Teaching Philosophy
As my background consists of fashion design, textile design, product development and management principles; I possess an exceptional adaptability of being able to teach all of these subject matters. At the core of my teaching philosophy is a desire to feature real-world relevance and meaningful experiences for students while they are undergoing their college career. Recently it has become more obvious to me the shifting of a new generation of digital natives in the classroom, which I believe to be one of the most critical areas of assessing our teaching approaches.
My main approach to teaching is to unite real-world applications into the classroom to provide industry relevance and momentous experiences for students. I have achieved this by first introducing a subject to students, whether at the high school or undergraduate level, by explaining the course goals for our time together whether that be to create a stellar portfolio of work to get an internship, a job or simply a fair representation of their skills and what they have learned. I have noticed that students are receptive to this candor regarding the content in the course and how it may be applied to a real job which sets a solid foundation for a mentor relationship.
The best example of creating meaningful experiences for my students was in my Styling for Apparel class, which turned into an inter-disciplinary collaboration between my Apparel Design & Merchandising students with those in Commercial Photography. The class joined local boutiques with student groups for the first major project to develop photo content that could be used for social media marketing and a resulting look book to be on display at the store. The content that came out of this collaboration greatly impressed the boutiques we worked with. For the second project, students were given even more creative freedom to execute an editorial photoshoot with a theme of sustainability. Content was required to be eligible to participate in Appalachian’s Climate Stories Collaborative exhibit in the spring semester. This unique exhibit showcases student work that addresses the effect that climate change has had on their lives. The results were thought-provoking, frightening at times and surprisingly hopeful. This new inter-disciplinary approach not only helped refine student’s creative skills, but also to develop their soft skills of scheduling with other stakeholders, interpersonal relations and negotiations in regard to creative differences. A few of the results from both collaborative projects are showcased in “student work”.
This collaboration has inspired me to see the potential within inter-disciplinary curriculum and the benefits of working with people with other areas of expertise. I hope to have the opportunity to partner with other faculty to offer students with timely and industry-relevant projects. I can also see a great deal of potential incorporating industry-sponsored projects for students to have the ability to gain real-world knowledge while undergoing their undergraduate or graduate studies. This is an intense interest of mine, to partner with industry in the classroom setting and help to solve everyday problems.
Other examples of bringing my students into real-world applications was my time teaching Visual Merchandising at NC State. I connected the class with retail shops owners in the local Raleigh area to discuss the principles of visual merchandising observe their in-store display process. I believe it was this practical experience that inspired the class to develop some of the most successful visual displays Wilson College had seen in years; examples of which are showcased on the FTM website.
In general, I hope for my students to get the most out of each class that I teach. The rigor that I tend to incorporate in my classes is in hopes of providing repetition to concepts so that they stick in the minds of my students for years to come. For technical skills like patternmaking, I have integrated a great amount of repetition for students to quickly feel comfortable with pattern manipulation methods and their effects on a resulting garment design. I also believe that rigor is important in general for a program to develop successful candidates in the field. I have observed this meticulousness in the knitting curriculum at FIT and hope to bring the same level of thoroughness to Wilson College.
The topics I have taught most frequently include digital illustration using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator & Kaledo Style, textile design rendering using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Kaledo Weave, Kaledo Knit, and 2D digital patternmaking using Gerber Accumark. In the “CAD for Fashion” class at NC State, students are inundated with tools to create a visual portfolio of their own designs, along with prototyping a garment using digital patternmaking software. What I attempt to do is not only share the tools but instruct why some tools are better than others for a given task. I believe this fundamental reasoning ability is crucial for students when entering the work force- so they too can adapt to new tools and updates that are added to any software program they may be constrained to use. Essentially, I hope to teach students how to think about a given task, rather than simply accomplishing it.
I also consider myself to remain adaptable to different subject material needs that a department may have. So far, I have had the opportunity to also teach Visual Merchandising Principles, Fashion Design 1 (an introduction to flat pattern-making) & Apparel Studio 2 (an introduction to flat pattern-making and draping), Draping, Styling for Apparel, Survey of Fashion Merchandising, and Illustration 1 (hand-rendering fashion illustrations and an introduction to CAD illustration). Regardless of the course, I always attempt to remind students of the fundamental design principles that are universal to most creative challenges of our time. I demonstrated this in my Visual Merchandising course by spending dedicated class time focusing on color theory and the power that color can hold over a consumer's buying decision. In the Fashion Design 1 (NC State) & Apparel Design Studio 2 (App State) class, students have opportunities to practice critical thinking about the overall design aesthetic depending on what manipulation methods are used based on illustrations. It is this critical connection from 2D to 3D application that dictates the level of success students will have in upper-level studios.
