# teaching philosophy
I honestly believe that all students can learn, and, more specifically to art, all students are creative whether they think they are or not. I feel everyone has something important to say, although they may not be sure what it is they want to say or how to say it. A skillful art teacher acts as a facilitator of personal discovery giving students the skills and confidence to understand and express their unique vision.
An art teacher is merely a person with a firmer grounding in the creative process and greater experience using the creative tools. The instructional focus should be on helping every individual find confidence in their own personal visual expression. To truly explore artistic voice as a means of personal identity, student artists must feel safe in expressing themselves through creative play. I firmly believe that it is the role of the teacher to create an inclusive relaxed environment where the student artists feel comfortable expressing themselves openly and where personal experience and opinions are highly valued. It is in this collaborative atmosphere that honest discussion and safe exploration of the creative process can flourish.
Successful art is created in a world of nurturing support rather than in a world of competition. At the same time, the creative environment needs to be sufficiently structured with a high-level of expectation. Students should be actively challenged through practical problem-based design prompts that are vague enough to allow for individual interpretation and response. Student-artists need to be gently and lovingly pushed to find and transcend their personally constructed boundaries. To truly grow as artists, the students must move beyond their comfort zones into new territories of materials, methods, and ideas. As experienced artists themselves, teachers will be able to collaboratively guide students into those new discoveries.
In addition to technical and creative skills, professional artists should be able to explain intelligently what they are making and why it is important to various stakeholders including clients, management, public groups, and end users. A learning environment emphasizing reflective practice and critical discussion prepares future working artists to engage as competent professionals. Formative and summative assessment that includes presentation, critique, contextual awareness, and social discourse are essential elements for a successful learning environment.
<div style="width:90%;min-height:100px;padding:2rem; margin:2rem auto; border-radius: 0.3rem; background: #ffd28a;background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top left, #ffd28a, #eb976f);background: -moz-linear-gradient(top left, #ffd28a, #eb976f);background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #ffd28a, #eb976f);"><p style="text-align:center; font-weight:600;margin:0;">Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.</p><p style="text-align:center; font-weight:700;margin:0;">— typically <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/education-is-not-the-filling-of-a-pail-but-the-lighting-of-a-fire-it-s-an-inspiring-quote-but-did-wb-yeats-say-it-1.1560192">attributed</a> to William Butler Yeats</p></div>