CHRISTOPHER ST. JOHN

My Teaching Philosophy

Students are a unique community, and the relationship of teacher and student is older than art. The longevity of this community has evolved in many ways, and I am the product of many different kinds of teaching, some good and some bad, but all instructive in this community I have chosen to be a part of. I have found that elevating my student’s experience in an atmosphere of kindness, warmth, mutual respect, trust and openness, and a willingness to communicate and demonstrate vulnerability has contributed to the success of both my students and my teaching. I choose to be a teaching artist because the creation of a safe space that encourages risk taking and vulnerability is what aligns with the very best of art making. I believe that this kind of teaching, positive in its outlook, modeled around a willingness to explore failure and uncertainty, is the best contributor to the kinds of values that turn young art students into mature artists.

My teaching is built around a structured approach that emphasizes clear communication, critical inquiry, and positive reinforcement. I use a combination of project handouts/overviews, slideshow lectures, demonstrations, and individually guided work sessions based around conceptual problem solving, material understanding, and design skills. The fundamentals of 2D and 3D design and art history are important models for understanding the global present, and in ceramics, for emphasizing its importance in human culture. Visual examples in presentation support learning outcomes, and a diversity of creative approaches in contemporary artists as well as an emphasis on using history to bridge cultural and historical connections. Rubric for grading follows this structured approach, emphasizing aesthetics, craft, and conceptual development. 

Being a teaching artist provides many opportunities for students to see me solving the same problems I have set for them, not to demonstrate my mastery but to level the playing field in a space where I build trust with my students, and I can share my own discoveries as new knowledge and use that as a model for sharing their own. I believe it is important for the teacher to demonstrate vulnerability in their decision making process, living by what I am teaching and demonstratting, taking risks, exercising curiosity, emphsasiing understanding that not every solution needs to be an object.