Tag: UAL

(Part Two & Three: Feedback & Reflection)

Kwame’s feedback was a thoughtful and encouraging reflection on my teaching practice, highlighting both strengths and areas for further development. His observations reassured me that my approach is supporting students in meaningful ways, particularly in developing their portfolios and encouraging deeper engagement with their creative direction.

It was great to hear that my teaching not only provides technical support but also encourages students to critically evaluate the structure of their work. Kwame’s appreciation for how I balance technical considerations — such as colour theory, print formats, and sequencing — with creative intentions was particularly gratifying. I find his suggestion to develop a separate lesson on colour theory for photographers very valuable and will definitely explore further, as it would provide students with a more solid foundation in industry-relevant presentation techniques.

I also appreciate Kwame’s comments on my ability to create a supportive and empathetic learning environment. He noted that my approach encourages students to move confidently in different directions, which emphasises my commitment to student-led instruction. His comments on my calm manner and ability to adapt to students’ perspectives confirmed that my approach helps to build their confidence in their creative choices.

His feedback on accessibility and adaptability was also valuable. He acknowledged how I adapted my approach to ensure all students were included and highlighted the one-to-one support I provided to a student without a laptop as an example of inclusive pedagogy. This reinforced my belief that flexibility is essential in practical, skills-based teaching.

Thank you very much, Kwame! 

Ian’s feedback provided a valuable perspective on my teaching approach, highlighting both strengths and areas for further development. It was reassuring to hear that the session felt structured and effective, that students were actively engaging and producing work that met industry standards. Dealing with lateness was a challenge that I had anticipated, and I am glad that my approach helped to keep disruption to a minimum. His comments on the balance between the workshop and the concurrent one-to-one tutorials were also encouraging — it can be difficult to balance both, but it was great to have the workshop ran smoothly.

One of the key takeaways from Ian’s notes was the importance of prompting more student responses before offering explanations. Ian pointed out moments where I could have encouraged students to analyse visual elements on their own instead of immediately giving answers. More active participation in these situations could help students engage more deeply with the material and build their confidence in discussing visual concepts.

His feedback on cultural considerations in composition techniques was particularly insightful. The observation that reading direction influences composition and design, and that this varies from culture to culture is something I to consider more in future discussions during the workshop. His comment about L2 speakers and pronunciation difficulties was also useful — I had not previously considered how emphasising certain words can improve engagement and communication.

The structure of the lesson seemed to work well, and the use of previous student work to demonstrate real-life applications was effective in reinforcing key concepts. In the future, I will continue to refine my approach and ensure that students are more actively involved in the discussions while maintaining a structured and professional learning environment. This is also part of my ongoing case study research where I am investigating how different teaching methods impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.

Overall, Ian’s feedback was very helpful, and I will take these points into consideration when developing workshops.