Thesis Countdown!
As the Christmas countdown begins so does the “ Dun DUN DUN!!!” Thesis Countdown! Hi I am Felicia Grosvenor and I am currently a lead teacher at Stuyvesant Heights Montessori , a small preschool in Brooklyn. I also serve as the school’s art teacher and assist in producing our annual art show. As I have been a member of the teaching staff for 5 years , I have grown to love and appreciate working in learner directed environment. As a school we have worked to create a flexible learning environment where all of the children’s needs are met by supporting each child’s sense of motivation and curiosity. This will in turn support their autonomy, self-sufficiency and creativity through independent and collaborative exploration. Year after year I have watched this mission come to fruition in each of my students. They leave excited about learning and ready for 
“big kid” school.
Working in such an environment has certainly informed the decision I made to explore the world of Choice Based Art Education, specifically TAB – Teaching for Artistic Behavior and its effectiveness in a middle school setting. The use of choice is prevalent in early childhood education but not so much in middle school. I’m trying to begin to fill a gap in information and resources for middle school educators who are looking for a way foster creativity while maintaining New York City Standards.
Advent Calendar created by Cherry Blossoms Class
Intrinsic Motivation are keywords when discussing choice based art education. It is defined anything that arises from a person’s personal, positive reactions to an experience or task. Something that sparks a continued interest , curiosity to explore something to its maximum. A positive challenge that brings forth much fruit. This experience or writing my thesis has been just that. I have chosen a topic that has driven me to learn more. Challenges have definitely arisen in my search but my motivation has pushed me to move through the problems towards greater solutions. So as the countdown continues I am positive about the outcome and its benefit to the field of Art Education. Happy Holidays everyone!
Felicia- Pencil Portrait by Kevin S. Parise
