Philip Berezney is a teaching artist with with a focus on mixed media visual arts. His work in arts education has brought him from co-developing expressive-arts programming aimed at acknowledging trauma in post-Katrina New Orleans public schools, to introducing arts curriculum in a science-focused summer school for multilingual migrant students in coastal Maine, to teaching in schools all over NYC. Philip has taught visual arts classes as a teaching artist with Community Word Project, Marquis Studios, and Wingspan Arts (to name just a few…). As a facilitator, Philip has led training and professional development sessions on topics including: positive and preventative classroom management strategies, inclusive language practices for emerging bilingual students, expressive arts facilitation, and open-ended art-making for students with limited verbal abilities.
TAP Work:
As an Advanced Facilitator trainee, Philip had the privilege to work closely under the mentorship of TAP facilitators Patti Chilsen, Karla Robinson, Heidi Miller, and T. Scott Lilly.
“Getting to witness the working methods of such esteemed educators is a rare opportunity, and I knew I had to soak in as much as I could. Tasked with passionate questioning from this year’s TAP trainees — amid our tumultuous political climate — I kept close watch of each facilitator’s varied approaches to sharing the tools that make great artists and educators.”
Most Memorable TAP Moment:
“Working with Heidi at the National Museum of the American Indian was a highlight for me. First of all, the exhibition we explored, Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound, was beyond inspiring. As I planned with Heidi for our short visit with Advanced TAP trainees, it was exciting to inquisitively explore and challenge how we each make meaning differently through our facilitation practices, discovering points of divergence and places of overlap. Co-creating space for pointed, quiet reflection in response to such captivating artworks and exhibition materials felt memorable and new to me.”
Check out more about Philip here:
- Teaching & Writers Magazine – Spotlight
- “My Trouble With Turtles: Investigating the Importance of Choice in Student Learning”
Check out Philip’s Lesson Plan he created for his TAP presentation.
Interested in TAP? Find out more about our 2018-19 Program.
See more of our 2017-18 Graduates in the 2018 TAP Anthology!
