Teaching art begins with teaching creativity, the ability to work creatively and together. I teach Fine Art, Intro to Ceramics and Advanced Ceramics. These require creative thinking skills, ways of thinking that move the student from “the box” to outside the box. The other half of my job is to teach the active learning techniques, especially problem solving. Students learning methods for working with materials use their creativity in all their work, inside and outside the classroom.
I like to believe that all that creative thinking helps them become good, helpful leaders in all things. We pull things from everyday culture, using modern themes mixed with prehistoric ones, for example. Field trips and working with Dayton Visual Arts Center, The Dayton Art Institute, the Marianist Environmental Education Center and First Baptist Church Dayton allows for an expanding experience in the creative life.