Teaching Philosophy From a young age, I was fortunate to grow in environments that supported engagement through curiosity. Through my own education as an artist - one who continues to honor lifelong curiosity- along with my experiences in classrooms and museums, I have developed a pedagogical philosophy that values the atelier, a space in which discovery is encouraged and supported. I believe in the democratic classroom, a place where engaged pedagogy is practiced, and every voice and experience is shared equally, including the teacher. My practice aligns closely with the great bell hooks who wrote, “Our work is not merely to share information but to share in the intellectual and spiritual growth of our students.” This approach requires an openness to vulnerability in the classroom, and the creation of a space grounded in safety and respect, rather than a focus on the hierarchy of the teacher. This philosophy depends on several practices that I have long implemented successfully. First, I establish a safe environment from the very beginning, where expectations are clear and mutual respect is shared. I actively engage students in every aspect of the atelier- making decisions together, correcting work collaboratively, and finding support in one another. I also make it clear that there will never be a single outcome to the work we create. Each student is on their own path, and it's the teacher's role to support that journey. This might create more work for me in the short term, but it empowers the students with agency, deepens self-understanding, and ultimately enables them to reach their highest potential. This open-ended and flexible approach to teaching can sometimes feel unsettling to students, but with the right support, and the teachers unwavering confidence in them, the student will quickly find their footing and arrive at unexpected and innovative solutions to problems presented. In 2025, where we’re continuously inundated with homogeneity, it is imperative to be practicing critical problem solving as much and as early as possible. It is absolutely possible to learn skills while also applying them to your own interests and build a portfolio as a student, which I have proven again and again in my classrooms. The point of being an art student is not to excel at conforming to academic standards but to find one's personal voice and identity as an artist. The point of being a teacher is to help the student get there.