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Teaching
Philosophy
It is in our very nature as human
beings to be creative. Young children are completely without inhibition
approaching interaction creatively until an adult tells them “how” they should
behave. This preconceived notion attached to what William Glasser describes as a
“negative learning picture” is the beginning of a child limiting his or her self
and conforming to another‘s idea of what he or she should be doing or where they
should be at. As we mature, we take on social/cultural idealisms
and we soon begin to fit nicely in the cubbyhole where others can
label us and our abilities. We in turn, tend to perform accordingly.
It is my intrinsic goal as an
instructor, to bring my students to the realization that the act of creation is
being engaged in a creative process--that is the process that is of utmost value
in developing a mastery of creating relationships between materials, the self and one's awareness of culture. Part of this process on
conscious and un-conscious levels is unlearning the negative things that are
very much apart of our approach to doing things or our expectations of our
ability to perform at another’s level of expectation. This creative process,
including meta-cognition, exists for all individuals as an aspect of their
potential that only needs to be realized, released, and expressed.
Of course, with the degree and
amount of modern distractions and consumption before us, social, religious,
political stresses that may weigh heavily upon the individual mind, it is
difficult for many to realize the creative process as it requires many things
from us: intense focus, a diligent work ethic, and the desire to search,
practice, and know. The bridge point for the student is the degree and level of
personal enjoyment one gains from the art making process, which may or may not
be a creative process based on their dynamic and approach to working. When a
student learns to enjoy the process and become engaged, development and learning
happens naturally.
I learned that work is work—that is
it is something to not be enjoyed, but rather completed as a commitment. And
work in many respects can have this quality. The facilitation of the maturation
along a student’s developmental pathway begins with enjoyment of the process of
creation and more often then not the realization that work can be fun. It also
requires a commitment to the process and seeing things through from beginning to
end. For some students this is easy. Others difficult. It is my job
to provide the workaround by providing a solid foundation to craft which leads
to Art making and the materials of inspiration essential to
their learning styles.
My commitment to students is simply
this: to guide, facilitate a student’s growth and maturity to reach and realize
their greatest potential by sharing my knowledge, expertise and personal
enjoyment of the process of creating through working. Whether it is clay,
cardboard, film making, paper, or wax, an image, a poetic word, these mediums are simply the
interactive process of the self and others realizing who they are and what they
might become. It is my job to help them get there, to reach heights
thought not accessible or unimaginable. It is not about making them artists--the
process of creation will bring this realization about as a natural way of doing
or approaching how to do things. It is about teaching students the relevance of
their own being, the significance of their own personal and cultural mark
making, and the idea that they are capable of achieving anything through
commitment, perseverance and a vision.
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