My approach to teaching aims not only to convey knowledge of various disciplines in artmaking but also to share a diverse spectrum of views in society. I have come to see the teaching of art as a way to help my students develop in the following three ways: (1) Students learn to express their ideas with their own creative vocabulary; (2) Students, as social commentators, should be able to participate in discourse on contemporary social, cultural, and political issues in their artwork; and (3) Students should be able to demonstrate more original thinking in their artmaking.

My challenge in teaching has been to translate my Korean learning and teaching experiences such that they are useful to students in an American academic environment. According to the research of Sharon Shavitt from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, cultural orientation correlates considerably with Socially Desirable Responding (SDR) in every society. SDR in East Asian society requires being modest and following rules that come from an ideology of horizontal collectivism, while SDR in American society requires students to be smart, capable, and self-reliant, which comes from an ideology of horizontal individualism.

I believe that the education system and its culture are shaped by this social desirability, and consequently, Korean and American education systems have different goals, methodologies, and strategies for their students. In my experience, Korean education tends to formulate a teacher-centered and unidirectional transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. Korean students learn and perform better when a teacher decides and gives subject matter to follow with strict guidelines, while American students perform better in self-guided projects driven by their self-motivation rather than external motivation.

Since I was educated in Korea, as both an undergraduate and graduate student, I have minimal experiences and understanding of the American undergraduate education system. My four-years of teaching experiences significantly helped me to appreciate these different styles of teaching and learning, and also enabled me to transition from how a Korean style of teaching to a more fully American one. My transition, with some trial-and-error, provided me insights into American education and culture.

I have taught a variety of undergraduate- and graduate-level painting and drawing courses. I offer a number of different strategies and encouragements in different divisions in Painting/Drawing courses.

Attaining technical proficiency in a wide range of painting and drawing materials is the most important task for beginning students. I have observed that these students successfully perform and acquire the fundamental skills under strict guidelines and external encouragements. Repetition could be less interesting as a learning-experience to some students. To keep such students motivated during repetitive tasks, I set a clear and achievable goal for each assignment and introduce successful examples of former students who use the relevant approaches and materials. I believe that students are more motivated when the anticipated outcomes of repetitive intensive training are actually visible.

In case of upper-division courses, students must learn to think critically and creatively. They identify what they want to communicate through their visual images, and continue their exploration of painting and drawing materials to best execute their artistic concepts. I have recognized that the students in upper-level class had mixed abilities and degrees of motivation. To reduce gaps in their achievement, I create a knowledge- exchanging environment in which students are encouraged to challenge each other’s perspective. For example, I ask my students to exchange their written feedback and short description of their projects during the group critiques so that students can receive more honest and constructive criticisms from peers. In addition to this suggestion, I facilitate collaborative projects that allow the students to deal with diverse approaches in problem-solving and learn good working relationship. The interactive environment generated by these practices not only relieves the students’ stress but helps them make a smooth transition to advanced studio practice.

In case of graduate studio courses and seminars, an important question in the MFA program is how to help graduate students connect with the real-world art scene. Students must have opportunities to relate their studio practices and materials to the reality of today’s art world. I have offered several practical workshops, such as “Writing Proposals for Grants,” “Managing a Web Portfolio,” and “Studio Protector,” an online guide for emergency preparedness and information for an artist. I have also introduced useful materials about international artist-in-residence programs and nonprofit galleries. In addition to presenting practical knowledge, I have encouraged them to convey critical social discourse in their works. As social commentator, the artist should creatively present fresh, even provocative, perspectives about the social, cultural, and political issues facing society.