Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is built on frequent one-on-one meetings with students, critique styles that engage students in small groups and written feedback, and going over the class schedule at the start of each class for everyone's clarity. Students have a clear image of what they need to do for the week, what is expected, and also to ask questions if the schedule has changed. This helps in any kind of class, but especially Ceramics, where students are timing their work to get in and out of kilns.
Students engage with my PowerPoint presentations of historical representations of art applicable to their upcoming assignment. I have students come prepared to class with research and sketches. They are expected to research ceramics works via websites I provide: ArtsAxis, the MET, the Chazen Museum, among others. This is where they can bring their own taste, interests, and motivations to the class.
In my arts practice and my teaching practice, I place an emphasis on ensuring all are able to access what I am communicating. With my background in disability studies, I am well aware of different learning styles, abilities, and needs for my students. It is a part of my sole belief to go out of my way to support all people in my classroom. I create different types of student-centered methods that can support many people. I use visual images of artworks, videos, various readings, hands on assignments, and encourage all students to connect with me about how they learn best.
In my classroom, I am constantly engaging with students one-on-one. I do my best to learn about each student, their goals for the course, and their goals within their degree as a whole. I create a mix of inquiry-based and collaborative-based learning, where students can try different methods of working with clay to build various objects and can continuously learn from each other throughout the semester. There are many times where I will have students break into groups for discussion or will coordinate a whole critique discussion for longer term projects. This ensures feedback for progression and collaborative learning for how students achieved different techniques.
I am an inquisitive learner myself, always striving to dig deeper, learn more, and better the world through that discovery. I encourage my students to do the same. My role is to create a warm, welcoming space to begin with, facilitating their learning through each creative assignment. I hope to give them just enough information to start their technical skills, but also a safe enough space for them to take big leaps to test out larger ideas. I also help guide students on how important the space we create together and the skills we learn in the classroom can generate a strong outlook for the community outside of the classroom.
Students engage with my PowerPoint presentations of historical representations of art applicable to their upcoming assignment. I have students come prepared to class with research and sketches. They are expected to research ceramics works via websites I provide: ArtsAxis, the MET, the Chazen Museum, among others. This is where they can bring their own taste, interests, and motivations to the class.
In my arts practice and my teaching practice, I place an emphasis on ensuring all are able to access what I am communicating. With my background in disability studies, I am well aware of different learning styles, abilities, and needs for my students. It is a part of my sole belief to go out of my way to support all people in my classroom. I create different types of student-centered methods that can support many people. I use visual images of artworks, videos, various readings, hands on assignments, and encourage all students to connect with me about how they learn best.
In my classroom, I am constantly engaging with students one-on-one. I do my best to learn about each student, their goals for the course, and their goals within their degree as a whole. I create a mix of inquiry-based and collaborative-based learning, where students can try different methods of working with clay to build various objects and can continuously learn from each other throughout the semester. There are many times where I will have students break into groups for discussion or will coordinate a whole critique discussion for longer term projects. This ensures feedback for progression and collaborative learning for how students achieved different techniques.
I am an inquisitive learner myself, always striving to dig deeper, learn more, and better the world through that discovery. I encourage my students to do the same. My role is to create a warm, welcoming space to begin with, facilitating their learning through each creative assignment. I hope to give them just enough information to start their technical skills, but also a safe enough space for them to take big leaps to test out larger ideas. I also help guide students on how important the space we create together and the skills we learn in the classroom can generate a strong outlook for the community outside of the classroom.
