Visual Art Teacher
After graduating in 2020 with a BA in Fine Art Painting from LSAD, I organised and delivered a series of oil painting lessons at the People’s Museum of Limerick. Teaching small groups of four participants over an eight-week period, the programme focused on portrait painting, technical skill development, and sustained observational practice, encouraging both individual expression and collaborative learning.
In 2024, I enrolled in the PME Art & Design with Digital Media programme at LSAD, completing two years of professional teacher education. During this time, I undertook two teaching placements: an eight-week placement at Glenstal Abbey School, followed by a ten-week placement at Newport College. Across both settings, I gained experience teaching a wide range of visual art disciplines, including painting, printmaking, graphic design, sculpture, and digital media.
Throughout the programme, I designed and delivered Units of Learning that explored the cultural and social impact of digital media, encouraging students to critically reflect on themes such as identity, presence, and isolation. These units often drew on concerns central to my own studio practice, supporting students in developing concept-driven work alongside technical skills, and fostering thoughtful engagement with contemporary visual culture.
Teaching Philosophy
For me, teaching is about positively impacting young people’s lives. As an art and design teacher, I believe education should take a holistic approach, which supports not only academic achievement but also students’ confidence, critical thinking, and capacity for reflection. Art education has the unique ability to help students express themselves and to see the world through a more empathetic lens, fostering personal and social responsibility.
This is especially relevant today, where our society is saturated with visual media, from screens to everyday advertising. I believe the ability to critically engage with images is more important than ever, and the art room offers a space to slow down and truly see, encouraging students to question, analyse, and create, rather than passively consume.
My own art practice plays a vital role in my teaching. In line with a co-constructivist approach, influenced by the writings of Maxine Greene, I view learning as a collaborative process. By remaining engaged as a practicing artist, I aim to model curiosity, risk-taking, and reflective thinking in an authentic way. I ensure students are aware of my own practice by bringing in my own paintings and demonstrating my own artistic processes. In turn, this influences how I structure units of learning, focusing on ethical questions that connect to students’ lives and my own practice, such as the impact of technology on well-being. Through this inquiry-based learning, I aim to foster students' critical thinking skills and cultural awareness, while helping them to develop their own artistic voice.
My Teaching Practice: In Depth
Click on any of the images below to explore my practice further.
