Philosophy of Teaching

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.

Aristotle.
Education for me is about development and discovery. I want to be a teacher.
I want to be an art teacher. I, with the advantage of hindsight, see that I have
always been destined to teach. I believe that, while the development of
creativity is an important function of general education, art and design
embodies this aim.
I have been blessed with a fine and diverse education. I recognise that
knowledge, philosophy and education are central influences in producing and
maintaining society; this is something I truly want to be part of and I believe
that the classroom plays a considerable role in this ambition. It is some time
since I have heard the word vocation used in respect of choosing a career in
teaching, I use that word now because it represents how I feel.
I have a passion for teaching and I believe that, through engagement in a
diverse and lengthy personal education, I now have the tools and knowledge
to take on this challenging role. As an artist and designer I recognise that art
and design can serve moral, social, political and spiritual functions and I am
inspired to embrace its extrinsic and instrumental value in my work with young
people. My relationship with art and design has been developed in my
professional design and artistic practice and it allows me to appreciate that
self expression through art and design is personal, imaginative and of value.
How I teach.
Imagination is more important than knowledge, knowledge is limited, and
imagination circles the world. Albert Einstein.
A student at heart I embrace the opportunity to learn as a life long learner. I
am a warm, encouraging, compassionate and enthusiastic teacher. I am
pragmatic in nature and have a problem solving approach to work. I enjoy
inventing physical and digital learning aids for my teaching.
I have a longstanding commitment to both human rights and environmental
policy and would welcome the opportunity to be part of a sustainable
educational system that considers the whole student. I would hope to
integrate ESD principals, learning processes, values and practices of into all
aspects of education and learning. Central to my goal is the principal of
educating for the person, community and the planet.
I teach life skills, decision-making and problem solving, social awareness, the
technical skills for each art discipline so that students can express themselves
through their artwork, in an atmosphere of investigation, participation and
freedom in learning.
I appreciate the idea of failure and making mistakes and the learning that
comes from acknowledging and reflecting on how and why and if it went
wrong. I encourage to students to keep mistakes in their folders rather than
the bin. Often the best ideas come from the scraps of work on the studio floor.

The universal understanding of intelligence is the ability to survive in any

given environment, the value of the classroom, as an experimental space,
cannot be underestimated in contributing to like skills. While challenging for
some students, the classroom can be a place of conversation and enquiry.
Extending the learning experience outside the classroom offers students new
environments in which to flourish. Education is a natural process in all children
and it is not acquired by listening to a teacher speak but by their experience in
the environment. Learning suffers in a passive environment. I consider
evaluation and assessment of students work, not as a chore of assessment
but a prerequisite for responsible teaching.
Community of practice is an integral part of my life. I enjoy collaborating with
others, sharing ideas and recourses within the school and the wider
community and developing links with other organisations.
Classroom Management
Space is an underestimated requirement, resource and pedagogical strategy.
Art rooms need space of different types, worktop space, exhibition space,
workshop space, computer space, clean space for paper and paper
management.
As a designer I have an acute awareness of how a workspace can impact the
activities undertaken within that space. The arrangement of tables and work
surfaces change, depending on the demands of the classroom activity. Free
and open access to the board for all students is important in the approach I
take to teaching by relocating the teachers desk; this provides a better
opportunity for students to participate.
I teach through demonstration, experimentation, providing access to original
work assisted by hand outs, slide shows and instructional videos.
While technology will not replace teachers, it is believable that teachers who
employ technology in the classroom will replace those who dont. Identifying
with young people requires understanding the importance of digital technology
An interactive white board is the ideal digital teaching tool and would provide
an actual digital record of students mark making, contribution and lesson
plans, reflections and allow for self-assessment that is positive, accessible
and personally relative. Honouring the right of every student to an education
that prepares them for life, the use of technology coupled with confidence
building techniques will enhance skills in representing themselves admirably
in their profession life.
The greatest sign of success is a teacher able to say, the children are
now working as if I did not exist. Maria Montessori.
What would see if you looked into my classroom? I would hope you would see
students working on their own or in small groups.
Continuing Professional Development.
Professional development is very important. I want to continue to develop my
skills in digital media. I have developed new skills in the last two years and
now I would like to hone my skills.

Understandably my educational philosophy is informed by my own experience

of learning and teaching. There are personal truths to which I am loyal and
responsive and I believe these demonstrate responsible teaching. I am
confident that the role of the educator is one of cultivating, enlightening and
making ready each student, building a bridge between the classroom and the
real world. I look forward with great enthusiasm to developing my future as a
teacher.