Something that I also find to be very important during teaching is to display the class material in a descriptive yet also narrow in focus to reduce any frustration with learning a new software program. With all new skills, it takes time and effort to get over the learning curve. It is one of my highest concerns to show compassion amidst this frustrating process for the students. The best method that I have found for teaching such complex material is to demonstrate a series of steps to accomplish a task. In this way, I can pause instructing to assist with individual questions from students that allows for better relationship building with each student.
I also understand that different students learn in different ways. I have made an effort to provide various resources, including pre-recorded video instructions, for students who need additional practice outside of class time to hone these new software skills.
Teaching is very unique in the respect that it fosters relationships. It is a truly exciting prospect to have new people entering your life every few months that you are able to help in an immediate sense. I feel that teaching is one of the easiest jobs for someone who is naturally a care-giving personality like myself. You desire to see your students succeed with the skills that you’ve taught them; so, sharing information is always a joy, no matter how many times you may have to repeat yourself. I have developed a report with my students, so they feel free to contact me even when I am no longer instructing them. I continue to consult with past students regarding sharpening of the skills covered in my class and further feedback on new portfolios they arrange for internship and job interviews.
A critical element to teaching a class with creative outcomes is to provide valuable feedback. During our class critiques, I have made a habit of opening the discussion to the class for additional comments. To facilitate this class interaction more efficiently, I provide students with a paper evaluation sheet for several of their peers to jot down their affirming successes and areas of improvement. I’ve found that this forces students who would not normally feel comfortable sharing their opinions in class the chance to formulate their thoughts ahead of time and speak up. This offers students an ability to see their work from another point of view and encourages their growth as designers.
A particular area of concern I have developed recently is academia’s teaching effectiveness for the new generation of digital natives. Many of our tried and true methods are no longer relevant due to the shifting landscape of content generation and visual stimulation. To my surprise, I have had several students recently comment to me a feeling of not being “technologically savvy”, despite their constant use of personal devices. In settings where I have been instructing CAD operated software’s, it is clear to me that the new generation is very uncomfortable using a normal desktop with its input hardware as a desktop mouse. One of our greatest challenges, I believe in years to come will be to connect these students to software’s that are not enabled by touchscreens or tablets, which they are primarily comfortable with.
As with many instructors that find themselves teaching in higher education- I believe my greatest asset, as a teacher is a desire to continue learning myself. It is this shared love of learning that I hope to transfer to my students through enthusiasm for new methods of creating design work. Zeal for learning is fostered by assigning students to conduct trend research to act as a building block for their own design work and to inform empathic design for a specific customer.
I’ve commented many times to friends regarding teaching, that it is the best job in the world. It can have its challenges at times, but overall it has been my joy to share knowledge with the students I have had the honor of meeting. It is an easy thing simply because sharing something that you love is easy, and compassion is free to arise from the desire you hold for the subject.
My main approach to teaching is to unite real-world applications into the classroom to provide industry relevance and momentous experiences for students. I have achieved this by first introducing a subject to students, whether at the high school or undergraduate level, by explaining the course goals for our time together whether that be to create a stellar portfolio of work to get an internship, a job or simply a fair representation of their skills and what they have learned. I have noticed that students are receptive to this candor regarding the content in the course and how it may be applied to a real job which sets a solid foundation for a mentor relationship.
The best example of creating meaningful experiences for my students was in my Styling for Apparel class, which turned into an inter-disciplinary collaboration between my Apparel Design & Merchandising students with those in Commercial Photography. The class joined local boutiques with student groups for the first major project to develop photo content that could be used for social media marketing and a resulting look book to be on display at the store. The content that came out of this collaboration greatly impressed the boutiques we worked with. For the second project, students were given even more creative freedom to execute an editorial photoshoot with a theme of sustainability. Content was required to be eligible to participate in Appalachian’s Climate Stories Collaborative exhibit in the spring semester. This unique exhibit showcases student work that addresses the effect that climate change has had on their lives. The results were thought-provoking, frightening at times and surprisingly hopeful. This new inter-disciplinary approach not only helped refine student’s creative skills, but also to develop their soft skills of scheduling with other stakeholders, interpersonal relations and negotiations in regard to creative differences. A few of the results from both collaborative projects are showcased in “student work”.
This collaboration has inspired me to see the potential within inter-disciplinary curriculum and the benefits of working with people with other areas of expertise. I hope to have the opportunity to partner with other faculty to offer students with timely and industry-relevant projects. I can also see a great deal of potential incorporating industry-sponsored projects for students to have the ability to gain real-world knowledge while undergoing their undergraduate or graduate studies. This is an intense interest of mine, to partner with industry in the classroom setting and help to solve everyday problems.
Other examples of bringing my students into real-world applications was my time teaching Visual Merchandising at NC State. I connected the class with retail shops owners in the local Raleigh area to discuss the principles of visual merchandising observe their in-store display process. I believe it was this practical experience that inspired the class to develop some of the most successful visual displays Wilson College had seen in years; examples of which are showcased on the FTM website.
