Teaching Philosophy

Personal interactions are at the heart of my teaching; I focus on the conversation, the dialogue that occurs between a faculty and a student or classroom.  The dynamic of that situation is vital to the success of a course, a concept, and the lesson at hand.  Art in and of itself is a finicky, fickle creature that is attractive, powerful, engaging and necessary.  Teaching about a subject such as this cannot be tackled from one “sure-fire” method, especially when art frequently is tied to something very personal and profound to the artist. 

My approach to teaching is to be empathetic but challenging.  There is a definite “dance” to this situation.  There are times that I take the lead, teaching technical aspects of art and design, pointing out “right and wrong” if there is a specific result that is desired by the student. But there are moments when a give and take occurs, the exchange of ideas and the inevitable question of how do you distinguish “black and white” in the world of art and design, particularly as educators push for students to think for themselves?  And that there are so many topics that are in a world of grey - those concepts of the everyday to which there really is not a correct answer or interpretation. Our job is to help students understand there may be multiple answers, more than one path. And that what they make, write about, interact with, and how they engage with each other and in society is important. Young artists and scholars need exposure to the history of their practice, what came before, and what is currently happening. It is my job to help them understand that continued research through an artmaking practice (practice as research) is just as vital as how they place themselves in the dialogue of the art cannon. Leading them, nudging them through the moves so that they can start to gain strength through practice, as they claim the words and actions necessary for them to become professionals is important. As the “movement” becomes familiar to them, they will be more confident, and push themselves more. Once they master one move, it is time to introduce something more complex. 

As students learn, develop and grow into adults and independent thinkers they need to be pushed in different ways, whether it is to understand and consider the way a material will affect a work’s overall form, if a color is going to pop too much against another or if the methods used to produce their artwork affects the environment in a negative manner. Or how the audience will interpret the subject matter they have chosen to portray. My job as an educator is to encourage these considerations and help them to eventually come to conclusions on their own. To not only push them as artists and designers technically, but to hope that they grow to become higher‐level thinkers - those that can think conceptually about how their work will affect the society that we live in, how we interact with art and design on a daily basis and where they fit within that context.

As the dance continues, I consider myself successful the moment that I no longer have to “lead”.  I can step back and witness my students engaging in a dance with their artwork, their peers, and society.  They are able to ask the questions and take the actions that are necessary to continue their professional practice without my guidance. A professional practice that hopefully is visually engaging enough to have a lasting impression and involves the audience in a deep conversation.