I embrace a critical multicultural framework in my teaching. I strive to teach students empathy and that there are assets in difference. I create equitable learning environments by paying attention to each learner’s individual needs and valuing each student with regard to race, gender, religion, abilities, or any other circumstance. I understand and acknowledge learners’ diverse backgrounds and introduce them to aspects of critical multiculturalism, such as identity, representation, and culture.

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CURRICULUM DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION: I design curricula to connect with students who learn and engage in diverse ways, employing pedagogical practices to cater to individual learners. I incorporate multiple teaching modalities beyond only teaching hard skills and course content. Through using a range of teaching pedagogies, I foster learning for students of all abilities and backgrounds.

 

MUSEUM TOURS: When leading museum tours, I provide participants with a toolbox they can apply any time they view an artwork or visual culture. I repeat pedagogical strategies, so that viewers notice trends and begin asking their own questions when they view art without facilitation. The learners become active in constructing knowledge and multiple meanings proliferate. Expanding from Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to an inquiry-based approach, I weave the visitors’ experiences and knowledge with information.

 

INTERPRETATION: Since a majority of museumgoers visit galleries without guided facilitation from museum staff, my research and practice extend to implementing inclusive in-gallery interpretation, even without human interactions. The same level of understanding and engagement that can be achieved through tours and programs could and should happen through in-gallery interpretation without an educator present. Specifically, inclusive interpretation strategies equalize and empower voices (visitor and institution) by employing socially-responsive methods in the galleries. I use several participatory platforms to break down boundaries for all audiences and allow viewers to reach a deeper and personal understanding of works of art. I conduct evaluation in the museum galleries to discern audience learning, and apply the outcomes back to my teaching methods.

 

TEACHING OBJECTIVES: I aim to learn from my students as they learn from me. I aim to use inclusive interpretation to confront injustices by promoting diverse voices, providing opportunities for multiple viewpoints, and encouraging self-reflection. I aim to replace the one-way, authoritarian museum voice that views the visitor as a receptor of knowledge; instead, with equal authority granted to museum and visitor, exhibition themes manifest as relevant to audience concerns. I aim to employ interpretation methods that break down barriers between visitors and museum, as well as to present and allow for multiple perspectives.