In general, I hope for my students to get the most out of each class that I teach. The rigor that I tend to incorporate in my classes is in hopes of providing repetition to concepts so that they stick in the minds of my students for years to come. For technical skills like patternmaking, I have integrated a great amount of repetition for students to quickly feel comfortable with pattern manipulation methods and their effects on a resulting garment design. I also believe that rigor is important in general for a program to develop successful candidates in the field. I have observed this meticulousness in the knitting curriculum at FIT and hope to bring the same level of thoroughness to Wilson College.
The topics I have taught most frequently include digital illustration using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator & Kaledo Style, textile design rendering using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Kaledo Weave, Kaledo Knit, and 2D digital patternmaking using Gerber Accumark. In the “CAD for Fashion” class at NC State, students are inundated with tools to create a visual portfolio of their own designs, along with prototyping a garment using digital patternmaking software. What I attempt to do is not only share the tools but instruct why some tools are better than others for a given task. I believe this fundamental reasoning ability is crucial for students when entering the work force- so they too can adapt to new tools and updates that are added to any software program they may be constrained to use. Essentially, I hope to teach students how to think about a given task, rather than simply accomplishing it.
I also consider myself to remain adaptable to different subject material needs that a department may have. So far, I have had the opportunity to also teach Visual Merchandising Principles, Fashion Design 1 (an introduction to flat pattern-making) & Apparel Studio 2 (an introduction to flat pattern-making and draping), Draping, Styling for Apparel, Survey of Fashion Merchandising, and Illustration 1 (hand-rendering fashion illustrations and an introduction to CAD illustration). Regardless of the course, I always attempt to remind students of the fundamental design principles that are universal to most creative challenges of our time. I demonstrated this in my Visual Merchandising course by spending dedicated class time focusing on color theory and the power that color can hold over a consumer's buying decision. In the Fashion Design 1 (NC State) & Apparel Design Studio 2 (App State) class, students have opportunities to practice critical thinking about the overall design aesthetic depending on what manipulation methods are used based on illustrations. It is this critical connection from 2D to 3D application that dictates the level of success students will have in upper-level studios.
Something that I also find to be very important during teaching is to display the class material in a descriptive yet also narrow in focus to reduce any frustration with learning a new software program. With all new skills, it takes time and effort to get over the learning curve. It is one of my highest concerns to show compassion amidst this frustrating process for the students. The best method that I have found for teaching such complex material is to demonstrate a series of steps to accomplish a task. In this way, I can pause instructing to assist with individual questions from students that allows for better relationship building with each student.
I also understand that different students learn in different ways. I have made an effort to provide various resources, including pre-recorded video instructions, for students who need additional practice outside of class time to hone these new software skills.
Teaching is very unique in the respect that it fosters relationships. It is a truly exciting prospect to have new people entering your life every few months that you are able to help in an immediate sense. I feel that teaching is one of the easiest jobs for someone who is naturally a care-giving personality like myself. You desire to see your students succeed with the skills that you’ve taught them; so, sharing information is always a joy, no matter how many times you may have to repeat yourself. I have developed a report with my students, so they feel free to contact me even when I am no longer instructing them. I continue to consult with past students regarding sharpening of the skills covered in my class and further feedback on new portfolios they arrange for internship and job interviews.
A critical element to teaching a class with creative outcomes is to provide valuable feedback. During our class critiques, I have made a habit of opening the discussion to the class for additional comments. To facilitate this class interaction more efficiently, I provide students with a paper evaluation sheet for several of their peers to jot down their affirming successes and areas of improvement. I’ve found that this forces students who would not normally feel comfortable sharing their opinions in class the chance to formulate their thoughts ahead of time and speak up. This offers students an ability to see their work from another point of view and encourages their growth as designers.
A particular area of concern I have developed recently is academia’s teaching effectiveness for the new generation of digital natives. Many of our tried and true methods are no longer relevant due to the shifting landscape of content generation and visual stimulation. To my surprise, I have had several students recently comment to me a feeling of not being “technologically savvy”, despite their constant use of personal devices. In settings where I have been instructing CAD operated software’s, it is clear to me that the new generation is very uncomfortable using a normal desktop with its input hardware as a desktop mouse. One of our greatest challenges, I believe in years to come will be to connect these students to software’s that are not enabled by touchscreens or tablets, which they are primarily comfortable with.
As with many instructors that find themselves teaching in higher education- I believe my greatest asset, as a teacher is a desire to continue learning myself. It is this shared love of learning that I hope to transfer to my students through enthusiasm for new methods of creating design work. Zeal for learning is fostered by assigning students to conduct trend research to act as a building block for their own design work and to inform empathic design for a specific customer.
I’ve commented many times to friends regarding teaching, that it is the best job in the world. It can have its challenges at times, but overall it has been my joy to share knowledge with the students I have had the honor of meeting. It is an easy thing simply because sharing something that you love is easy, and compassion is free to arise from the desire you hold for the subject.