Blog
Changing the world one student at a time.
My focus for teaching and learning is inspired by and grounded in the core practice and design principles of Expeditionary Learning as a model for engaged multi-tiered learning and in critical literacy, hands-on, art-infused, placed-based strategies that meet the needs of all learners regardless of language, learning or behavioral challenges.
I am an artist, constructivist-reading teacher, and special education teacher by training and a social-reconstructivist and bibliophile by nature. I believe that multi-sensory learning and place-based teaching foster the capacities needed for a successful, purposeful, and joyful life, ignite an intrinsic passion for learning, and inspire responsibility for self, community, and the world. My social-reconstructivist pedagogy emphasizes and addresses social questions and strives to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education. I believe that when children (or an adult’s inner-child) get smarter and/or healthier, the world becomes a better place. See my blog, “One Social Re-constructivist’s Journey on the Road to Building a More Just and Ecologically Resilient World” to read more about this.
Creatively yours, Sasha
Our latest blog posts
How to Develop a Daily Drawing Practice
Very few of us came out of the womb prolific geniuses like Michael Angelo (1475-1584), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Andrew Wyeth (1919-2009), or Horst Janssen (1929 –1995), with a pencil in our hand. Nor will we make as many paintings [...]
Art and Nature – ARTing En Plein Air
Anyone who has stopped to admire the beautiful colors of a sunset over the river or to listen to the chorus of wildlife sounds, flowing water, rain falling, wind in the leaves, or crickets chirping knows that nature and [...]
What is Expressive Arts Meditative Creativity?
It's as simple as it sounds: the combination of expressive arts with meditation and mindfulness practices to create a blend of multi-sensory, body-based experiences. This blend allows individuals to be present and explore what is arising in the moment. [...]
Where’s My Creative Muse?
I recently got an email and maybe you got my email that asked, " Have two years of pandemic living silenced your Inner Muse? Has the continuous need for flexibility zapped your inspiration? Has the relentless uncertainty left you [...]
What is Expressive Arts and the Open Studio?
You can only learn about your creativity through your own experience of it. ~ Shaun Mc Niff You might be wondering what an Expressive Arts (ExA) Open Studio Is? You might even be wondering what the expressive arts are! [...]
Yes, please! Let’s Ring Out the Old and Ring in the New!
Expressive Arts, which utilizes more than one art process in a session, sometimes uses poetry, visual arts, clay, movement, sound, guided meditation, and breathwork. I like to include poetry in my expressive arts workshops, online open studios, and face-to-face classes [...]
How to Develop a Daily Drawing Practice
Very few of us came out of the womb prolific geniuses like Michael Angelo (1475-1584), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Andrew Wyeth (1919-2009), or Horst Janssen (1929 –1995), with a pencil in our hand. Nor will we make as many paintings [...]
Art and Nature – ARTing En Plein Air
Anyone who has stopped to admire the beautiful colors of a sunset over the river or to listen to the chorus of wildlife sounds, flowing water, rain falling, wind in the leaves, or crickets chirping knows that nature and [...]
What is Expressive Arts Meditative Creativity?
It's as simple as it sounds: the combination of expressive arts with meditation and mindfulness practices to create a blend of multi-sensory, body-based experiences. This blend allows individuals to be present and explore what is arising in the moment. [...]
Where’s My Creative Muse?
I recently got an email and maybe you got my email that asked, " Have two years of pandemic living silenced your Inner Muse? Has the continuous need for flexibility zapped your inspiration? Has the relentless uncertainty left you [...]
What is Expressive Arts and the Open Studio?
You can only learn about your creativity through your own experience of it. ~ Shaun Mc Niff You might be wondering what an Expressive Arts (ExA) Open Studio Is? You might even be wondering what the expressive arts are! [...]
Yes, please! Let’s Ring Out the Old and Ring in the New!
Expressive Arts, which utilizes more than one art process in a session, sometimes uses poetry, visual arts, clay, movement, sound, guided meditation, and breathwork. I like to include poetry in my expressive arts workshops, online open studios, and face-to-face classes [...]