Allie Sassa

Education

Washington University in St. Louis | Class of 2023

• Major in K-12 Teaching with an Emphasis in Art

• Second Major in Design

• Dean’s List Scholar

• GPA | 3.93

Harvard-Westlake Highschool | Class of 2019

Certifications

K-12 Art Teaching Certification, Missouri, Expect Spring 2023

Elementary Education Certification, Missouri, Expect Spring 2023

Achievements

Instructional Technology Merit 2023

Young Arts Award 2019

Harvard-Westlake Senior Art Award 2019

Work Experience

Dressel Elementary | Student Teacher | St. Louis, MO

January 2023- May 2023

Independently led art classroom instruction for elementary-aged students, K-5, for 17 weeks. Responsible for teaching, creating curriculum, grading, and behavioral and social-emotional learning for 750 students.

The John Thomas Dye Summer Program | Junior Counselor | Los Angeles, CA,

June 2022- August 2022

Assisted in teaching incoming kindergarten students.Helped instill routines, and plan and facilitate lessons. Co-taught art to elementary-aged students, and led small-group instruction.

Summer at Brentwood | Camp Activities Coordinator | Los Angeles, CA, June 2022- August 2022

Designed and facilitated activities for 50 students ages 5-10 daily for five weeks. Facilitated communication between teachers, parents, and administration. Employed a variety of topics, methods, and instructional techniques to scaffold and provide engaging learning experiences for all students.

Washington University Nursery School | Teacher | St. Louis, MO, August 2021- January 2022

Responsible for teaching and maintaining routines for children ages 3-5.

Cassidy Preschool | Teacher | Los Angeles, CA, June 2021- August 2021

Facilitated and organized activities for students ages 3-6. Maintained routines and worked with teachers to create lessons & activities.

Projects

Trained Peer Mental Health Counselor Washington University in St. Louis | 2019-Present

Completed over 100 hours of training to become a certified mental health counselor for Washington University’s undergraduate students.

Executive Member of Relay for Life Washington University in St. Louis | 2019-Present

Conducted outreach to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

Art Teaching Philosophy:

My purpose as an educator has centered around “magic water.” My kindergarten teacher was intuitive to my fears as I entered the space for the first time and quickly did what I strive to embody as an educator for each of my future students. I was inconsolable, so she grabbed a bottle of water, ripped off the label, relabeled it magic water, and told me it had special powers to ease my fears. There were more difficult mornings after that first day, but slowly with drops of magic water, the only challenging moments I felt were leaving school at the end of the day. It is abundantly clear to me that magic water was not magic, and the only magic was the power of an intuitive teacher who thoughtfully approaches each of their students.

I am both inspired and excited to be in the classroom because I want to provide a supportive educational space for students to explore and develop. My education shaped my identity by allowing me to explore my passion for art. Despite this support, I often felt my artistic passion was wasted because I didn’t see myself becoming a designer or painter. Teaching students, I felt a spark of joy, and I realized my artistic passion could inform my pedagogy and serve a greater purpose by teaching. I want to do everything I can to give the instruction and encouragement to allow students to explore and express themselves while learning.  

Social-emotional learning is critical to creating safe learning environments. I hope to create an art curriculum that provides space for mindfulness and the messaging and intuitiveness that comes from authentic reflection. Voice and identity hold an integral space in art, and curating an identity-affirming curriculum and safe learning space is at the core of my goals for curriculum building.

In my opinion, the critical values in structuring a K 12 art program are grounded in empowering students’ logical and emotional connections to themes that are relevant and broadly encompassing of arts’ cross-cultural and historical grasp. Ethically building themes and topics that can be personalized to the student experience, beliefs, and aesthetics is crucial to authentic expression. Providing students with foundations of skills and technical proficiencies throughout the curriculum is integral, but manipulating and expressing those skills in a variety of ways is the ultimate goal. 

Access to encounters with art is often limited, and tools to navigate and form meaning from these experiences are essential. Through open studio spaces, thoughtful curriculum, and flexible instruction, I hope to foster a space where every student can find a connection to visual culture in a way that empowers them to strengthen their voice. 

I often reflect on how lucky I am to have had such an incredible first experience with a teacher. I am inspired and driven to provide affirming and safe experiences and spaces for students to engage in their learning.

Magic water is simple, plain drinking water, and through quick thinking and intuition, it transformed into a tool that ultimately empowered me to feel safe in school and love learning. Students are surrounded by seemingly simple things every day that can be similarly transformed to support their learning and empower them to achieve what felt impossible without a little magic. I hope to empower students to find their toolboxes and curate skills to critically engage with art making and their learning.

Through teaching for artistic behaviors, relational-based learning, and reflective and caring approaches I hope to create educational foundations for students to contribute to inclusive and empowering learning spaces. With my intuitive understanding of people and my love of children, I am certain I can add value to your school community.