Teaching Philosophy: The foundation of my philosophy is creating a classroom environment as the workplace for experimentation and as the exercise room for skill building. The end goal of the teacher is to produce a classroom where each student has become an analytic and critical thinker and where each is unafraid to raise their personal academic expectations. Each student should advance within the discipline being taught and learn lessons to help them within any discipline they choose to study. The process of my teaching philosophy can be described within two statements: 1. Don't be afraid of the eraser! 2. Remember to work all over! 1. Don't be afraid of the eraser! In general terms this key should hold throughout any course within any discipline. Mistake making is part of learning and should be encouraged if they are the side effect of taking risks and discovering new ground. Students should understand that schoolwork is "study" and not the realm to create "masterpieces". Students need to approach their work without the anxiety of making mistakes. Climbing up from one level to another requires risk and a dedication to reaching goals without the stunting expectation of getting it right the first time. If a student makes a mistake, they can always use the actual, and figurative, eraser and try again. In many ways the repetition of some difficult lessons can lead to the perfection of skills. This key holds true for the instructor as well. The teacher should be providing the best solutions to the problems at hand, but should not become so rigid they leave a student behind. It is the educator's responsibility to reach every student, and this can be done with different approaches for each student. The goals for the course should be maintained, but the plan to achieve those goals shouldn't be written in stone and should be modified when needed and for each individual student. 2. Remember to work all over! For students this means not to get caught up in one corner of the experience, but to make sure they are reaching the whole playing field. In particular to drawing, a student needs to look at the whole composition, working the entire plane, building up the drawing rather than formulaically working from one side to the other. This statement also suggests for students to research outside the lessons of what is taught in the classroom. As an example students need to see that the lessons learned in drawing class can be applied to the studies of the other design arts or other subjects. It is best to keep an eye on the big picture and to make sure you are gaining the entire educational experience. For instructors this is a good reminder to work the entire classroom, and not to get stuck on one lesson, to make sure the entire plan is covered in the time allotted. It means to keep an eye on the big picture when working on the details. The goal of my teaching philosophy is to prepare students for a wide range of educational experiences and tasks. In conclusion my greatest teaching victory has been when students dive into the learning experience, that they release the need to make the perfect picture and they understand they are within the classroom to practice. The goal of education is to practice, and to learn a process of studying to the point where each student becomes a great analytic and critical thinker. Students should leave no stone unturned, and should investigate the different options available to them before deciding their conclusion or their final answer. Each of my students should leave my classroom with a greater understanding of the subject and with new skills to achieve greatness within their academic career.

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