I am passionate about creating art and sharing art making with young people. All humans have some artistic impulse, but many children don’t have the opportunity to develop some kind of artistic expression, whether visual, performance or written. As a visual arts teacher, I provide a setting where making art is comfortable. I help students find joy in creating and show them that everyone can be an artist. I give students considerable choice in their art making and they develop creative problem solving skills and self-confidence.
I enjoy partnering with schools to create visual art curricula that meets their goals, is tied to grade level arts standards and includes instruction in the elements of art and principles of design. I have created lessons that integrate visual arts with core subjects, like science and social studies, to enhance learning and assessment. Whenever possible I make lessons culturally relevant to students. I enjoy teaching students in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, ceramic clay sculpture, paper sculpture, printmaking, stop motion movie-making and Sumi-e painting. Art lessons include time for students to reflect on art making and their artwork, as well as view and discuss artwork by professional artists.
My experience differentiating instruction for English language learners and students with differing abilities has informed my teaching practice. In the classroom I communicate information in multiple formats and media – using verbal and visual cues, using slides or posters, and doing demonstrations directly in front of students. I engage students by asking them questions and expecting them to query me.
Leslie Fleming was raised in Kailua, Oahu. She attended college on the mainland and lived for many years in San Francisco, returning to Oahu in 2016. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Dartmouth College and a Certificate in Graphic Design from the University of California, her early career focused on graphic design and marketing for outdoor manufacturers, including The North Face.
She began teaching visual art more than a dozen years ago, working with elementary students in public and private schools in San Francisco, including Spanish and Chinese Immersion schools. On Oahu, she has taught visual arts through the Honolulu Museum of Art in DOE schools. In addition, she has taught students at HoMA’s Art School and in summer programs in independent schools. Her experience in diverse school settings with a variety of students allows her to be responsive and successful with students in any K to 6th grade classroom.
Leslie’s own art practice focuses on painting, printmaking and fiber arts. Through her artwork she attempts to capture the natural world, often working outdoors so she can directly respond to a place. Leslie’s artwork is in collections across the U.S. and has been exhibited in Hawaii and San Francisco.
The Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) Roster is an adjudicated directory of Hawai‘i professional teaching artists qualified to conduct in-depth residencies in educational settings. Each artist or arts organization has a page in the directory with contact information, a short bio, and an artist statement. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts draws from this roster for arts education programs including Art Bento at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum and Artists in the Schools.
