Teaching Philosophy Robert Frost once said, "What we do in college is get over our little mindedness. To get an education, you have to hang around until you catch on." The goal of an instructor, then, is to help students "catch on" and function without an instructor’s aid. Students need to become autonomous learners, and learn how to think critically and question information. How does an instructor motivate students to think independently? In my experience as an artist and educator, an instructor must work with students individually, promote open dialogue, and create assignments that allow for student exploration.
Due to the unique nature of online teaching, I have to teach every student though very individualized feedback. As part of each assignment, I provide a corrected markup for the student to learn from. I also write an extensive critique on the assignment and provide them links to resources, like websites and videos to help solve any issues with their assignment. They are allowed to use this feedback to resubmit a new version of their assignment. The other students can benefit both from their own critiques, as well as reading through their classmates. I also try to question each student about their ideas to help them problem solve. Informal contact allows an instructor to subtly lead students in challenging directions to which they might not otherwise go. This encourages their growth as intellectuals and artists. Another way I encourage my students to find their own individual language is to let them hear my own critical language. I believe an instructor must describe, describe, describe. Using Jing critiques, I usually think out loud to let students hear my thought process. Although thinking out loud makes me feel rather silly, it organically gives way to evaluation and revelation from my students. They can hear ideas being challenged and opinions changed. Through communal discussion, they develop their own judgments and propel conversation, helping students teach themselves and others. One of my favorite instructors used to challenge her students to "create something which shows me what you have learned." Since I have begun teaching, I have thrown down the same gauntlet to my students. An open assignment often proves difficult for a student, but produces many unexpected rewards. A motivated student has the opportunity to be creative. For the final project in drawing, I often encourage my students to try to do this by telling them to incorporate as many elements that the class covered in their finished pieces. I ask them to challenge themselves within the structure of the assignment and do something unexpected. For example, I had a student this term decide to complete a complicated drawing of his son, wearing a very draped sweatshirt, carrying a game controller (still life object). The student felt uncomfortable with portraits and I encouraged him to complete one for his final, by going over his final in multiple drafts and critiques. Students are amazed at the results that they achieve, especially when they think of where they started. They gain self-confidence. Students like to see a progression in their abilities from point to another, during the semester. An open assignment is proof of their educational development and ability to function independent of me. The student becomes his own teacher and motivator. Maria Montessori once described the instructor as a conductor who “must prepare his scholars one by one in order to draw from their collective work a great and beautiful harmony." In order to create that harmony, I believe my most important job is to show students how to work without the artificial motivation of classroom assignments and to help build self-confidence in their abilities. When a student feels confident enough to work without handholding from the instructor, only then can that student truly explore the countless educational and artistic possibilities within the larger symphony of the class. |