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Philosophy of Teaching
My philosophy of teaching is derivative of my philosophy of learning; I've experienced a wide array of learning environments as a student, so my teaching methods have benefited exponentially from this exposure. It is my contention that every student has the potential to be a professional learner and should be treated as such. Within this mindset, I believe that while maintaining the boundaries involved with leadership, students should be engaged as colleagues, and the educational (learning) experience should be presented and carried forth as a collaborative effort. It is of paramount importance that each student be given the opportunity to take ownership of his or her learning experience. With this said, I believe as an instructor my presence should always be felt by the learning community, even if my role at certain points amounts to not much more than a bystander, I should be present.
As for Art Education, my philosophy is ever expansive. I have found that the more I learn, the more opportunities my students will have to learn. As the avenues I take to indulge my interest in the arts become more varied and cover a larger scope, these same learning variations will be present for my students in the classroom. I strive to include all realms of art and art-making, both traditional as well as tangential.
- Art History/ Criticism/ Aesthetics
- Reading/ Writing/ Debating/ Discussing
- Cultural History/ Geography/ Multi-disciplinary
- Studio
- Traditional Art-Making/ Non-Traditional Art-Making
Conclusively, I believe it to be the responsibility of every instructor to promote modes of thinking above all else. These are the tools that will transcend the classroom and positively affect every aspect of a student’s life.
2 comments:
Brian, Thankfully I have finally caught up to your Art Ed Blog and your very informative e-lecture on properly stretching a canvas. Boy, if you have never worked up the courage to stretch a canvas from scratch, your e-lecture is a virtual cookbook, step-by-step process that most anyone who can read and follow directions could handle from beginning to end. Having stretched more than a few canvases in my day - I am more of a printmaker than a painter but learned the method many years ago and still remember it to this day. You are spot-on about the easy access to so many somewhat inexpensive pre-strectched canvases - and that if quality or simply knowing the right way to do it matters - that stretching your own is something that cannot be matched by a store bought version. Call me Mr. Old School, but I think that every art student should have to go through the process from start to finish in order to properly appreciate the art of their craft. I paint mostly on prepared panels these days, but I still have a lot of respect for the art of doing something the right way. Your visual aid were also quite nice and absolutely necessary when it came to some of the more complicated bits - such as the folding of the corners. I am sure that any novice could find a decent measure of success if they followed your e-lecture step by step. It is well organized, easy to follow and certianly not intimadating to someone with little or no experience. Well done.
Thanks also for your comments on my e-lecture. Guston is one of my long lasting heros. There is something about his later works that when I see a really good one in the flesh, it can actually give me goose bumps. Few modern paintings have this effect on me - but many of those paintings from the last decade of his life really get me where it matters. I am glad I never met the guy, as he seems from many accounts to have been a difficult, super intense and somewhat tortured guy. Not someone I believe I would have enjoyed hanging out with. I'll enjoy his paintings without allowing what a jerk he may have been in real life to get in the way.
Cheers,
Michael
Brian-
Hello! I found your blog for our eLecture and I just wanted to say GOOD JOB!!! It is very informative and I think a great resource for students. I make my senior art students create their own canvas as part of their grade. Would you mind if I projected your eLecture while they are making their canvases?
P.S. I agree with everything Michael had to say about your eLecture. It was very nicely put together.
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