My journey as an art teacher began in 2015, shortly after completing my degree in Visual Arts, when I entered the field of education after being selected through a public examination to work as a substitute teacher. From that point until 2025, I worked in schools across different communities in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, building an intense, continuous, and deeply transformative professional journey shaped by diverse pedagogical practices.

Throughout these years, I closely followed the development of students in elementary education, particularly from 6th to 9th grade, engaging with their creative, aesthetic, and expressive processes. More than simply teaching techniques, my practice focused on observing, encouraging, and developing, together with each class, individual pathways of artistic expression.

During this journey, I explored multiple artistic languages, including painting, drawing, woodcut printing, papier-mâché, theater, dance, and music, as well as collective productions, cultural performances, videos, and interdisciplinary projects. The activities extended beyond the classroom, encouraging research, experimentation, and connections with the artistic world in different contexts.

We explored the work and references of artists from Ceará, Brazil, and around the world, as well as themes such as cultural heritage, museums, and diverse artistic expressions. We also organized visits to museums, cinemas, and art galleries, expanding students’ cultural repertoires and encouraging critical thinking.

Another fundamental aspect of this journey was the integration of Art with different fields of knowledge, including History, Portuguese, Science, and Mathematics, promoting an interdisciplinary and more comprehensive approach to the learning process.

This experience was essential to the development of my teaching methods and contributed directly to my academic formation and to the development of my research projects. Throughout this journey, I also gained a practical understanding of the Brazilian education system while deepening my theoretical and pedagogical foundations.

Being an art teacher throughout these years was a deeply meaningful experience. Accompanying students as they grew, witnessing the role of art in shaping their identities, encouraging creativity, and contributing to their cultural development were undoubtedly among the most rewarding aspects of my professional journey.

More than teaching art, this journey was about creating pathways for expression, identity, and belonging through education. This gallery brings together records of these experiences: pedagogical practices, creative processes, and artworks developed in the classroom throughout this journey.