My name is Catherine Byrne, and I am a dedicated art teacher for grades K-8 with both public school and Montessori experience. My art teaching incorporates classroom core curriculum, studio practices and art history as well as the natural curiosity and inclinations of children as budding artists.
Universal Design for Learning
My lessons teach important art concepts that align with state and national standards, but are intentionally open-ended enough to allow for a wide variety of ability levels, explorations, personal styles and points of view. I urge students to refrain from self comparison, and that “mistakes” are often blessings in disguise, even introducing lessons specifically around this concept. I provide accommodations when needed, and work individually with each student to help discover their unique strengths. My goal is a successful outcome for each student, which looks different for everyone. Involving families can strengthen the home-school bond, build a supportive community around arts education, and show families the value of their child’s artistic growth. To see an example of a past art room newsletter, click here.
In addition, I teach visual art and fashion classes to children and teens at the Danforth Art School at Framingham State University for summer and vacation programming. I am a practicing artist and an enthusiastic learner myself, and I love to show children how art crosses into other subjects, and about the fascinating world of exhibited and historic global art that is there for them to be inspired by. My goal is that they have a life-long appreciation of art as a means of understanding other cultures and accessing the past, self-discovery, communication, and meaningful expression.
I currently hold a DESE provisional license for Visual Art grades K-8 with SEI Endorsement, and am one semester away from completion of the Visual Art PBTL program at Framingham State University where I maintain a 4.0 GPA. I graduated cum laude from Boston University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting. I also have an AAS in Fashion Design (Dean’s List) from Parson’s School of Design in New York City.
Earlier in my life, I worked in the fashion industry in NYC: in costume design, product development and production coordinating for some well-known fashion companies. I later designed and sold my own lines of women’s and children’s clothing. Today, I still find it fun to integrate fashion and fiber arts into our art projects.
This site shows examples of my own artistic work throughout the years, my teaching, and the resulting art of the amazing students it is my great privilege to teach, and to learn from. I hope you enjoy!
For a more detailed teacher mission statement click here
To contact me or request more info please email me at [email protected]
