Month: March 2025

I want to look back on the 1st reflective post on this blog. READ HERE

I mentioned 4 goals I set for myself at the start of the unit:

• Accessibility
• Equality (Race, Gender & Class)
• Student welfare
• Community organising

I feel the content of this blog shows evidence that I am thinking about all of these points, but that I still need to research further around my community organising practice and how I can bring that ethos into my HE teaching.

Below are some other reflections around what has been helpful this unit.

Peer support:

During this time, I have been able to gather feedback from colleagues and peers to better prepare me for the Micro-teaching and the Review. I would especially thank my colleagues Peony Gent, Becky Allen and Amberlee Green

This is not new to me when operating within a grassroots context, but within HE I do not think we do this enough. I want to continue to build more knowledge exchange into my teaching from both students and colleagues in order to keep my teaching methods relevant to whatever cohort I am working with.

Body doubling space:

I was also able to get support by creating a body doubling space together with Lily Ash-Sakula (Who is also doing the PGcert), it was very helpful to just co work, compare references and coach each other through all of the writing for the blog. I do not see students do this enough compared to when I was a student. Considering the large amount of neurodiverse students I meet, UAL could really do better in offering communal spaces for co-working.

Read more about body doubling here.

A question for future development is: How can we establish better peer support and offer space for body doubling without a stable studio setting?

Education around sensitive topics:

Alongside the references provide to me by Sara Massieu’s during the teaching review, I want to integrate ideas around transformative justice here into my teaching as well. One person that I have worked with before who I want to get in touch with for further knowledge exchange is Alex Johnston, they also offer up a wide range of resources on their website that I will be using in upcoming units.

Find the resources here.

(Example of a workshop slide by Alex Johnston)

Link to the full workshop slides here.

Designing Visual Aids:

In my current role as an associate lecturer I do not get enough paid prep time to successfully deliver well designed visual aids for my workshops. However, it is a helpful point of development as it will also help me in other areas of my facilitation practice.

One person of interest that i want to reach out to is artist Rachel Sale who is an illustrator that creates a lot of visual aids for workshops and community organising. She also has a good sense of YES AND in her work, which is another point of interest raised in one of my case studies.

Example of Rachels work made during a residency at V&A (Sale, R. 2024)

Bibliography:

Healthline. (2022). What Is Body Doubling for ADHD? [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/body-double-adhd.

About — Transforming Together (2025). Transforming Together. [online] Transforming Together. Available at: https://www.wearetransformingtogether.com/about [Accessed 7 Mar. 2025].

Rachelsale.co.uk. (2025). Available at: https://rachelsale.co.uk/ [Accessed 7 Mar. 2025].

Intro:  

Teaching in the 3^rd year at BA Illustration at Camberwell, I have 2 points of assessment in the year for unit 9 & 10. This assessment is done and communicated through writing, with tutorials providing space for feedback before and after hand ins. 

Evaluation/Goal: 

The issues I am currently facing while working with my tutor group are: 

• Worries about not getting a 1^st causing stress. 

• Students not understanding the learning outcomes and/or the brief 

• Choosing overly vague themes like “Death” over pursuing personal interests often leading to lower grades. 

• Students do not understand how parity works, often thinking I have my own assessment criteria. 

I have constructed a 3-point plan of action to face these challenges. 

Photo of a child crying while drawing (Gersch, M. 2014)

Plan of action and context:  

1: Navigating assessment before the submission deadline: 

I believe that students are currently not being provided with enough information and support to understand how much agency they have in the classroom (Hooks, 1994). 

To ensure that my students are intentional when around how much they want to engage with the learning outcomes I will ensure I provide the following support before the submission deadline: 

• Checking in about learning outcomes at every tutorial 

• Explaining how parity works during 1 on 1 tutorials 

• Welfare checks around stress and anxiety about grades where needed. Signposting UAL mental health and academic support services. 

• Suggest seeking help from peers by comparing each other’s projects to the learning outcomes for each unit. 

This will lead to less surprised students with bad/unexpected grades and teaching students to be responsible and make sure they follow briefs or that the students who have not followed the brief have done so intentionally and not by a lack of understanding the brief. 

2: Writing feedback during assessment 

To provide better clarity in my written feedback, I will structure my feedback around the learning outcomes to shed light on what was good and what was missing for each point of assessment. This way the written feedback is easier for a student to process in relation to the learning outcomes. 

3: Post submission dialogue and pastoral care 

After grades have been released, I will take the following steps to ensure student welfare and empowerment. 

