My teaching philosophy has developed organically over the last 15 years. I have taught students of all ages from kindergarten through graduate level and I've learned that it is essential to meet them where they are intellectually and interpersonally.
I've developed strategies over the years for student engagement and retention, including rapport building, individual focus/attention, dynamic lecturing, project based learning, and peer interaction/peer critique.
Rapport building: Getting to know the students, and they getting to know each other using name games, drawing games/contests and other similar kinds of activities. This helps foster class discussions, student responsibility and accountability. These kind of activities can go on the entire semester but are especially effective at the beginning and helps with student retention. I've found that even at the college level, everyone responds to these kinds of activities. When you raise the interpersonal stakes such that pressure to perform (especially in group projects) is no longer just about a grade, or their own problems but alliances, and even good friendships that have begun to develop which leads to increase retention rates and better grades. Sometimes I have had students come up to me several semesters later and tell me they are still friends with someone from the class.
Lecturing: Fast paced multi- media lectures are another way. Changing media from PowerPoint to over-head projector, to using the white board to live demos, to having them research on their phones (i've even had them all play the same video on their phone simultaneously) during the same lecture hold the student’s attention far better than any single media presentation.
Giving out information, and asking students to explain it back to you, is also a good way to make sure you are being understood and it has the added benefit of keeping the students awake and on their toes. I also sometimes do gentle stretching and simple in-place exercises in the form of "Simon Says" games.
Individual focus/attention: In relationship to the Studio environment, I feel that one of my strongest traits as a teacher is my ability to meet students where they are as individuals and tailor the projects to their particular strengths. I foreground warm hearted professionalism with my students which promotes a safe, positive learning environment for them, while at the same time maintaining strong classroom structure, physical safety, and academic rigor.
Project Based Learning: Beside teaching studio courses I have taught intro Modern and Contemporary Art History classes. In addition to the typical rubric of tests, oral presentations and papers I have found that the best way to engage students is through project-based activities. Having the students pull, for example, social responsible “pranks” that bring attention to, in a humorous way, social injustices that they then document and present the outcome to the class. Throwing a student generated DADA party is another example.
Peer Interaction /Peer Critique: Having the students talk to each other about what they have seen and heard in class clarifies the information for those students who are grasping it, and allows students who are having difficulties understanding the material to hear it articulated in ways that they can better assimilate.
Finally, speaking with students individually at their work space is a great way to build trust, confidence and pride in their work.