TEACHING PHILOSOPHY (download pdf)
As a professor, I feel it is important to also be a practitioner. My ability to teach is only as successful as my personal journey as a student of the arts. Keeping up-to-date with the latest technology and exploring new areas of artistic interests helps to captivate curiosity in the classroom.
Those who choose to embark on the journey of formal education have accepted the challenge that goes along with it. As a teacher it is incumbent upon me to challenge the students. I know that they posses tremendous capacity for learning and growth, and I expect them to perform.
I work to guide students along their design journey by emphasizing design fundamentals. Initially I encourage them to step away from the computer while they brainstorm and sketch out their ideas. Only after research is conducted, are students encouraged to digitally sketch, explore, and revise their ideas.
My hope is that by giving a mixture of small in-class exercises, and larger in-depth individual and also collaborative assignments, students will have sufficient structure for success, with ample latitude for creativity. For this same reason, I also strive to create fresh assignments from semester to semester to avoid capping student growth.
Leaving time for lively classroom discussions and peer critiques can be especially helpful during the creative process. I frequently infuse lessons about the history of visual communication while also discussing the continual evolution of contemporary design.
It’s important for students to have practical “hands-on” learning. I facilitate this experience by bringing real clients into the classroom. Through this process students learn about the intricacies of working to satisfy client needs in a deadline driven environment that mirrors the real world. As the students strive to create a visual expression of the client’s ideas, they are better equipped to use design in a variety of settings and applications. I place value on “real world” experiences, but also feel it is important to emphasize personal creative expression without corporate limitations.
My ultimate goal in education is to empower the students to be effective visual communicators. A college degree signals to the world that one has successfully completed a rigorous course of study and now possesses the tools that will enable them to compete in an ultra-competitive world. As students struggle through this process they discover the value they have the ability to add. Seeing students begin to realize their own potential is when I feel most successful as an educator.