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Tony Ferguson Teaching Philosophy 2005 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, religious, and other idealisms not our own 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 materials and 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, 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 or becoming. 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 and perseverance. |
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