grow. Because art tailors so easily to each person, we can grow each little mind with respect to their individual needs, customizing experiences and relishing contribution while incubating curiosity.

The scientific method translates so well into art classrooms as we observe, research, hypothesize, experiment, analyze and report/reflect. This overarching structure in a classroom helps to guide and organize experiences and thought. I create opportunities for students to develop and answer their own questions. I also create opportunities for learners to identify different aspects of their own process and communicate where they are in that process to educators so that we may scaffold appropriately. This method helps learners to feel confident and empowered in their learning because it frames learning as experimentation. That freedom to explore and play alleviates pressure and anxiety, promotes creative thinking, and facilitates a mindset that is adaptable to new information and experience.

The most important job as an educator is to inspire a lifelong love of learning and stoke the fires of curiosity and wonder. I believe that it is our duty to gently guide young individuals and prepare them for life as adults. This means incorporating the complex and sometimes daunting to help build resiliency and perseverance into the foundation of each student. I teach respect, communication, curiosity, empathy, problem solving and creativity by example. I demonstrate how to ask questions and then seek out answers, empowering students to identify their own questions and find ways to seek out the answers. I want my students to develop a love for learning by feeling free to experiment and play while sharing and celebrating in a supportive environment.

Art can help us shift our perspectives and grow our minds, compassion, and empathy. It is a powerful tool that taps into human experiences to celebrate the wondrous and curious together.

Laura has a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Wayne State University, and anticipated Bachelors in Fine Art: Major in Material & Craft Study in Ceramics, Minor in Art Education 2023. She has spent over 17 years specializing in early childhood development, and over 9 years with Fortress Studios Detroit, a workshop and maker space for emerging artists.

Laura’s philosophy revolves around drawing upon a child’s natural interests and expanding on those intuitive fascinations to teach children how to be kind, compassionate, creative, confident and engaged individuals. Guiding little ones as they explore the world around them and build off their excitement and curiosity teaches them how to learn and cultivates inquisitiveness, which allows the little ones to internalize lessons with deeper understanding and greater retention of information.

Art is an incredible intermediary for exploration and information processing, especially for little ones eager to experiment, explore and reconcile their internal and external worlds. She uses art to appeal to their sensory, emotional, and cognitive experiences and expand on those developments as they gently soak up new information and foster positive associations with learning and growing.