Faking it till you make it?

I’ve been a teacher for 10 yrs now, and I know there is a small niche group of art teachers out there. Then within that group there is a subset of us teaching digital art. I realized after switching to high school last year that it was such a tough time. I had to rethink everything I was doing. I try and post and share because I know that there are other art teachers that are making the change or trying to add more digital curriculum to their lessons. It can be really overwhelming.

I also think some times it is really hard to figure out where I can I find resources to help me out with classroom management and lessons. I’ve been trying to post resources as I go along to let other teachers know we are all trying to figure things out.

That’s part of why I like teaching it is something that evolves and changes over time. Very challenging.  I also really enjoy watching my students develop their skills in graphic design. I’ve worked in the profession. I know even if they don’t ever become a graphic designer they could one day own their own business or work at a higher level within a company and have to work with a marketing department. I want them to know what you should expect from someone that says they have that expertise.

I still try and freelance graphic design/illustration on the side. What surprises me that at some point we all start out as newbies. We all have to learn by getting some professional experience. I’ve see in the professional world that people say they have the expertise and fall short. I think of it like teams sports. Someone comes along and says they are the best player in the league and the team/coach says let’s give them a shot. They fail and have no idea even how to throw the ball. It is painfully obvious that they oversold their abilities. It’s better to be honest and say “I really don’t have the experience, but I’m learning on the job.” The idea of faking till you make is really strange to me. I’ve never told a client I can do something, knowing that I can’t do it. I’ve told a client let me look into this and see, but then I’ll get back to you. I let them know that is beyond my skill level or I just don’t have the equipment. I never want to lie to client, because that wastes their time and money. I also don’t do work just because it pays. I really don’t like web designing, so I stay away from that.

In this age when things can be faked to look like something else. I should know I teach graphic design and I lean heavy on advertising. I tell my students that, I teach animation, but I’ve never worked in that industry. I let them know that as a fact. I say I don’t know let me get back to you on that instead making something up. I also say have you Googled it?

Technology related pathways are constantly evolving and changing. There are updates getting pushed out every other week on software. New software companies are emerging to compete with current software. It’s a lot for to keep up with. I feel like as education continues the students need to have that motivation to learn on their own, because many times there might not be a simple path from A to B that is clearly defined that you can learn from a textbook and teacher. Sometimes getting in there, try different ways, making honest mistakes, and doing the work is the best learning experience.