My personal goal is to develop the pedagogy that will inspire students to think critically and to facilitate creativity, as well as to motivate them to think about narrative, and meaning through art and design. My approach is to access a blending of technical skills, design principles and constructive critiques and to engage them in design thinking. They learn that having a strong work ethic, and understanding of professionalism will help enable their success. I strive to encourage and provide a higher level of creative exploration that will allow my students to leave fully capable and with confidence as they hopefully move seamlessly into the real work world..

Professionalism, Foundation, Real World Experience: I bring with me learned professionalism and commitment that comes from years of dedicated hard work, technical exploration, continued art education, and real-life work experience. I have a solid understanding of how to work within tight time constraints and a high caliber of client and expect my student to rise to the occasion with the same enthusiasm that helped me become successful with my career. To teach successfully, I feel it is important to be immersed in the practice of what you are teaching and to this point I continue to work with clients creating print and web design. I continue to stay up to date with the changing technologies, continue to build pieces that can be showcased in how to books, and consult with other professionals to learn the new trends. , so it is essential to give the students a solid foundation and teach them to adapt to the changing technologies as well as instill an understanding of design principles and design history.

Communication and Delivery: It is necessary to have thoughtful and clear dialogue. After demonstrating the objective of the lesson, additional supportive documentation is routinely given. These include examples, tutorials, relevant readings and other pertinent resources. Typically a written outline to expand on in class demonstrations is given in handout form. I strive to communicate in a way that allows students to feel comfortable with the tools as well as their environment. If a student's work is not up to the level of the others, I will take time to work with that student. If a student has successful work I will try to critique in a way that other students learn from the piece and that the student can improve their work. Critiques and revisions are woven into the curriculum. I have a firm belief that students learn better in a relaxed environment, so although I expect a tremendous amount of sophistication and excellence from the work my students produce I remain flexible with the learning curve as well as try to instill a light atmosphere in the classroom. I have a strong propensity for the use of positive reinforcement as a tool in the classroom. With positive guided critiques, students find that with more time and effort the work can always be improved. My goal is for each student to leave with a solid understanding of the tools taught and a portfolio of professional quality work.

Commitment to Education and the Goals for the Students: Courses are continually revised and improved so they can remain current with technology and trends. It's essential to be current to meet the needs of new technologies and challenge the students in a growing and competitive field. Being available for students is, so I routinely tell students that they should take advantage of my time and contact me whenever they need to about whatever they need to. I also let them know that I am available for in-person meetings for extra help if the need arises. Lastly, it’s always sad when students move on, but I am fortunate that many ask to remain in contact. With the new social media, it is easy to do this, and I can keep up with present and former students on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.