As a student, I had exceptional teachers and professors who determined what I learned. Now that I have experienced teaching, I realize just how subtle good teaching is. It is not just what we learn, it is how we learn it. The difference between mediocre and exceptional teaching depends upon three factors: the teacher’s enthusiasm, his or her mastery and teaching of the basics, and the teacher’s methodology – the “how” of learning.
If my education at Kenyon taught me anything, it taught me the importance of the basics. My first task as a teacher of art is to ensure that my students develop a command of basic media and production skills. Just as Picasso knew how to realistically depict the human figure before he exploded bodies into angular shapes, a video artist must know how to capture, edit and produce video perfectly, before he or she begins experimental investigation. I place an emphasis in the early stages of a course on basic production techniques and skills taught through lectures and short assignments. I integrate more intermediate and advanced lectures later, depending on students’ interests and investigations and the pace of the class.
Through the study and awareness of the history of art, design and creation, a student learns to thoughtfully and rigorously consider the ideas of others. To reinforce this, I incorporate short reading assignments and research and artist presentations to provide students with the opportunity to begin to place him or herself within the larger context of established art and artists. I also stress writing and concept articulation; the ability to express an idea in words is
as essential to concept development as it is to the final artistic product.
Teaching is, above all, an iterative process of explaining, discussing, listening and clarifying. I constantly monitor my students’ comprehension through observation and questions, restating any unclear aspects of a lesson. I always assess where the class is, where it was and where it is going. By subtly adjusting the lesson as it proceeds, I can better adapt to the needs and pace of the students.
It is a fact of teaching, however, that a teacher must teach to the median student – neither too fast nor too slow. Since students absorb material and learn at different speeds, I have learned to use individual “desk” critiques such as conferences to address the issues of both more advanced and slower students. This technique allows me to isolate the essential next skill each student needs in order to realize his or her idea and devise a series of steps to achieve it, regardless of the student’s aptitude, ability and individual speed.
As the individual develops, instilling him or her with the value of collaboration is also important. The creative process demands collaboration; rarely does a creator find him or herself without the need for another’s expertise or skills. Group projects (and inevitable group dynamics) can produce exciting results while exposing students to the rewards and challenges of collaboration. By developing these group skills, students are also better able to integrate themselves into a professional creative team more successfully. For these reasons, I believe in both the assignment of group projects as well as the benefit of group critiques.
Critiques also develop a student’s ability to respect feedback, reflect upon it and then accept or reject it. In a honest environment, constructive criticism from a student’s peers fosters a respect for classmates and colleagues and for the creative act itself. As an understanding of each other’s perspective is cultivated, the student craves the input and seeks it out both formally and informally with classmates, in and out of class.
I try to instill a sense of openness – to learning, to new ideas, to making mistakes and trying again – in all my students. I have found that if a student approaches his or her studies from a place of openness, they are all the more likely to explore, experiment and accept the possibility of failure.
This element of experimentation and failure is an especially important component in the development of each student’s voice; they must be free to test the limits and think broadly. However, at times, the pushing of boundaries can lead to brilliant and insightful failure. If this is acknowledged, and even encouraged, students can achieve greater results. As he or she learns to expect the “happy accident” or the unexpected discovery, the student begins to see more possibilities for expression and creation.
It is this process – guiding students towards that moment when they learn how to think – that whets my appetite for more teaching. It is what I love about teaching – that moment when it all comes together for a student. And I, as a teacher, am present at the creation of a thinking artist.
If my education at Kenyon taught me anything, it taught me the importance of the basics. My first task as a teacher of art is to ensure that my students develop a command of basic media and production skills. Just as Picasso knew how to realistically depict the human figure before he exploded bodies into angular shapes, a video artist must know how to capture, edit and produce video perfectly, before he or she begins experimental investigation. I place an emphasis in the early stages of a course on basic production techniques and skills taught through lectures and short assignments. I integrate more intermediate and advanced lectures later, depending on students’ interests and investigations and the pace of the class.
Through the study and awareness of the history of art, design and creation, a student learns to thoughtfully and rigorously consider the ideas of others. To reinforce this, I incorporate short reading assignments and research and artist presentations to provide students with the opportunity to begin to place him or herself within the larger context of established art and artists. I also stress writing and concept articulation; the ability to express an idea in words is
as essential to concept development as it is to the final artistic product.
Teaching is, above all, an iterative process of explaining, discussing, listening and clarifying. I constantly monitor my students’ comprehension through observation and questions, restating any unclear aspects of a lesson. I always assess where the class is, where it was and where it is going. By subtly adjusting the lesson as it proceeds, I can better adapt to the needs and pace of the students.
It is a fact of teaching, however, that a teacher must teach to the median student – neither too fast nor too slow. Since students absorb material and learn at different speeds, I have learned to use individual “desk” critiques such as conferences to address the issues of both more advanced and slower students. This technique allows me to isolate the essential next skill each student needs in order to realize his or her idea and devise a series of steps to achieve it, regardless of the student’s aptitude, ability and individual speed.
As the individual develops, instilling him or her with the value of collaboration is also important. The creative process demands collaboration; rarely does a creator find him or herself without the need for another’s expertise or skills. Group projects (and inevitable group dynamics) can produce exciting results while exposing students to the rewards and challenges of collaboration. By developing these group skills, students are also better able to integrate themselves into a professional creative team more successfully. For these reasons, I believe in both the assignment of group projects as well as the benefit of group critiques.
Critiques also develop a student’s ability to respect feedback, reflect upon it and then accept or reject it. In a honest environment, constructive criticism from a student’s peers fosters a respect for classmates and colleagues and for the creative act itself. As an understanding of each other’s perspective is cultivated, the student craves the input and seeks it out both formally and informally with classmates, in and out of class.
I try to instill a sense of openness – to learning, to new ideas, to making mistakes and trying again – in all my students. I have found that if a student approaches his or her studies from a place of openness, they are all the more likely to explore, experiment and accept the possibility of failure.
This element of experimentation and failure is an especially important component in the development of each student’s voice; they must be free to test the limits and think broadly. However, at times, the pushing of boundaries can lead to brilliant and insightful failure. If this is acknowledged, and even encouraged, students can achieve greater results. As he or she learns to expect the “happy accident” or the unexpected discovery, the student begins to see more possibilities for expression and creation.
It is this process – guiding students towards that moment when they learn how to think – that whets my appetite for more teaching. It is what I love about teaching – that moment when it all comes together for a student. And I, as a teacher, am present at the creation of a thinking artist.