SADAH Alumna Receives VAEA Special Art Educator Award

School of Art Design and Art History
 
goble-1000x600
Robin Goble, (JMU SADAH Alumna, Master of Arts in Art Education, 2007)



Congratulations to Robin Goble, (JMU SADAH Alumna, Master of Arts in Art Education, 2007), for her recent Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) Conference Award! Ms. Goble received the BLUE RIDGE REGION of the Virginia Art Education Association 2017 Special Art Educator Award.

Robin Goble demonstrates what it means to have an “Inclusive Art Classroom,” where all students are challenged to the best of their abilities. Robin has consistently adapted her teaching to include all of the special needs student in meaningful lessons, including children ages 2-6 with developmental delays, and those with speech and language impairments.

Her experience also includes nine years at Cub Run Elementary School, working with students in the Regional Hearing Impairment Program from five school divisions: Augusta, Page, Rockingham, and Shenandoah and the cities of Harrisonburg and Staunton. Robin has adapted her elementary art lessons for students who were blind, deaf, and those who had orthopedic impairments. Her experience also includes working with autism for six years at Lacey Spring Elementary, and those with behavior interventions at Cub Run Elementary, John Wayland, and Linville-Edom Elementary.

In addition, every year, Robin is an active participant in Youth Art Month, curating student exhibitions in several different schools and community locations. Robin serves as a valuable part of the teaching team to address individual learning plans and corresponding assessments. For example, one of her students who was enrolled in the Elementary Behavior Intervention program became empowered to create his own art after Robin worked to establish trust. The student was initially anxious and refused to participate. Robin states:

"I started to listen and try to understand what it was like to live in his world. He took his paper home in order to draw. He started to attempt the art activities and projects we did during class. He had come to feel safe in the art room and in the end, isn’t that what we want for all our students?--To feel safe in the art room and just maybe take a risk or two with their art?" 


Back to Top

Published: Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Last Updated: Thursday, November 2, 2023

Related Articles