About ME!
Hello! My name is Meredith Gipple, and I am the Art Teacher at Dawes Elementary School and Park School. This will be my 10th year with District 65, and I could not be happier to be a part of this community!
I grew up in Des Moines, and attended college at the University of Iowa. After college, I pursued a career in Human Resources and Corporate Recruitment. Though I enjoyed my job, I could not stop thinking about how much I missed art, and working with children. Eventually I decided to return to school and got my Masters in Teaching for Art Education.
I believe that education of the arts starts with the simple fact that we are all born with the ability to express ourselves through creativity, but that ability must be fostered and maintained throughout our lives. Children have immense imaginations. At an early age they are typically able to translate that into some form of art, often without even realizing it. But the older we get, the more difficult it can become for some individuals to look at the world in an original way. Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” When kids are not encouraged to follow their artistic ideas, these values can be lost over time.
Studies have shown that often the struggling students defied teachers’ expectations and went from being disruptive and withdrawn, to being active and productive class members with more exposure to the arts. Through art, students find themselves with a voice for the first time, and take pride in what they are learning – thus experiencing a sense of accomplishment as well. I also feel that allowing students to experience this type of success can subsequently transfer into other subject areas of their learning. Interdisciplinary lessons that combine the arts with social studies, science, reading or even math can be an effective way to reach students who may have otherwise had a difficult time with the material.
This is the foundation for my purpose as an art teacher. It is most important for me to see each student succeed and reach his or her highest potential!
I grew up in Des Moines, and attended college at the University of Iowa. After college, I pursued a career in Human Resources and Corporate Recruitment. Though I enjoyed my job, I could not stop thinking about how much I missed art, and working with children. Eventually I decided to return to school and got my Masters in Teaching for Art Education.
I believe that education of the arts starts with the simple fact that we are all born with the ability to express ourselves through creativity, but that ability must be fostered and maintained throughout our lives. Children have immense imaginations. At an early age they are typically able to translate that into some form of art, often without even realizing it. But the older we get, the more difficult it can become for some individuals to look at the world in an original way. Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” When kids are not encouraged to follow their artistic ideas, these values can be lost over time.
Studies have shown that often the struggling students defied teachers’ expectations and went from being disruptive and withdrawn, to being active and productive class members with more exposure to the arts. Through art, students find themselves with a voice for the first time, and take pride in what they are learning – thus experiencing a sense of accomplishment as well. I also feel that allowing students to experience this type of success can subsequently transfer into other subject areas of their learning. Interdisciplinary lessons that combine the arts with social studies, science, reading or even math can be an effective way to reach students who may have otherwise had a difficult time with the material.
This is the foundation for my purpose as an art teacher. It is most important for me to see each student succeed and reach his or her highest potential!