Teaching:

2-D works

3-D works

Teaching philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher and an artist, I believe that students of all ages should be encouraged to express themselves through art. Experience has taught me that students tend to feel most comfortable with artistic expression when they are given guidelines that serve as a spring board for the imagination.

Most of the projects I assign are grounded in art historical or cultural knowledge. Once students are provided with – or have gathered – that information, I often give them a starting point in the form of a creative problem to solve. For each project, I teach certain artistic skills and techniques and make sure that students are familiar with the tools and materials necessary to complete the assignment. When teaching high school, I often require that each student keep a sketchbook which also acts as a research book. Students use the books to collect information and images, and to sketch their ideas in preparation for class projects. Most sketchbook work is assigned as homework.

At the start of each project, I let students know what I’m intending for them to learn by providing them with a rubric. I have learned that rubrics help to make the art-grading process less subjective while protecting a student’s creative self.

Upon completion of one of my art courses, I hope that each student will have re-connected with his or her own creativity, obtained art historical or cultural knowledge, and learned specific art skills and techniques. My goal is to provide students with a point from which each can take off in his or her own creative direction.

Jennifer Sipple
April, 2006