TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
	TEACHING PHILOSOPHY Teaching art can be a complex and rewarding experience because the art classroom is a very special place. Sometimes an art class may look like a lecture hall with students sitting in chairs taking notes while the teacher is talking or showing slides. At other times, it can appear like a chemistry lab with ingredients being measured out into little jars, and again, sometimes like group psychotherapy with students sitting in a circle, talking about dreams, cosmic visions and painful personal experiences. Usually the art class is a visual demonstration of the amazing uniqueness of each person's individual world of thinking and feeling expressed in line, shapes and colors.  As an art teacher, I am in the middle of all of this, orchestrating, structuring, observing, participating and arranging the direction of the class from hour to hour, day to day, and semester to semester. I find it interesting, engaging and heart-warming to do this work because itinvolves many different aspects of my emotions, intellect and experience. The art class is like an arena where many different events can occur from very deliberate technical training of the "how to" kind to the very expressive and spontaneous. As an art teacher, I enjoy making the transition from sharing objective facts and information about techniques and the nature of art materials to inspiring students to open up to the expression of inner feelings and fantasies that can move from the fearful and grotesque to the harmonious and graceful. I have observed three main directions taken by those who enroll in art classes.  There are those who seek access to art for recreational use. Then there is a group of students looking to an art education for careers in graphic arts and production, fashion and interior design, and illustration. Finally, a significant number of art students are expressive in nature. They want to explore the inner dimensions of their being and find in the art world a search for truth and some sense of a deeper reality. Because of my own breadth of experience, I find it interesting and challenging to work with all three groups of students.The recreational student can comfortably follow directions and participate in an orderly structure of drills and exercises. The graphic and production artists need to develop commercial techniques and a personal vision th t will allow them access to the professional job market and earn a living as a businessperson selling their skills and abilities like doctors The expressive artist presents the greatest challenge, because they often need to perch on the edge of the unknown and find the courage to search for a new vision. This group needs the most emotional support from his/her teachers. I prefer to combine structured class goals and objectives with more spontaneous and experimental techniques. This opens the door to learning both art fundamentals and basics on the one hand, and nurturing a personal vision on the other. Evaluating a student's artwork is an important activity of the art teacher, and what the teacher says can have a great impact on the art student. For this reason, it is important\nt that I maintain care, awareness and sensitivity as I express my responses to a student's ideas, feelings and art expression. Since worked as an Art Activity Director & Mental Health Counselor, I feel comfortable and capable of connecting with the emotional struggle an expressive art student may be undergoing, and have experience doing this in a kind and caring way. The art teacher must sense the needs of his students, share his own art experience, effectively interface with other staff members, and fit in with the overall direction of the art department. Additionally, I am interested in the education process itself and how efficiently an art department's curriculum prepares a student to express their creative feelings and thought process. An art department that encourages innovative creative thinking while maintaining compatibility with its overall teaching philosophy and goals would indicate to me, a well-designed program. My background in the world of creative expression has spanned many years both as a producing and exhibiting artist and as an art teacher. I feel confident that I can offer your students a great deal, and also be a valuable addition to your staff, department and school. Sincerely yours, Larry Epston