Statement of Teaching Philosophy
As an artist who teaches, it is my responsibility to use my knowledge and experience to help students forge an understanding of how art and design shape the world around us. As students learn about how spaces and objects work within culture, they also learn that, as citizens, this knowledge bestows agency. I believe that knowledge of design processes along with basic fabrication and hands-on skills are part of this learning. Indivisible from the harnessing of the “how” is the “why” that involves an understanding of content and how it is developed, received and interpreted. I want students to come away from my classes with creative knowledge that will benefit them in whatever path they choose.
In service of these goals, my curriculum combines basic technical skills, prompts and discussions that explore historical and contemporary themes. I design learning modules around broader topics such as the development of public space, identity and the body. The prompts developed within these topics are accompanied by lessons in how design principles, materials and context are carriers of meaning. Throughout the course, students see a range of creative approaches to subject matter that highlight the virtues of curiosity, research and the development of concepts over time. Students learn how to work with specific media while researching artists and designers who demonstrate the imaginative possibilities within the medium, both in terms of craft and concept. By providing safe access to both traditional and contemporary techniques and processes, students gain exposure to a range of practical skills. This gives them the ability to explore their ideas openly and build a broad material base in order to find what best conveys their ideas. Ultimately, I want students to learn basic creative skills while engaging their imaginations through a balance of craft, research, experimentation and ideation.
Students come to my classes with different life experiences and different capacities for learning. I am committed to creating a safe space where students can develop a vocabulary for talking about artwork, engage in the classroom community and develop their own methodologies for creating. Some of the ways that I encourage student success is through low-stakes practice exercises and group projects that often precede longer, more involved projects. This serves to build confidence and foster creativity while introducing techniques and ideas that may be challenging. Another method is enabling student participation in different forms. For instance, in order to foster dialogue in critique, I occasionally have students work in small groups to evaluate their colleagues’ works and then report back to the class in a larger discussion. In advanced classes, students work with me to develop their own goals, timelines for achievement, and self-assessments.
My pedagogy evolves from vast experience, professional training and student feedback. Some of the most beneficial resources I’ve had as an educator have been faculty development courses that have improved my teaching style toward sensitivity and inclusivity. Workshops that addressed implicit bias and student well-being have been particularly helpful in creating an atmosphere for learning. I have had to seek out support and advice in some instances; such as the experience I had teaching ceramic sculpture to a student who had recently become non-sighted. The administration had few resources for me to proceed with, but through my research, advice from those she had worked with in rehab, and working directly with the student to develop her own goals, I was able to build a curriculum that met her needs. Experiences such as this have taught me to meet students where they are and allow them to develop their own path within the world.