Teaching Philosophy

A student’s mind can be stimulated by a variety of interactive and participatory learning experiences. In the classroom, my interaction with students is primary to their learning process. This interaction can be in the form of lectures, with the use of visual examples to promote creative inspiration. To inspire original thinking, I use digital slides, the Internet, video, and podcasts of related topics. I also show examples of previous student artwork, assign reading material, and provide field trips to professional establishments, therefore promoting the importance of “looking” at history, popular culture and the professional process of design and/or art making.

Interaction also can be in the form of hands-on demonstrations, during which students actively apply techniques themselves. Because the physical body has memory, providing a physical experience helps students understand and recall techniques more fully. For example, teaching a student to use the computer as a tool for art-making or constructing a drawing on the computer requires technique. If this technique is practiced, the student will learn, understand, and perform the technique with greater proficiency than just learning the technique through lecture or reading.

I believe involving undergraduate students in professional activity is extremely important to their education. I strongly believe in the Scholarship of Application, and while teaching have regularly included eight to twelve students a year in my research. I believe if a student is immersed in the professional world, while still being taught in the academic world, they can exhibit tremendous growth in presentation, verbal, cognitive, intra-personal, and technical skills—well beyond what a classroom environment alone can provide.