The key to learning is active engagement. For students to feel engaged, education must pertain to their daily lives. My goal is to create a community in which there is discourse and democracy, where every voice is heard. Curriculum is designed to develop practical skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving, with an emphasis on discipline, technique and theoretical concepts. The aim is for students to see the connections between art, life, culture and history because an engaged voice evolves in dialogue with the world.

      In order to foster a democratic environment, students are encouraged to work together: for example, each semester they must collaborate on at least one project. The purpose is to emphasize community, critical awareness, and active participation in the classroom. Together, the class exams what it means to be an artist within the culture at large, as well as contemporary artists' works and the history of printmaking. I guide them towards their own definition of art through readings, discussions and experimentation into different media, techniques and styles. Each assignment introduces students to different artists, cultures, mediums, tools, and concepts. By encouraging exploration and research, students are challenged to reach their potential as artists.

      The pedagogic approach is a combination of student-centered and active learning techniques. Teaching strategies alternate from visual to auditory to kinetic in order to expose students to different learning styles and methods for comprehension. Each course consists of lectures, group discussions, demonstrations, individual instruction and critique. Students are required to take their role as an active learner seriously: they are required to take notes on lectures, demonstrations and readings, join in discussions and critiques, conduct individual research into printmaking methods and history, and maintain a clean and productive work environment. Each student is responsible for his or her own education and professional development, and each is expected to be an active member of the community.

      In addition to cultivating a communal environment and personal growth, my intent is to teach sustainability in printmaking. Students are taught to reduce their use of chemicals, solvents, rags, inks, water and power; reuse paper, inks, cardboard, sponges, water, containers, and screens; and recycle paper, cardboard, metal, and plastics. Many "green" technologies have recently been employed in printmaking which can aid in this goal: for example, waterless lithography, digital pre-press, polymer plates, and acrylic resist etching. These developments are crucial for the future sustainability and health of printmaking, printmakers and the planet. Not only do I teach these principles, but I have brought them into daily practice. For the past four years, I have run a "green" printmaking studio and socially-conscious publishing company in Los Angeles. I know what it takes to be successful in the highly competitive market of print publishing and what it means to be a part of a community of artists. Through my studio and street art campaigns, I have fostered many young artists and interns and have witnessed the impact that printmaking can have on the world.

      These experiences, along with my love of teaching and experience as educator and professional artist, make me an instructor who considers individual as well as collective needs. Students leave my classroom armed with an arsenal of art history, theory, technology and technique, and with these tools, they become critical thinkers and engaged members of society.