Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is firmly student-centric with an accompanying pedagogy that is rooted in a Montessori approach; my teaching is geared towards the student's development and growth as a person and not strictly focused on only the technical aspects of camera operation. I determine the students needs and meet the student where they are so a collaborative learning environment can occur, complete with a hands-on, learn-by-doing approach, balanced with theory, history, and real-world application lessons. 

Art is not made in a vacuum, creation and ‘making’ is a whole-minded process that utilizes the subconscious as much as the conscious; art is also not made alone as it is best when it is collaborative with experimentation and feedback. Being a maker of art is about more than just expressing what you feel, it’s also about problem-solving and requires the maker to be a critical thinker, a competent presenter and have the ability to accept, and give critical feedback. 

My collaborative approach in the classroom, which is relaxed and friendly, allows for the subconscious and conscious mind to flourish and the creative spirit is nourished through reactions and responses by other classmates. Learning and information retention is different for each student, and when teaching a class of students with diverse backgrounds and learning obstacles, it is imperative to be able to maintain flexibility in teaching, while also still getting the lesson across. 

Each class taught has a rubric and a set learning outcomes for the student as a benchmark to measure their progress against; I always stress that the benchmark for progress is with themselves and not with other classmates, as everyone’s blueprint to success is different. 

The standard learning environment is typically structured in a one-way path from the person with the subject knowledge to the person without the subject knowledge. However, I believe that the students come with knowledge that is valuable, so I construct a healthy learning environment that is based on sharing information cyclically which allows students to develop their own viewpoint by exploring the subject while building trust and support for their instincts. 

I have the utmost respect for the student/instructor paradigm and cherish the relationship, however, I do recognize that being too friendly can take away from the retention of information. I successfully find the balance between approachable and friendly, while still maintaining proper classroom hierarchy. This allows the student enough autonomy and creative agency to experiment, knowing that the guidance and critique they receive from me is rooted solidly in a place of caring and shared goals of seeing the student succeed in and out of the classroom. 

My future goals as an instructor are in constant calibration as I’m always evaluating myself, analyzing my classroom interactions and pedagogy to ensure maximum success for my students - ultimately, I’m only a good educator if my students are successful in the internalization and utilization of the lessons I’ve taught them.