Teaching and Working Philosophy
I am that colleague who has actually read a lot about current topics in higher education, such as institutional longevity in the face of dipping enrollment trends, the public’s rising mistrust of the ‘value’ of a college degree, escalating tuition costs and corresponding student loan debt, and studies that call into question what college graduates have truly learned or how they might fulfill future employers’ expectations. Directly or indirectly, these issues impact the daily working life of a college instructor
I am also that colleague who is perpetually tweaking the content in her courses, because I enjoy curating new and productive learning experiences for students.
I prefer working with people who share my passion for crafting quality curricula, and who can welcome a bit of an oddity in academia: a person who is equally passionate about art and art history.
I embrace learning by doing in the studio or the art historical classroom. While I truly enjoy and take pride in delivering good lectures, I want to generously balance them with student activity and interaction. I want to precisely ensure the scaffolding of material and skill acquisition, encourage collaborative enterprise, and foster a climate that embraces the potential value of failure in service of arriving at success.
In part due to my interest and willingness to teach outside of my discipline during my tenure as a department chair and associate dean, and subsequently, my status as a part-time instructor while living in Rome, Italy, I have additionally taught in the areas of first year studies, interior design history, communications, English composition, and interdisciplinary topics. I prefer to bring active learning practices and strategies into those educational experiences as well, employing ‘flipped’ classroom techniques as well as game-based pedagogies whenever appropriate and possible.
I appreciate carefully crafted, meaningful assessment measures, and I regularly pursue professional development. In this 21st century climate of vocational expectations placed upon academic programs of study, I endorse students’ exposure to and participation in numerous and varied pre-professional experiences. As is proven by my 27+ year involvement with one institution (20 of those years, employed full-time), my loyalties rest with an organization and its mission. My nine years of service as a department chair ground my strong, student centered approach to advising as well as shape my skills in administrative operations and problem solving.
I am a mature career professional who has the most rigorous expectations for herself.
As a lifelong learner, I am compelled to model the benefits of the zealous pursuit of knowledge and creative work. I am confident that I chose the right vocational path, I have worked hard for it, and I believe that a crucial aspect of the profession of ‘professor’ is, indeed, to profess the rewards of enjoying academic work.
