NAME:
Cynthia Griffin, Teacher, Email: griffin_cynthia@cupertino.k12.ca.us
SCHOOL:
Cupertino Middle School
CLASS:
7-8 Grade Art, Ceramics, and Crafts
SCHOOL PHONE:
1.408.245.0303 ext. 229
I graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Degree. Since college, I have followed several career paths including non-
profit fundraising and, most recently, marketing communications in the
technology industry. I have designed websites, created ad campaigns, and
managed events up to 6,000 people.
In all my careers some form of artistic expression and creation has been an
integral part of my responsibilities. In addition, throughout my life I have
been a dedicated community volunteer. For the last 11 years, I have worked as
a court appointed special advocate for children who are wards of the court--
working to empower each child to build a better future and helping them to
deal with the stresses of foster care.
In 2000, I had the opportunity to reevaluate my life and decided to combine
my love of art with my desire to work with children by becoming an art
teacher. It is a joy to now be able to share the journey into art with
children.
I taught at Miller Middle School and Sunnyvale Middle School, both art one
and ceramics, as a student teacher. During the 2003/2004 school year, I
taught art in Ross Valley at Wade Thomas and Manor Elementary Schools, grades
K-5. The summer of 2004, I taught art to 3rd-5th grade students for
Camp Galileo Sunnyvale at Cumberland School. During the 2004-2005 school
year, I taught art and sixth grade wheel at Cupertino Middle School and then
for the spring semester, I was at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto. I am
honored to be back teaching art, ceramics, crafts, and sixth grade wheel
fulltime at Cupertino Middle School and look forward to many successful years.
When I'm not in the art room, you'll find me spending time with friends and
family; playing with my new dog, Mela, who can, and does, run rings around
me; puttering about in the garden; creating art; exploring new hiking trails;
reading a good mystery book; or taking my 16" inflatable canoe on the rivers
and lakes of Northern California and Oregon.
The mission for the art class is to provide a pleasant, non-threatening
environment where students are able to learn about culturally diverse
art and artists, gain new skills, explore new art medium, and express
their individual creativity in unique and healthy ways without being afraid
to make mistakes and challenge the limits of their abilities.
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What the CEDFA (Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts) says
about art programs in middle achool:
Art in middle school follows a sequential body of content knowledge and
skills that broadens learners' understanding of visual expression.
Adolescents explore, organize, understand, and evaluate their abilities
in art. As they observe and discuss visual environments, they extend
and deepen the basis of their knowledge of art. They learn to value
curiosity and to appreciate flexibility in their thinking and
decision-making. Middle school courses lay the foundation for work at
the high school level by providing students with opportunities to:
Express ideas, thoughts, and feelings
Explore a wide variety of media
Collaborate on group projects
Relate art to social, environmental, and political issues.
Art as a means of self-expression is of primary importance in middle
school. Students grow more independent in the process of producing
artworks that are meaningful to them. They mature in their abilities to
observe, experience, and express themselves in effective and innovative
ways. Teachers encourage exploration and experimentation and
consciously individualize instruction to meet the varied needs of their
students. Students engage in complex problem solving and creative
thinking as they examine ideas relevant to the study of art.
Students learn the use of tools, such as perspective, and learn to
elaborate and manipulate images and ideas to suit specific purposes.
The investigation of two- and three-dimensional media includes
drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, fiber art,
photography, filmmaking, and electronic media.
Students' appreciation of art deepens in middle school. Teachers
provide many opportunities for students to experience contemporary art,
works from the past, and artwork from other cultures. Learners develop
a deeper understanding of other cultures through their exposure to
many different cultural notions of art.
