Principles of Pedagogy for the Studio Arts Educator

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2014

Either by accident or design, at some point during their post-graduate school professional lives many artists find themselves engaged in rewarding work as educators. Whether one views the prospects of teaching as an exciting new career track—or a more meaningful alternative to waiting tables—it is important for an educator in the arts to balance his/her studio practice with a deep understanding of the structures that support effective arts teaching and learning. Principles of Pedagogy for the Studio Art Educator is designed to equip MassArt MFA students with the tools and techniques they will need to design and facilitate productive learning experiences for a variety of students—in a variety of settings. Through hands-on workshop activities, classroom discussions, site visits, and interactions with guest arts educators, students in this course will grapple with the primary “principles of pedagogy” of teaching and learning in the arts. The final outcome of students’ work in this course will be (a) a carefully considered teaching philosophy, (b) a curricular outline specifically designed to suit the arts learning environment of each student’s choice, and (c) the foundational elements of a multi-purpose teaching portfolio. While the ultimate goal of this course is to provide students with the practical skills they will need to succeed as educators in the arts, the content of this course also promises to bring new dimensionality to students’ work as professional artists.