TEACHER PORTFOLIO | Ian Kloster

IAN KLOSTER

MAT, Literacy in Secondary Education, Art Education

BA, Illustration, Art & Design

Georgia Teaching Certificate, Grades PK – 12

Mr. Ian Kloster brings a decade of community arts experience into his high school Visual Arts classroom. His culturally responsive curriculum connects art historical contexts with students’ lived experiences, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning, collaborative creativity, and critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the studio. This approach reflects his conviction that the arts unlock students’ potential to envision and create meaningful change in their own lives.

This portfolio showcases Mr. Kloster's teaching philosophy, innovative lesson plans, student achievements, and ongoing commitment to youth empowerment through transformative art education.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Mr. Kloster's journey to the Visual Arts classroom reflects a decade-long commitment to community-centered creative practice. His path began as an entrepreneur, founding Kloster Kreations Screen Print Shop and Yellow Sun Art Studios–spaces where he mentored community members through hands-on art workshops. These experiences revealed his talent for helping others embrace their creative potential and set the trajectory for his career.

Seeking to deepen his impact, Ian served two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton and Kansas City Public Library, where he developed youth programming and designed English Language Learning curriculum. This work demonstrated how creative expression could bridge cultural and linguistic divides, reinforcing his conviction that art could serve as a powerful educational tool.

Ian’s commitment to education through art led him to join the Peace Corps as a Youth Development Volunteer in rural Peru. Working with over 300 young people across four schools and community organizations, he facilitated life skills programming while building relationships with at-risk youth. This international experience shaped his understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy and the importance of connecting curriculum to students’ lived experiences.

Throughout this journey, Ian maintained an active Illustration practice, creating 100 illustrations for Volume One Magazine and developing two 55-page health education resources for the International Planned Parenthood Federation. His artistic work continued to inform and strengthen his educational approach.

Upon returning to the United States, Ian formalized his commitment to youth empowerment by earning his Master of Arts in Teaching from Middle Georgia State University (Excellence in MAT Award, 2023). Since July 2023, he has served as a High School VIsual Arts Teacher in Douglas County Schools, where he integrates his entrepreneurial experience, international service perspective, and artistic practice into comprehensive, culturally responsive curriculum.

This portfolio showcases the evolution from teaching artist to certified educator–a journey that has enriched both his pedagogical approach and his creative practice.

INSTRUCTIONAL SAMPLES

Standards-Based Assessment Framework

During his MAT program, Ian carefully analyzed the Georgia Standards of Excellence to identify six priority standards that would anchor his visual arts curriculum. Since beginning his teaching career in 2023, Mr. Kloster has refined this standards-based approach, synthesizing the standards into five measurable learning goals that guide weekly assessment and instruction:

Art Vocabulary & Visual Literacy - Use artistic vocabulary to demonstrate understanding of elements, principles, and content of artwork.
Artistic Techniques & Media Knowledge - Demonstrate knowledge and use of techniques in drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.
Evidence of Ideation & Use of the Creative Process - Demonstrate evidence of ideation in the art-making process, including brainstorming, concept development, experimentation, and refinement of ideas.
Art History and Contemporary Art - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of traditional art history and contemporary art, including the ability to analyze and connect art movements, styles, and their influences on society.
Cultural and Personal Awareness - Demonstrate an understanding of cultural and personal identity while exploring and incorporating diverse ideas into the creation and discussion of artwork.

Student-Centered Proficiency Scales

Each learning goal is supported by a detailed proficiency scale that describes progressive levels of knowledge and skill demonstration. These scales are further broken down into specific, observable indicators that allow Mr. Kloster to monitor individual student progress and differentiate instruction to meet diverse learning needs.

Students are active participants in this assessment process. Each receives a checklist aligned to these proficiency indicators, enabling them to self-assess their progress toward mastery, set personal learning goals, and track their growth over time. This approach demystifies the learning process by making success criteria transparent and achievable.

This assessment framework accomplishes multiple pedagogical objectives: it introduces students to academic vocabulary essential for arts discourse, makes learning progressions concrete and visible, and empowers students to identify concrete steps for improvement. By understanding the criteria for success, students can track their growth over time and connect their effort to tangible outcomes.

View proficiency scales and instructional resources developed by Mr. Kloster

Inquiry-based, Interdisciplinary Instruction

Mr. Kloster’s curriculum design is rooted in inquiry-based learning and the belief that art serves as a powerful lens for understanding human experience across time and culture. Historical artifacts, contemporary artworks, and cultural traditions serve as launching points for creative exploration–prompting students to ask questions, make connections, and develop their own artistic responses to the world around them.

Utilizing the 5E Lesson Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), students progress through project-based units that integrate art historical contexts with hands-on studio practice. Each lesson incorporates peer feedback protocols, written reflections, and self-evaluations–structures that help students develop metacognitive awareness and articulate the meaning, purpose, and objectives behind their own creative work.

This approach emphasizes interdisciplinary connections, allowing students to explore how visual arts intersect with history, culture, mathematics, science, and social studies. Recent interdisciplinary project include:

U.S. History Through African American Quilts

Explore the historical role of quilts in the underground railroad and develop a communal quilt with a unified message and design.

Early Mesoamerican Art & Spirit Animal Sculpture

Connect pre-Columbian symbolism with contemporary cultural identity.

The Five Functions of Public Works of Art

Design community centered public artworks that serve specific social functions.

Artist Resource Terminal

VISION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

Mr. Ian Kloster's commitment to community-centered art education has shaped his career trajectory. In his youth, he founded a screen print workshop and painting lessons art studio that prioritize accessible, hands-on learning; served as a Peace Corps Youth Development Volunteer facilitating creative programing for rural communities in Peru; and developed English Language Learning curriculum as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Currently, he serves as a Board Member for Stitching Change Inc., supporting a non-profit that empowers immigrant and refugee women through textile arts and entrepreneurship.

His illustration work has appeared in international health education publications and regional magazines, demonstrating his ability to communicate complex ideas through accessible visual narratives. Ian holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Middle Georgia State University, where he received the Excellence in MAT Award (2023).

Whether painting in his studio, teaching in the classroom, or collaborating with community organizations, Ian approaches his work with curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to making art that matters.