Philosophy

Bruner’s statement is essential to my philosophy of teaching in and
through the visual arts. Regardless of when or where a subject is
taught--whether to children in primary schools or adults in graduate
programs--the eventual value of any subject lies in how that subject
affects understanding and life-long learning.

It is my conviction that the visual arts and visual arts education are
subjects worth knowing. For this fundamental reason, my mission in
education is to provide meaningful teaching in and through the
visual arts while making connections to various areas of learning and
real life experiences. This is accomplished by approaching the visual
arts as a hub for all learning. Finding meaning in artworks
throughout history and from diverse traditions affords broad learning
opportunities for students from varying social, economic, and cultural
backgrounds.

All students under my direction are provided a non-critical learning
environment; a learning environment that values cultural and social
differences, recognizes divergent learning styles, and encourages
deep thinking and better cognition. This type of learning
environment requires interactive participation between my students
and me. It is not a situation that relies upon regurgitation of textbook
knowledge and skills; rather, it is a situation that makes students
responsible for individual learning and personal demonstrations of
competence. It is a learning situation that empowers students in their
own cognitive development.

In practical terms, my teaching approach is one of modeling,
coaching, and self-reflection. It is impossible for me to have all the
answers and to be everything to every student. When students
witness an instructor searching for answers along with them, their
own learning processes are validated. This tandem learning
environment creates (in my opinion) a healthy classroom that
encourages students to be risk-taking team players rather than
passive bystanders of their own education.

My classroom suggests that gaps in knowledge are opportunities for
learning; that contradictions are a part of our information society;
that collaboration stimulates new ways of seeing and knowing; and
re-thinking of ideas or understandings are a part of continued
growth.