Renee Goularte Creating Art With Kids

I am a retired elementary school teacher / art educator, a working artist, and a writer. My teaching career began in San Jose, CA in 1988 in a third grade classroom. I soon moved to 2/3 combination classes and then spent four years teaching in a Multiage 1-2-3 program, which I started with a colleague. I have also taught a 4/5 combination class and Kindergarten, and have worked specifically with GATE students, ELL students, and at-risk students in all elementary grades, In my last two years of teaching before I retired in 2010, I taught Art to Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students for two years. For me, teaching Art was coming full circle. In addition to my work in the classroom, I have written articles on teaching, written lessons professionally, maintained a number of websites and blogs, and facilitated math, language, and art workshops for teachers and parents.

I believe in and support hands-on, active learning that touches all learning styles. I know from personal experience that visual literacy is an important component of the curriculum, and that creativity can be fostered and nurtured. As a classroom teacher I enjoyed teaching thematically and including student's interests in the curriculum whenever possible.

The most cherished honors I've received have been the feedback of now-adult former students.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Art and English from San Jose State University, where I also earned Standard Secondary and Multiple Subjects teaching credentials, as well as a Master's Degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Mathematics. I am also Montessori-certified. I have been a teacher, a writer, and an artist, and I am a perpetual student. Beyond my formal education, I have learned volumes from the many students I've taught over the years.

Presenter: California Association for Bilingual Education, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 Presenter: California Mathematics Council North Conference at Asilomar, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011