Pedagogy & the Graduate Assistant [ page 2 ]

The bottom line is that many first-time art instructors, whether they are GTA's, adjuncts, temporary sabbatical replacements or new full-time hires, are left feeling stranded in the studio classroom. The end result is often one of frustration for all involved - a dissatisfying teaching experience for the instructor, and an inadequate learning experience for the student that translates into additional frustration as the student finds her or himself insufficiently prepared for more advanced course work.

In my twenty-plus years of teaching experience, I have identified what I consider to be vital studio experiences for students of art and design, particularly at the introductory or foundation level. These experiences ultimately influence the student’s work and attitude throughout their academic preparation. My book, The Art of Teaching Art: A Guide for Teaching and Learning the Foundations of Drawing-Based Art, was published in November of 2000 by Oxford University Press and is a college-level guide for teaching and learning these key studio experiences. It is intended to serve as a guide for the beginning teacher of art, or as reference for the experienced teacher seeking affirmation for current classroom practices. While I am addressing the educator, I am confident that this book is also an invaluable resource for students. It is my desire to share my teaching expertise and to impart my love and enthusiasm for teaching. Teaching with authority, energy and humility is essential. It nurtures in our students a love for learning, and that is perhaps the most important lesson we can teach.

From freshmen to graduate level, my students are challenged to challenge themselves. Through my example, they are encouraged to develop within themselves genuine enthusiasm, self-motivation, personal commitment and professionalism. They learn, as I have learned, to embrace the unfamiliar as an opportunity to grow; to be challenged and driven ahead by what they do not know rather than clinging solely to comfortable and familiar experience.

My students are urged to recognize the value of “mistakes” or “failure” as an important learning tool, and to develop and refine critical thinking skills, enabling them to identify and articulate both strengths and weaknesses in their own work and the work of others. They are encouraged to critically assess traditional notions of beauty and aesthetics and to recognize the multiple layers of experience and perception in the 21st century that influence both the creation of art and the teaching of art. They are challenged to carefully consider their role as artists in contemporary culture, and to seriously contemplate how they define that role in a postmodern world. I am confident that my approach to teaching commands the respect of my students, and provides the intellectual and practical experiences necessary for the continued investigation of drawing and related disciplines at both a personal and advanced level.