Miller Elementary Teacher Named
Texas Art Educator of Year

December 21, 2005

Miller Elementary School Teacher Alisa Meli was recognized this fall as “2005 Elementary Art Educator of the Year” by the Texas Art Education Association.

Selection for this prestigious award is an expression of the highest professional respect. The association recognizes outstanding members, friends of art education and principals through its awards program.

Ms. Meli was selected based upon her resume, personal philosophy of teaching and letters of recommendation.

Alisa Meli is pictured with Principal Susan Dantzler.

Philosophy of Teaching

Three years ago at an art educator’s conference in San Antonio, I was listening to Eric Jensen talk about his research in fine arts education and it’s role in brain development when he said something that struck a chord with me. He said that in the twenty first century, the fundamentals of education will no longer be reading, writing and arithmetic, but will be creativity, problem solving, and technology. To succeed as adults, children had to learn those skills.

It was then that I realized I taught one of the most important subjects in school. I was the art teacher and creativity was the heart of the art curriculum!

My philosophy of teaching is based upon the notion of extending elementary education beyond the basics and incorporating the fine arts to help develop the “whole” child.

I believe that as an art educator, it is my responsibility to help students develop their creativity and imagination, to provide students with the skills to produce and appreciate art, to use art to help students make relevant connections to their academic subjects and personal life, and to help students build the necessary skills to become lifelong learners and to succeed in and outside the classroom.

Art is my passion and I want to instill that passion in my students. There is so much more to art education than just drawing and painting a picture. It is a necessary and essential building block in a child’s education. Art education stimulates creativity, inventiveness and self-expression. Art production promotes individual uniqueness, talent and self-esteem.

Through art criticism, art appreciation and aesthetics students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills and learn to form opinions and judgments. Children are born artists, dreamers, explorers, and inventors. They possess great creative potential. It is my belief that through art experiences, creativity and imagination can thrive and the artist, dreamer, explorer and inventor in every child can emerge.

Art can connect to many different areas of the elementary curriculum. Art serves as a visual, historical and cultural resource. I use literature, math, history, social studies and science in combination with art to make connections to learning. I believe that by connecting art to other academic areas or life experiences, student become excited about and actively engaged in learning. All students can learn through art, regardless of their background, race, or academic level.

I have made it a goal to provide individualized art lessons and manipulatives for students with special needs, so that all students can have positive, educational, and enjoyable art experiences.

I love getting students to enjoy learning and I love seeing the look on their faces when they are proud of what they have accomplished. I think that all children have the potential to be successful.

To facilitate this, I make sure that every child has a positive experience in art class and creates at least one work of art that makes them feel proud. When a student enters my classroom they expect to be academically challenged, but in a loving way that they feel safe to rise to that challenge.

My ultimate goal for my students is to develop creative individuals, to prepare them to be successful as adults and to inspire a lifelong love and appreciation for art.

Work History

• 1994-2005 Art Specialist, Plano ISD, Plano, TX
  • 2005–1999 Miller Elementary
  • 1999–1997 Miller El. and Hughston El.
  • 1997–1994 Hughston El. and Memorial El.
• 1999-2003 The Classics Art and Theater, Plano, TX
  Art Specialist, part-time summer and evenings
• 1992-1993 Art Specialist, Bad Nauheim Elementary
  Department of Defense Schools (DODDS)
  Bad Nauheim, Germany
• 1990 Hayes High School and Kyle Middle School
  Student teaching

Education

• University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 2001
  Master of Arts in Art Education
  Thesis: Eye of the Beholder: Children Respond to Beauty in Art
• Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 1990
  Bachelor of Science in Education, Major: Art Education
  Certification: Art- All-level, K-12
• 30+ hours gifted training

Professional Organizations

• Texas Art Educators Association (TAEA)
• Executive Board Secretary 2005- present
• Elementary Division Chair 2003-2005
• Elementary Division Chair Elect, 2003
• Plano Area Art Educators Association (PAAEA)
  President, 2004–present
  Board Secretary, 2000–2004
• National Art Educators Association (NAEA)
• ATPE
• PTA

Professional Activities

• Plano ISD Elementary Cluster Leader/ East Cluster Leader for Art, 2005 - present
• Pasar Academic Specialist, 2004-present
• Fine Arts Team Leader, Miller El., 1999-present
• Fine Arts Vertical Team Leader, Miller El., 1999-present
• Supervised/Mentored 6 student teachers, 1996-2004
• Plano ISD Art Curriculum Writing, 1999
• Taught summer school art for gifted and talented students (SIGS) for three summers
• Planned and implemented fine arts days and evenings for Miller El.

Committees

• Elementary Division Sub Committee Chair for the TAEA
• Textbook Review Committee (state level), 2004, submitted recommendations on textbooks to the State Board of Education
• Plano ISD Art Textbook Adoption Committee (local level), 2004 and 1995
• Miller Elementary School SBIC, 2004-present
• Citizenship Committee, Miller El., 2002-2003
• Safety Committee, Miller El., 2000-2001

Honors

• TAEA Outstanding Elementary Art Teacher of the Year 2005
• Miller Elementary Teacher of the Year, 2004
• Futures Foundation Grant Recipient, 1997, Title: Take Home Art Kits

Presentations / Inservices

• Presenter: TAEA Conference in Austin, 2005
  • A-Z’s of Classroom Management for the Elementary Art Classroom
  • Elementary Division Meeting
  • Job Panel Discussion
• Presenter: TAEA Conference in Galveston, 2004
  • Clay Coil Tiles
  • Elementary Division Meeting
• Presenter: TAEA Mini-conference, Texas Wesleyan University, summer 2004
  • Clay Coil Tiles
• Presenter: Region 10 Fine Arts Summit, summer 2004
  • Perceiving the World Through Fine Art
• Presenter: TAEA Conference, Corpus Christi, 1998
  • Take Home Art Kits
• Planned and presented various art inservices for PISD art teachers, 1994-present

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