My Philosophy on Providing Information

Because I am an educator, I strive to provide the reasoning behind what we explore, and why we choose various tools and materials. I work hard to not define anything as "just the way it is", or "because I say so". That certainly would be easier, but it would also be wrong. 

For every problem there are myriad solutions. I don't say infinite, because infinite may not exist. Countless is accurate because there is no way to know all possible solutions. That said, there have to be limitations and specifics to the projects we do, otherwise the class would never end, and established, useful information would never be addressed.

When I provide a supply list for example, it is a teaching moment. Rather than defining precisely what to get, you have an obligation to do a little exploring and experimentation of your own. What you will find is that with an understanding of purpose, you can make decisions for yourself. I am fine with providing assistance as needed with questions about materials and tools.

All assignments have rules and processes. These are designed to give you good results. However, all projects have evolved over time after seeing the results over and over again. This means that although I provide specifics, these can be challenged with good and sound reasoning. Your work in this class provides new information for further growth.

Making mistakes, and finding ways to overcome them are absolutely essential in the learning experience. It is okay to get the wrong paper, figure out why, and to make changes that give you the results you want. Though possibly painful, this is far better for growth than when things work out perfectly the first time. It builds resilience, and if anything is needed in this world right now, it is resilience.

The term "best practices" is used to describe the current understanding of a given process. One of my favorite non-art instructors was Jerry Waxman, an astronomy teacher. Back in the early 1980's he said, "everything I am teaching you is wrong". What he meant was that he was providing the best information for that time in history, but in the future new information would supersede it. This is a basic scientific principle; nothing is ever proven right; it is only better understood and is constantly evolving.

One final point, as a wise man once told me at the beginning of my teaching career, "Students are not taking 3 units of Art 5, they are taking 3 units of Michael McGinnis". That wise person was John Watrous, my mentor, my teacher, my friend.  I took his statement to mean that I have an obligation to provide the best of what I can offer from my own life experiences. Otherwise you might as well take a class from a robot.