Teaching Art + Design — Eileen Chevalier

Teaching and design are my two great passions. My first experience teaching art was at East Millbrook Magnet Middle School, where I taught Art Explorations, Weaving & Crafts, Painting, and Sculpture to six through eighth graders. Sadly, the projects created are mere memories. What I treasure, though, are the moments when the students experienced the joy of creating - the student who came in to weave before school started each day, the one who struggled in other classes but beamed when his pot came out of the kiln, another who mastered crochet and was able to teach fellow students, and the one whose painting was put on display at a curated show.

In graduate school, I was fortunate to TA for 2D Design classes - both with a master teacher and with a fellow graduate student - as well as Senior Seminar. In that way, I was able to see the beginning and the end of the undergraduate experience, review the development of students’ foundational skills as they progressed through specific disciplines.

As a teacher, I design (and re-design when necessary) a space, a curriculum, a culture of exploration and encouragement. As a human, my joy is to learn and grow along with my students. I love to ask questions that enable students to assess their work and process so that they can develop their creativity and problem-solving skills. There is no end to the depth and breadth of knowledge, no single solutions, no answer that doesn’t lead to more questions. Oh, how I relish the exploration, the discovery . . . the chance to pass that passion on.