A Visual Arts Teacher,
Photographer and Practitioner Researcher
On my way to make a change.
Teaching Arts & Culture around the world
This is me
I am Camila Vasconcelos, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With a Master's Degree in Arts Education, IB DP Visual Arts Certified Teacher, and Professional Photographer, I have been teaching N-12 students for over a decade.
I am a flexible and committed professional, willing to collaborate and impact my students' lives positively.
Specialized in Arts Integration &
Multicultural Education, my goal is to keep Traditional Art Forms alive, and appreciate each individual's cultural background, incorporating those elements into my Teaching Philosophy.
I teach the International Baccalaureate Curriculum (IB DP) in Visual Arts & a variety of Creativity Elective Courses at the Middle School & High School Levels
Teaching Middle & High Scholars to achieve their full potential inside the Art Classroom became a transformative practice when I decided to implement the TAB Method and adopted the Eight Studio Habits of Mind.
Teaching For Artistic Behavior is an approach where students have full autonomy and flexibility with media, themes, and techniques, exploring self-expression based on the Curriculum proposals and assessments. In this way, students can present unique material, reflecting their own voices and styles. At the end of each course, all students have a creative portfolio, rich in skills and knowledge, being prepared to apply to any art schools or universities they desire.
To guide this creative process, the Eight Studio Habits of Mind (Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch & Explore, and Understand Art Worlds) describe the thinking that I intend for my students to learn during the process of creating their projects. Those habits are easily adaptable to any curriculum, and are aligned with the IB Learner Profile and the American National Core Arts Standards.
Traveling, Researching & Teaching
Combining passions to deliver meaningful
and culturally responsive lessons
During my entire career, I have always been fascinated by traditional art forms and how people around the world have their own ways of preserving and sharing their cultural elements. When visiting a country, I take the opportunity to not only immersive myself into new experiences for leisure, but I take advantage of each activity, thinking ahead about how could I bring into my classroom the incredible moment that I am living, and how will I share it with my students. I lived in Brazil, the USA, and currently, the Middle East, and those places gave me the chance to explore more than 20 countries and different cultures. Here, you can see some of my adventures, understand some cultural elements and their origins, and learn how to keep those beautiful traditions alive!
I am also an Elementary Arts Integration Specialist Teacher, with experience in the American Curriculum, PBL & Inquire-Based Approach.
Believing in the power of art integration, which allows students to connect their learning in other subjects with their artistic endeavors, I strive to inspire and encourage creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression in my students.
The Elementary Choice-Based classroom is a space where students can feel free to create a be themselves, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Every cultural background is respected and included, and a diversity of activities based on students' needs has a place to shine.
