Chandra Wu
Organization Details
| Name | Chandra Wu |
| URL | https://www.chandrawu.com/ |
Organization Description
| Mission statement | I have been teaching art to young people since my own children began co-op preschool, and I even took an Early Childhood Education course in teaching art to children when I was an undergrad in the sciences. Children learn by exploration and personal expression, so establishing a positive environment for them to express their joys, frustrations and unique solutions to problems is the core philosophy of my teaching approach. Students of all ages enjoy talking about themselves, their relationships and their creative approaches when their individuality is encouraged and celebrated. I bring this approach to cultivating joy and show by example how mistakes, unexpected surprises and problem-solving are rewarding - incorporating reflection on these very elements in assessments I can help teachers develop for their own classroom cultures. I am enjoying the career transition to artist and the opportunity to do project-based teaching by invitation. |
| Service(s) description | I learned to embroider and sew at an early age, but did not connect my artistic work in drawing and painting to textiles until I began making quilts in 2000, first for my own children and then for others. I became obsessed with quilts and learned about the intersection of the modern art movement with quiltmaking crafters in the 1970s forward. I aspired to someday make “art” quilts but continued making baby and bed quilts until about 2012 when the new modern quilt movement began to take shape. I attended the first Quiltcon in 2013 and met other “modern” quilters. We recognized the importance of connecting with other quiltmakers and migrated from Flickr to Instagram. I received my Bachelor of Education in 2011 from the University of British Columbia, receiving endorsements in Physics, Earth Science, and General Science for middle and secondary students. I was inspired to become a teacher after spending 4 years as a parent educator in our local co-op preschool, serving on the Executive Board and later working for the BC Council of Parent Co-op preschools. Play-based collaborative learning is still my inspiration behind my teaching philosophy even among older students and adults. I also volunteered as a West Point Grey District Girl Guide, serving on the executive board and leading a troop. When I returned to Seattle in 2013, I also lead a Girl Scout troop for 2 years, as I began teaching at a public middle and high school for English Language Learners, Seattle World School. This school incorporated the pedagogies of cultural responsiveness with early literacy development that was directly supported by my previous work in co-op preschool. In 2013 I published an article in “Quilty” magazine about connecting literacy and fine motor skills with quilt pattern making and both hand and machine sewing with students as young as 5 years old. My classroom culture evolved over the decade with primarily newcomers and students with limited formal education: developing a trauma-informed understanding of refugee and immigrant experiences including violence, family separation as well as grief and loss. Working in a diverse classroom helped me truly see what it means to impose a white supremacist outlook on students from all over the world and I began a process of decolonizing my curriculum and pedagogy more intensely. I created multi-modal creative entry points for learning science, physics and chemistry, and eventually robotics. I got my Masters degree in English Language Learning in 2016, then founded the Seattle World School FRC team, coaching from 2017 until 2021. Students learned to lead, communicate, collaborate (even with low common language skills!) while developing 21st century skills including addressing both physical and emotional safety, growth and celebration of learning, as well as technical skills in engineering in a fast-paced, high stress environment. My quiltmaking evolved into an artistic practice around this time and “Resistors” was accepted into my Woman Made Gallery in 2018. My quilt production intensified during 2020 when I began hand-quilting, a labor-intensive but satisfying, meditative process that helped me manage stress and anxiety. I recognize this benefit for many students learning how to use computers as their primary learning platform and delivered sewing kits to my students who had previously learned to sew patchwork in my advisory and literacy support classes. I also see the opportunity to express oneself through improvised sewing and pattern making with textiles is satisfying for adults of all ages. I taught “Improv Rectangles” sewing to adults in the Tangled Threads quilt guild and was told I was a “gifted” teacher. I encouraged and responded positively to self-expression, perseverance and trying new approaches. When it was possible to return to teaching in person, I began teaching the “Stitchbook” course in summer school and also offered it to 6 students at the Greenwood Senior Center. I believe this could be well adapted to Professional Development work with teachers in a half-day collage and stitch activity for teaching culturally responsive, trauma-informed lesson English Language Learning best practices. I love teaching basic sewing and mending skills to new learners and this can be a beneficial experience especially for teachers. I went on leave from full-time teaching to become an artist and completed my first artist residency at the Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in 2022. I have had quilts at the Pacific NW Quilt Museum in WA, Schweinfurth Museum in NY, as well as the Carnegie Museum in IN as well as various national quilt shows, including the recent Quiltfest in SC where “Passages” won the Best Handwork award. I moved into a studio in SoDo in 2023 and “Pacific Rim” was accepted into the local Seattle Gallery B612. I am available for workshops for quiltmakers as well as children and the general public. |
| Program impact | not provided |
Community programs are organized into categories known as Community School Elements. All community programs associated with Chandra Wu are listed below and each program may be provided at 1 or more schools. You can use the 'Show Details' buttons to learn more about each program.
Academic Learning (1 program)
Programs that support and reinforce school-day academic instruction within any subject area - language arts, career and technical education, math, science/technology, visual and performing arts, physical education, health education, ethnic studies, social studies, and world languages - in alignment to the curriculum and academic goals for students and the district.