TEACHING STATEMENT

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Throughout my career, I have worked with diverse interior design clients to bring their visions to life. This experience has taught me the importance of listening and staying open to the identities and experiences of others and collaborating with a comprehensive team of professionals involved in construction projects.

 

As an educator, I want to understand myself and the impact of belonging to provide more responsive and courageous classroom conversations to benefit students and society (Talusan, 2022, p. 6). I believe in identifying real-world design experiences and challenges with academic instruction to offer students a rich combination of theory and career perspectives. I am a lifelong learner and aim to inspire my students to pursue creativity, research, and curiosity beyond the classroom with passion.

 

Having earned my MFA in Interior Design at age 50, I understand firsthand that an instructor’s preparedness, organization, engagement, and presence can motivate students to do their best work, in-person or online. I strive to provide a student-centered and inclusive learning experience that considers identity, intellect, criticality, and joy, encouraging active participation and framing standards to develop more than just skills (Muhammad, 2023, p. 47). I strive for students to have positive mental health outcomes during and after my class is finished.

 

Group work, though sometimes challenging due to varying skill levels, can be a valuable learning experience. I carefully help students navigate group dynamics by identifying tasks, offering time management strategies to ensure meaningful participation, and encouraging true intelligence in students’ problem-solving ability.

 

Aligning my teaching to Stobaugh’s Habits of Mind, I integrate software technology and innovative teaching methods to enrich the learning experience. Authentic learning happens when students are comfortable asking questions and probing with peer and professor responses of wonderment and awe, humor, listening with understanding and empathy, thinking flexibly, and modeling impulsivity management. My approach emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration, service learning, and community engagement, combined with an iterative design thinking process. This method fosters empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing, enabling students to address complex design challenges with creativity and critical thinking.

 

Successfully accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and communicating messages in various forms supports critical thinking (Stobaugh, 2019, p. 24). In 2016, as an adjunct professor at the Art Institute, I brought my Presentation Techniques class to Gresham Smith, a commercial Interior Design/Architecture firm in Jacksonville, FL. Students were exposed to a commercial studio setting and a formal presentation from one of the designers. I worked closely with students to build confidence by validating their voices in their verbal storytelling and digital presentation techniques, which are needed for effective interior design presentations.

 

Additionally, I value assessment and feedback highly to track student progress and guide improvement. The language we use during critiques is crucial to building confidence, and if a student is struggling, I ensure they receive additional support. I prioritize creating a solid community in the classroom, encouraging collaboration over competition. By fostering an environment where students can inspire and help each other, we make the best conditions for growth and learning.

 

The technical delivery of interior design standards in studio settings can enhance inspiration and creativity. I advocate for a collaborative teaching approach that integrates knowledge from various disciplines, provides a broader understanding of complex issues, and highlights design’s impact on other fields. Teaching presents opportunities to harness research and writing skills, ensuring a well-rounded education. With my education and background in graphic design, instructional content, such as PowerPoint presentations, should be visually stimulating. As technology evolves, I stay curious and incorporate interactive multimedia tools like Miro boards, e-portfolio examples, infographics, and digital storytelling through video to inspire engagement in the classroom.