Leading a Classroom as a Graduate Instructor

I was assigned to teach Drawing for Non-Majors or ITDI-211 at the undergraduate level. My students came from all across RIT, with majors ranging from computer science and cybersecurity to biology, game design, and political science. At first, teaching students who weren’t familiar with the structure or expectations of an art class felt a little intimidating. I wondered how to break down foundational drawing concepts in a way that would still feel engaging and meaningful to someone who might have never picked up a piece of charcoal before. 

At the start of the semester, many students were understandably hesitant to speak up or ask questions. I made it a point to stress that there are very few wrong answers in art. Art doesn’t have a single correct solution: it’s a way of thinking and problem-solving, more like an abstract puzzle. While students worked on individual projects, we shared the collective goal of learning new skills and thinking creatively. This mindset applied to me just as much as it did to them. 

Throughout the semester, I asked each student to focus on two ongoing goals: first, to fail at something, and second, to be exceptional. While these goals might seem contradictory, I see them as essential to meaningful creative practice. Failure meant stepping outside their comfort zones, trying something new, and accepting that it might not work. Being exceptional didn’t mean mastering drawing or achieving perfection. Instead, it meant setting a goal, learning from setbacks, and staying motivated to push beyond their current abilities. 

One of my biggest takeaways from this experience was seeing how diverse perspectives encourage experimentation and creative thinking. Many students were learning “art vocabulary” for the first time, which might sound like it would slow things down, but the opposite was true. With less prior knowledge to lean on, students often made huge leaps when faced with challenges. Because they were already succeeding in their own fields, they brought strong problem-solving skills into the studio. Their ability to apply new ways of thinking to an unfamiliar medium consistently impressed me. 
Teaching allowed me to engage with perspectives I may not have encountered within the art school alone. These interactions reinforced my belief that art is a shared way of thinking that extends far beyond the studio. I hope my students carry this openness, along with the willingness to adapt and experiment, well beyond the classroom.