Reflections on Pedagogy and Paint

My last few blog posts have been focused around the idea of community. As such, I thought a current project of mine would be a good way to tie it all together. I have been taking pottery classes at a local pottery studio. I have been enjoying the experience because I have been able to meet other teachers, artists, and people within the community. While there, I was reminded how, as educators, we need to make learning more interactive and fun. Kids (and adults!) learn best when they are having fun. 

For this assignment, I chose to watch an Art21 video to learn about various modern artists. The video was titled "Realms of the Real". It was made to examine identity and culture. Throughout all four artist videos, the main theme that came to mind when I watched them all was "connection". Whether that was connecting with themselves, their culture, their community, and even the world at large. That theme seemed prevalent and important with every artist in this series.

While thinking about how I would create this post without my own classroom... yet, I considered a couple different possibilities. I could wander around the school that I am currently substitute teaching in and collect things that I use or mean something to me OR I could collect things that are meaningful to me because of the teaching experiences I have had and what I am preparing for my own classroom in the fall. After considering those options, I chose to do the latter. The reason I made this choice was because I thought it would be more meaningful if it was actually my own personal items rather than just things that I have interacted with occasionally. These items include a 2026-2027 planner, a bag that says "teach them, love them, watch them grow", pens, a notebook, a "Pippin" magnet, apple watch, a Teacher cup, a sign that says "You Make This Classroom Brighter", a pottery wheel, and lots and lots of books. 

The big idea for this project was work vs play. What kind of art could be created with different parameters set for the project idea? For the "work" sample, I made a social media post asking my friends to commission an art piece from me. I gave them no limits or parameters and got a lot of really fun ideas and requests. I was given ideas such as a portrait of a friends horse, a pottery bowl thrown on the wheel, a birth painting, a painting of a whale, and even tattooing leather. Out of all of the requests, I chose one that felt like it would be more of a "work" piece for me. Not that I did not like the idea or the subject but that I knew it would need to be done well and I would need to put a lot more detail and work into it. For the "play" piece, I chose whatever I wanted to do. Which is usually the fun part. As an artist, I'm sure we can all agree on the "usually" part.

When I think about how my teaching identity has been created and where my teaching philosophies have started, I think of my children. I am a single mother of 5 amazing children. I have kiddos that have been diagnosed adhd, autistic, and ocd. I have two children that have needed speech therapy services. I have two children with 504 plans at their schools  I have had to advocate for them and collaborate with their teachers for many years. I believe that my experience as a mother has given me a unique experience as a teacher. 

Hello! My name is Tarrin Pippin. I just completed my teaching residency in Secondary English Education back in December of 2025. Shortly after my residency was completed, I graduated from University of Wyoming with my graduate certificate in Secondary Education focusing in English. Right now, I am in the process of licensing. I have received my teaching license for the state of Wyoming and am now waiting on my teaching license for the state of Utah. As I wait for that process to complete and to (hopefully) get a permanent teaching position in August, I am busy substitute teaching while also catching babies as a licensed midwife. 

My last few blog posts have been focused around the idea of community. As such, I thought a current project of mine would be a good way to tie it all together. I have been taking pottery classes at a local pottery studio. I have been enjoying the experience because I have been able to meet other teachers, artists, and people within the community. While there, I was reminded how, as educators, we need to make learning more interactive and fun. Kids (and adults!) learn best when they are having fun. 

For this assignment, I chose to watch an Art21 video to learn about various modern artists. The video was titled "Realms of the Real". It was made to examine identity and culture. Throughout all four artist videos, the main theme that came to mind when I watched them all was "connection". Whether that was connecting with themselves, their culture, their community, and even the world at large. That theme seemed prevalent and important with every artist in this series.

While thinking about how I would create this post without my own classroom... yet, I considered a couple different possibilities. I could wander around the school that I am currently substitute teaching in and collect things that I use or mean something to me OR I could collect things that are meaningful to me because of the teaching experiences I have had and what I am preparing for my own classroom in the fall. After considering those options, I chose to do the latter. The reason I made this choice was because I thought it would be more meaningful if it was actually my own personal items rather than just things that I have interacted with occasionally. These items include a 2026-2027 planner, a bag that says "teach them, love them, watch them grow", pens, a notebook, a "Pippin" magnet, apple watch, a Teacher cup, a sign that says "You Make This Classroom Brighter", a pottery wheel, and lots and lots of books. 

The big idea for this project was work vs play. What kind of art could be created with different parameters set for the project idea? For the "work" sample, I made a social media post asking my friends to commission an art piece from me. I gave them no limits or parameters and got a lot of really fun ideas and requests. I was given ideas such as a portrait of a friends horse, a pottery bowl thrown on the wheel, a birth painting, a painting of a whale, and even tattooing leather. Out of all of the requests, I chose one that felt like it would be more of a "work" piece for me. Not that I did not like the idea or the subject but that I knew it would need to be done well and I would need to put a lot more detail and work into it. For the "play" piece, I chose whatever I wanted to do. Which is usually the fun part. As an artist, I'm sure we can all agree on the "usually" part.

When I think about how my teaching identity has been created and where my teaching philosophies have started, I think of my children. I am a single mother of 5 amazing children. I have kiddos that have been diagnosed adhd, autistic, and ocd. I have two children that have needed speech therapy services. I have two children with 504 plans at their schools  I have had to advocate for them and collaborate with their teachers for many years. I believe that my experience as a mother has given me a unique experience as a teacher. 

Hello! My name is Tarrin Pippin. I just completed my teaching residency in Secondary English Education back in December of 2025. Shortly after my residency was completed, I graduated from University of Wyoming with my graduate certificate in Secondary Education focusing in English. Right now, I am in the process of licensing. I have received my teaching license for the state of Wyoming and am now waiting on my teaching license for the state of Utah. As I wait for that process to complete and to (hopefully) get a permanent teaching position in August, I am busy substitute teaching while also catching babies as a licensed midwife.