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My teaching is grounded in the Circle of Courage, a philosophy rooted in Native American traditions that centers on four principles: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. I first encountered this framework in 2003 as a student teacher at the Alternative High School with the Calgary Board of Education, where I had the privilege of learning directly from respected elders of the Siksika and Blackfoot nations. Their wisdom about nurturing youth has shaped how I've approached teaching ever since — through my full-time career beginning in 2006 and in every art and design classroom I've led.

Spirit of Belonging — Every student is known by name and valued for their individual strengths. We build community through group activities, peer support, and by celebrating the full range of backgrounds and artistic perspectives in the room.

Spirit of Mastery — Students set and work toward real artistic goals, supported by constructive feedback and personalized guidance. My goal is for every student to see clear growth in their skill and confidence as an artist over the course of the year.

Spirit of Independence — Students find and lead their own artistic voice. I provide the materials, references, and structure — but the creative direction is theirs, within a classroom that still feels supportive.

Spirit of Generosity — Students learn to give back: helping classmates through new techniques, contributing to community-oriented projects, and even helping shape how I teach. It's a cycle of mutual growth, not a one-way exchange.

Together, these four principles create a classroom where students feel they belong, are motivated to improve, have room to express themselves independently, and understand that their art can serve something beyond themselves. This is the environment I work to build every day — one where students grow not just as artists, but as confident, generous, and capable young people.

 

The Circle of Courage Philosophy In my Classes:

 

Spirit of Belonging:

1. Teachers and classmates know each student's name and recognize their individual strengths, and creating a sense of community and inclusivity in the classroom.

2. Encouraging students to share their thoughts, ideas, and artistic expressions.

3. Celebrating the diversity of backgrounds and artistic perspectives.

4. Fostering a strong sense of belonging through group activities and peer support.

 

Spirit of Mastery:

1. Encouraging students to master their techniques and be their best artistic selves.

2. Providing opportunities for skill development, creativity, and self-expression through art.

3.  Offering constructive feedback, personalized guidance, and recognition of achievements.

4. Motivating students to set and achieve artistic goals.

 

Spirit of Independence:

1. Empowering students to have their voice in their art creation.

2. Allowing students to lead their artistic journeys.

3. Resources, materials, references, and tools are provided to support each student’s independence.

4. Encouraging students to create independent art projects while maintaining a supportive learning environment.

 

Spirit of Generosity:

1. Encouraging students to offer help to classmates struggling with new art techniques.

2. Emphasizing the importance of giving back to the community through art and sharing skills and knowledge with peers to create a sense of purpose.

3. Engaging in community-oriented art projects and collaborations.

4. Encouraging students to find ways to help their teacher to teach better, creating a cycle of mutual improvement.

 

Overall Impact:

1. The Circle of Courage philosophy enhances artistic growth and nurtures overall well-being.

2. Promotes a positive and inclusive learning environment.

3. Fosters a sense of belonging, motivation for mastery, and artistic independence.

4. Teaches the importance of generosity and community involvement

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My teaching philosophy reflects my interests in collaborative authorship among my students and myself. I prefer student-centered teaching that encourages learning by both students and teacher, instead of the "full frontal teaching" method of large lectures. I inspire and encourage my students to choose a meaningful research topic for their individual projects within the curricula criteria and facilitate their learning by providing supports in their areas of interest.

I favor classroom dynamics that permit dialogues and foster a degree of student input. I like students to think about the class as a community in which they can share ideas freely, receive and offer support to the members of this community and feel that they belong to this community. This means that in both design theory classes and hands on design studio classes, I have students spend a fair amount of time in smaller groups in which they talk and think together and practice working in a collaborative environment. In keeping with this emphasis on process, I have used the portfolio grading method in my creative and technical studies courses, and have been pleased by enthusiastic student reactions.

On the other hand, as an artist my objective is to facilitate the students’ growth as an artist by creating an environment that both is stimulating and challenging enough to tackle the student with new possibilities, as well as provides a secure enough place for the student to express their ideas in their creation freely. I intend to form a venue that is both collaborative and instructional. This encourages the student to know their value as a person and as an artist in a way that raise their spirits to push themselves to new levels of excellence.

As an artist and as a teacher of creative and technical design studies, I want students to both be able to work in a competitive illustration and design environment by mastering their techniques as well as being able to offer strong research capabilities and taking leadership roles in academia. While it is absolutely essential for the teacher to provide in-depth instruction in techniques in order for the students to produce quality art and design work, having a considerable basis in critical thinking, verbal and written skills along with history will support the student’s sense of professionalism. From experience, I have seen that students, who are able to talk about their work, and express their process as an artist, have excelled in their artistic production and capacity to position themselves in the art world.