"To
teach is to learn
twice." - Joseph Jobert (1754-1824)
I
believe that the responsibility of a good teacher begins with reaching
and
challenging all students regardless of level.
Art instruction is a combination of teaching
plastic skills and history,
while encouraging individual development and critical thought. The best way to do this is
to connect art to
the students’ lives and to excite students about making and
learning about art.
I take teacher development very
seriously, and have
worked with several different departments to develop a variety of
curricula and
methodology for different levels of students.
I am experienced with web-based teaching
platforms and regularly
supplement my courses with postings and discussion boards. My courses
are
structured to provide a basic overview of technical processes while
encouraging
students to develop their own conceptual footing within the larger
context and
to experiment with images, materials and processes.
Courses
within a sequence should build upon one another, enabling students to
excel at
each succeeding step. Foundations
courses such as Three Dimensional Design and Drawing provide students
with a
necessary understanding of the principles of design and the ability to
successfully manipulate and describe a composition in space. Beginning
Sculpture
provides an exploration of materials and basic studio processes, and a
conceptual framework. Intermediate and advanced courses should provide
technical support for the student, but should be primarily
designed to develop
the student`s own voice.
While self-motivated students certainly
challenge their instructors in a positive
way, less motivated students have also earned a place in the classroom. I believe it is as
important to teach and
encourage the students who will never again take another art class -
but who
may eventually take their children to visit an art museum - as it is to
work
with the students who may place art in the same museum.
All students bring a distinct knowledge base
and aesthetic into the classroom.
Providing a forum for the open exchange of
ideas in a positive learning
environment is central to the instructor`s role.
My courses are
structured around core knowledge, skills and techniques, and I work
to combine concept into each lesson by providing open-ended problems
and
encouraging students to develop their own solutions.
I require that my students actively research
and maintain a journal of artists and images.
These, along with concept statements,
research, sketches and notes for
major projects provide an aid for individualizing instruction. They also give the student
the ability to
choose the direction from which they will approach the course. By evaluating students`
work as a whole, I
can help to provide technical and conceptual help and identify
complacency and
dead-end approaches. At
the end of a
course, success is judged by each individual students advance as
evidenced by
the quality of their successes and failures, and equally by the quality
and
integrity of their attempts.
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