To grow as a more effective educator, I have studied different theories of education, attended professional development workshops, collaborated with colleagues, and continually learn how to improve as an educator from the students in my courses. When I am analyzing and updating the courses I teach. I am always reflecting on the work of John Dewey, Paulo Freire, and Bell Hooks, arguably three of the pre-eminent educational theorists of the twentieth century. I incorporate many of the theories of John Dewey into my courses by respecting all sources of experiences, creating an historical, social and skill based educational experience to foster the development of a holistic and sustained artistic practice for every student. I incorporate the educational philosophies of Paulo Freire into my courses by having an active learning environment with the emphasis on informal dialogue. I incorporate the principles of Bell Hooks philosophies by mentoring and empowering all students at all levels to make connections between their lives and their artistic practice, to develop a personal and sustainable artistic practice.
During the first day in all my courses I talk with the students about my personal background in becoming a teaching artist. During this time, I openly share that I have a learning disability, dyslexia. I do this to show my unique perspective I have on education and the role differences can play in our lives. I share this with the hope it will lead all students to personally engage with all their courses and raise their understanding the role art can play in their lives.
As a working and teaching artist, I show my enthusiasm and passion for my profession by making new work, actively exhibiting this work, and treating all levels of art students as working artist. In the courses I teach students are asked to critically examine their practice of making. During these courses’ students engage in an exploration of historical methods and digital processes. These courses utilize various processes each with their own advantageous use. One technology is not replaced by another. Each process has its own unique character and is fully embraced. The engagement of different tools and mediums in my curriculum provides the students with a balance of technical skills, theoretical understanding, and historical knowledge necessary to make contemporary art. With a strong knowledge base of the vast and ever‐changing art world, students are asked to think about their relationship to broader social, cultural, economic, and technological forces in play within this contemporary world. I seek to expand the existing curiosity in all art students, with experimentation in traditional and emerging art disciplines.
Presently I am a Photography and Design Instructor at North Little Rock High School the large urban public high school in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body is 0.2% Native American Indian, 1% Two or More Races, 1% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 29% White, 62% African American, with 74% of the student body eligible for free or reduced lunch, and 65% of the students come from an economically disadvantaged household. The classroom at North Little Rock High School is equipped with thirty I-Mac computers running the current Adobe Cloud software, but the classroom lacks some key equipment, like a working printer, and space for students to create with their hands. I brought my personal laser printer and inkjet printer into the classroom for students to be able to print and study their physical photographs. I also redesigned the layout of the classroom, to fit eight used tables that I found in school storage and used them to make area’s in the classroom for students to create with their hands. The photography program at North Little Rock High School is equipped with thirty digital cameras that are used to teach one hundred and fifty photography students. To get more students engaged, I turned a small closet with a working sink that opens into the classroom into a wet darkroom. I wanted to teach the students to fall in love with the physical experience of creating photographic images, by exposing the students to the history of photography and the current state of photography. To reveal film-based photography to the students, I have several 35mm, medium, and 4x5 large format cameras I allow students to check-out and use outside of school to observe and create images of the world they live in. I give access to the students to my teaching photographic equipment and film cameras to exposed them to the traditional methods of creating lens-based images and to prepare students to be able to create all types of photographic images. Over the years I have built up my personal teaching supplies and I bring this equipment into my classrooms to expose the students to equipment there is no funding for, I do this to prepare all students to be able to create a variety of artworks. It is through the exploration of different mediums students can express themselves in ways not possible with only analog methods or only digital technology. It is through the exploration of many different forms of art, students can fully express themselves.
In the photography courses I teach students learn to: use light sensitive materials, build their own working pinhole camera, the functions of a manual film and digital camera, the basic functions of a 4x5” large format view camera, use the equipment in the lighting studio, use the equipment in the wet darkroom, the work flow to use the photography computer lab to scan, edit and print images, use digital equipment to create time-based media, and skillfully discuss their work as well as the work of their classmates.
As a working and teaching artist I view the field of photography as ever evolving. I want students to be able to transcend traditional photographic boundaries and purpose. I want students to be able to employ traditional approaches and cutting-edge methods within their photographic practice. Students that possess a wide-ranging breadth of knowledge and expertise within their selected area of the photographic arts will become leaders in their chosen path in life. I strive to produce engaged photographers who have expertise in traditional and digital capacities and will innovate in both the commercial and artistic spheres.