As a teacher, I believe there are several responsibilities which I face. First, I believe from my own experience that a broad-based liberal arts education is key to being an informed artist—literature, psychology, philosophy, and a wide range of humanities and scientific disciplines can all play roles in informing one’s artistic statements. As a teacher, I am charged with encouraging students to be intellectually curious—to be unafraid to dig into research which may seem (on the surface) to be irrelevant but which may ultimately provide ignition of a creative spark which will serve that student for years to come. Instilling the development of strong conceptual foundations as well as urging improvements related to the formal aspects of artmaking process (i.e. composition, technique and manipulation of materials) are, I believe, the most fundamentally important obligations of the professor of visual arts and design.
For beginning students, certainly the most important aspect of teaching is conveying the importance of formal principles and technical acuity. Without a solid foundation the prospective artist cannot grow without a great deal of frustration and, at worst, despair over the idea that one simply isn’t “cut out” to be an artist. Of course, as one develops ones ability to “see” and ones technical know-how, conceptual thinking becomes very important as without this ability the artist—while technically competent—is left creating trite, banal pictures…not Art.
One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching, in my view, are those moments of joy in witnessing students’ creative breakthroughs. Because I become engaged in the work that each of my students is undertaking, I am deeply aware of how much teaching energizes me.
The bottom line: I understand from my own experience as a student and as a teacher that empathy, encouragement, patience and honesty are essential attributes of an effective teacher.