A Great Night
Every night I get to teach is a great night. It doesn’t matter if it is a sculpting or painting party, a computer class, an art lesson for one person or many, a lecture or presentation, I love to teach. It feels good to empower people, to help them try new things and have fun with it. I like to challenge people to break with the fear of trying and to accept their efforts as accomplishments. Interestingly, it was not always that way. Yes, I liked the spotlight since very little and performing was a lot of fun, but teaching was something I didn’t like. It is not the same as just being in front of people, perform, and leave. Teaching requires commitment and responsibility.
When I was working on my masters in education I began looking at instructional technology as a way to teach indirectly. How does that work? Well, I wanted to design online learning environments and allow people to interact with the computer instead of me. To my surprise, the masters took me to new and very interesting teaching experiences. I was teaching art to children with disabilities, computer skills and applications to working adults and seniors, then special education. From there I began training people in different areas during the years I was pursuing a PhD in education. In December 2012, once I achieved the PhD, I applied to many universities to teach either online or on campus. It seems almost impossible to get a faculty job in a university if you don’t have experience. Of course, you are not going to get experience if no one hires you. Then you get the ‘non-qualified’, ‘over qualified’ (not sure what that means), or the ‘we decided to go with another candidate’ thing.
Last week I received notification that I’ve been accepted as part-time faculty in a university, and not an art class. My PhD is in education and for the first time I will be able to use it in the specialty I worked so hard for. I am not going to reveal the name or location until I take a selfie on campus. Although my Facebook friends already know. Teaching just got more serious. I will continue teaching art and the sculpting and painting parties, the workshops, the seminars, and the private art lessons, but teaching 3 times per week in a continuous seminar for a semester is going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to begin. I can’t wait to see the dream of being a college professor come to pass.
The exhibit as featured artist at The Gallery at Elemar came to a close. I had to remove my art from the stage where the featured artist exhibits the work. It is someone else’s time to use the stage. My work was on stage since November 2014. I still show my work there. As I was moving stuff around and trying to figure out my exhibit area I was thinking about Pablo Picasso and his quote, “Give me a museum and I’ll fill it.” I can fill one too. Maybe a museum is too big for me but I’m sure I can fill a gallery or a studio.
I’ve been thinking about a figure study workshop and open figure drawing nights for a while. That I would love to do on a regular basis. Also, the studio space could be great for all the private classes. I could also hold open studios and show openings. It would be amazing to be able to present the new collection along with the book in a place like that. There is so much to dream about. That is the first step to make it a reality. Dream on, my friend.
Passion for Teaching
“I can tell you love teaching.” … I’ve heard that a few times. I do. Teaching is for me a way to give back. If I keep what I know to myself it will die with me. If I share what I know it will live longer in the lives of those who learned. Not only so, what I know will expand beyond me instead of being encapsulated within me. When I teach I can feel this fire burning inside of me. I’m so passionate about it. I don’t pretend to know it all. In fact, I don’t know much, but what I know I share. I also pay attention. I like to learn as much as I like to teach.
“Knowledge not only resides in the head or in the collective mind of a social group, but also exists in discourse and communication among individuals and their relationships.”
Learning and teaching is conscious, intentional, willful, and a balance between old and new knowledge. Learning is also a vicarious experience. Sometimes people don’t know they are learning something until it clicks. This kind of interaction rarely happens in isolation but socially. When people are having fun with others is sometimes when they learn the most. I enjoy when people is satisfied with the results of their time spent. Their testimonials are not to fill my heart or head with pride and arrogance. These are a reminder of the great responsibility placed in my hands. I keep myself in check and seek to humble myself. After all, teaching makes you the servant, not the master.