As an educator and practitioner, it is my goal to produce students that are industry-ready while also having sound technical skills combined with a conceptual foundation. The challenge of a design instructor is to promote problem-solving and to groom students to become critical thinkers. My approach includes presenting them with open-ended assignments that allow them to arrive at the same destination via several avenues; this allows every student to have the opportunity to arrive at their conclusions in their own way and through their own creative efforts. When designing assignments, I balance the needs of students with the intended outcomes of the course by giving them a foundation to work from without constraining their creative freedom.

A former student commented that I “meet people where they are and encourage them to seek comfort in discomfort”; this sentiment sums up my approach to teaching. I view myself as a mentor and coach throughout their design studies and I conduct my classroom in line with that philosophy. During class, I make sure to meet with students individually, and this presents the opportunity to pinpoint what motivates them. I use that to help them succeed in the classroom and to develop their own design aesthetic. As the prevalence of students with accommodations and disabilities becomes more common, this individualized approach allows me to evaluate students holistically as they progress throughout the semester. 

I believe that the classroom should be a welcoming and understanding environment. We are ALL human. We all have something to bring to the table (both in and outside the classroom). Each of us have our own journeys, struggles, and purpose. I support an inclusive learning environment where diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, appreciated, and recognized as a source of strength. I expect all students to respect differences and demonstrate diligence in understanding how other peoples’ perspectives, behaviors, and world-views may be different from their own.

Engaging students outside of the classroom and encouraging professional development at the undergraduate level is important to me. I require students to complete two professional development activities per semester and provide them with many opportunities to do so including: AIGA Student Group events, in-class guest speakers, virtual events, portfolio reviews, collaborations with industry partners, and even free onlline certificate programs. I also seek out every opportunity to include client-based projects into my courses when possible. In my experience, my students create strong work for in-class projects that is then heightened through service and experiential projects. Engaging students in these types of projects immediately puts them outside of their comfort zones, as this is the first time many of them have completed work for an actual client (simulated or real) and it challenges them to produce and think outside of what they thought they were capable of. In turn, this accelerates their learning and further develops marketable skill sets.

I value leading by example and begin each semester by briefly sharing my professional history and activities and initiatives I am involved in. Oftentimes, students forget that we are working practitioners and professionals and I think it is important to model that behavior for them. Ultimately, I want to create students that become excited about design and continue to seek knowledge beyond the classroom, which serves as a constant reminder and inspiration for me, both as a teacher and creative professional.