“Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand” Confucius, Chinese thinker (551 – 479 BBC)

I consider teaching as an opportunity to inspire students and improve their knowledge. As a teacher, it is my goal to enhance student learning and creativity through transforming knowledge and experiences. Ultimately, I want students to feel challenged and motivated by participating being involved in the topic of study.

Usually my class starts with a similar statement as the above quote to create an open discussion environment. Promoting the idea of creativity, the process of it, how to practice it and what triggers it are central to my teaching philosophy and methodology, as it helps students to sharpen their critical thinking and trigger their senses to transgress from regularity limitations to creativity and imagination endless boundaries.

Transformative learning is most likely to occur when students become personally involved with the educational material, and perceive the subject as directly relevant to their lives and interests. Therefore, understanding the diversity of learning styles, tastes and students’ experiences is a main key for enhancing this engagement. I try to stimulate this engagement process to be unique to each individual in the classroom through one-on-one training, individual discussions from one side and group critics from the other side.

While students should ultimately take responsibility for their own choices in the work, my role is to support each student with the proper directions that would mentor him to his own inspired decision. Therefore, learning about my students and listening to their experiences and opinions helps me to reconsider the ways of treating them and handling class situations in order to foster their critical thinking. In addition, I am passionate about finding the most effective ways of stimulating and sustaining the growth of the students’ visual skills and their abilities to visually communicate.

My teaching objectives vary based upon the course level and contents, and my philosophy serves to guide me and inform my practice. I strive to optimize students’ engagement in every aspect of the course. The class format is varied and generally includes my own presentations accompanied with general outlines for students to follow, questions and creative exercises as well as supporting videos tutorials that pertain to the topic in discussion.

In addition, I work to influence learning that occurs outside the classroom by supplementing class time with a wide range of teaching/learning activities including reading, Internet searches, and conducting galleries and exhibitions. Providing access to my practical knowledge and experiences is also a priority.

I am always keen to improve my teaching skills by seeking students’ feedback in class and at the end of the course, talking with peers, attending teaching seminars, reading and experimenting with new methods. Through these evaluative and informative processes I continually try to refine my teaching practices.

Teaching is a privileged position that demands humility as much as respect. I believe that it is crucial that teachers recognize the power inherent in their role and to be self- reflective about their actions. In my teaching I work to be mindful of my position as a role model of the kind of learning I strive to promote among students. Transformative learning is about "opening hearts and triggering minds" as well as positively effecting and improving lives for all those involved in the process. I know I am successful in my teaching when students tell me that they have learned new methods by which they form new visions and perspectives to the world and by which they think more creatively and critically. These are rewards of transformative teaching and learning.