Sandra Venegas Córdova

One of the activities I enjoy the most in my life is teaching. I firmly believe that teachers can make a difference in their students’ lives, not only in their field of expertise, but also in their personal lives. As an educator I like to create a supportive environment for my students, so they will not be afraid to express their ideas or ask for help when they need it. It is important for me to help students find and cultivate their strengths, as well as explore new areas outside of their main concentration. In this context, I continuously give students constructive feedback, always highlighting positive aspects and improvement in their work. I also familiarize myself with each of my student’s abilities, so I know in which areas I can be more demanding. Thus, my process of evaluation does not consist in comparing my students with each other, but rather evaluating each student according to his strengths and personal progress.

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    In order to address my students’ abilities and ways of learning, I develop different activities that require working in both individual and group projects. During group projects, students are able to use their most salient talents to contribute to the group effort, and are challenged to work in areas that are not as easy for them. During individual projects, students are able to create their own way to develop their assessment. For both types of projects, I require students to give a presentation of their own work to the entire class, which helps them to articulate their process and to better comprehend their own work. This allows other students to learn how to provide constructive feedback in a respectful manner.  At the end of the project I have individual meetings with my students to discuss their work, future goals, and to orient them when they do not have a plan of action.

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    I tremendously value the different backgrounds and styles of work that my students can bring to the classroom. I also emphasize the wonder of creative minds and how the same assessment can have different approaches and different outcomes, each one with its own strength and message.

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Finally, and possibly the most important aspect of my teaching, is encouraging my students to share their knowledge and abilities with each other. This promotes a collaborative environment, where every person, including myself, can continuously learn from the process and improve as an artist.