teaching

jarred elrod, student work thumbnails
Assorted Thumbnail Crops of Student Work | Full Samples Available Upon Request

MY PHILOSOPHY:

Jarred Elrod, Guangxi Arts Institute, visiting professor
Working with amazing faculty and staff and great students at Guangxi Arts Institute in Nanning, China.

I believe in cultivating a positive and fully inclusive learning environment fueled by humor, unwavering support, and constant dedication to progress. I strive to develop elastic project frameworks for students while generously offering support and access to my design expertise in the classroom. This being said, I make it a point not to confuse feedback with art direction, as this develops a learning culture rooted in dependency rather than exploration and ultimately, autonomy.

I believe that one must actively engage in the process of making decisions to develop a sense of true confidence and a unique identity as both a person and a graphic designer. I am a firm believer in cross discipline collaboration and incorporate this widely in my teaching, research, and practice. I make it a point to seek out challenges that are worth undertaking, even if the risk for failure is high. I actively encourage students to develop a positive relationship with exploration and creative risk-taking and strive to tailor a learning environment that is continuously responsive to individual needs and interests. I never underestimate my students’ capacity to rise to the occasion; therefore, I never hold back in giving them technically and sometimes emotionally challenging assignments.

jarred elrod, teaching, class process
Working with students to get the right vantage point during a process critique

Ultimately, my goal is to provide students with an educational experience that prepares them for life beyond the classroom. My experiential approach to design education is guided by my interest in graphic design process and active cross-discipline collaboration in the area of performance psychology. I make it a point not silo research, teaching and professional practice, as the constant feedback loop between making, thinking and teaching drives my success as both a designer and educator. I believe in using the design process as more than just a means to an end. Rather, I see the process of making as a way to reveal a deeper truth about the work and most importantly, the self. Being fortunate enough to witness this awakening in students is why I love teaching design for a living.

*CV available upon request

Screenprinting workshop, jarred elrod
Works in progress (with our shop dog, Lexi) during one of my many screenprinting workshops.