• 1 on 1 check ins with students to invite dialogue around the grade and feedback 

• Reference everything discussed before the submission deadline to make sure the student sees the connection between the feedback and the learning outcomes 

• Provide practical advice on how to improve for the following unit 

• Clarify that no feedback is “too late” and that all feedback can be applied outside of the university context (Brookes, K. 2008) 

These 3 action points will support students who often end up feeling defeated and confused by assessment feedback and grades. 

References/Bibliography: 

Hooks, bell.Teaching to Transgress : Education As the Practice of Freedom, Taylor & Francis Group, 1994. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=1656118. 

Brookes, K 2008, ‘Could do Better?’: students’ critique of written feedback, University of the West of England, Bristol. Available from: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1017242/could-do-better-students-critique-of-written-feedback. [25 February 2025]

Gersh, M. (2014). School days – Max Gersh. [online] Max Gersh. Available at: https://www.gershphoto.com/school-days/.

Intro: 

At Camberwell, on BA Illustration I teach 3^rd year students during unit 9 & 10.  

• Unit 9: Establish a critically informed practice  

• Unit 10: Create a final project.  

In this time, I deliver 3-4 workshops and facilitate 1 on 1 and group tutorials. 

Evaluation/Goal: 

In the 3^rd year the course expects students to have self-led practice, informed by year 1 & 2. However, some students still struggle to keep up with the curriculum. I have observed the following challenges: 

• Disinterest in critical thinking 

• Lack of skills to pursue a professional career in illustration 

• Struggling to maintain a self-led project due to lack of confidence  

Using the action plan found below, I will define a method of teaching that despite very little contact time will help students tackle these challenges and remind them to have fun during their final year. 

Plan of action and context: 

Relatable topics to support critical thinking: 

To ensure that my lessons are accessible to students with a wide range of skills and points of reference, presenting information with a clear pace is helpful. 

 In the book “What is The Use” by Sara Ahmed, she presents a format of writing that introduces the reader to a known topic that is then used to educate about something more complex and critical. I will keep this method of education in mind when designing my tasks for upcoming lessons (Ahmed, S 2019). 

Another example of this in relation to the topics I teach is:  

Using a well-known video game character like Super Mario to talk about class. Referencing a critical reading presented by YouTube duo Transparency Boo. (Transparency Boo. 2021)  

(Play labour, A video Essay by Transparency Boo, 2021)

Building confidence through improvisation: 

Excerpt from Lynda Barrys book “Syllabus” (Barry, 2020) 

To help students get past insecurities and confidence blocks during workshops i will be applying methods of improvisation often used during acting and comedy training.  This method will also be informed by Lynda Barry’s methods presented in her book “Syllabus”. The two focuses will be to: 

• Design workshop exercises that operate within a YES, AND mindset. (J. Abbot. 2008) 

• Creating warm up tasks that avoid students “thinking too much” by providing strict limitations through timings, tools and materials. (Barry, 2020) 

Visual aids to support student engagement: 

Referencing the typography working sheets presented by Umi Baden-Powell during the microteach and the feedback I received during my teaching review, I will create relevant visual aids for my workshops in the upcoming academic year. Main points of inspiration are found in “Making Comics” by Lynda Barry, “The Improvisation book” by John Abbot.  

(Worksheets by Umi Baden-Powell. London 2025)

Ideas for visual aids for my workshops:  

• Transfer the written instruction for my Video Game Zine workshop into a paper zine that can be used as a notebook during the workshop. 

• Create a DIY workbook with premade panels for my comic workshops. 

Example of scenario cards from The Improvisation Book. (J. Abbot. 2008)

Bibliography: 

Ahmed, S 2019, What’s the Use? : On the Uses of Use, Duke University Press, Durham. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [19 February 2025]. 

Barry, L., 2020. Syllabus: notes from an accidental professor, Published in the USA by Drawn & Quarterly.  

Barry, L. (2019) Making Comics. 1st edn. Quebec: Drawn & Quarterly. 

Abbott, John. The Improvisation Book, Nick Hern Books, Limited, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=1826499. 
Created from ual on 2025-02-26 09:41:37. 

Transparency Boo (2021). Play Labour | Mario Is a Class Traitor and Other Stories. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJHn_Gt_FI [Accessed 7 Mar. 2025]. 

Intro: 

On the BA and MA Illustration courses at Camberwell College of Arts I have the opportunity to deliver my own workshops. Drawing from my own practice and expertise by inviting students to try new methods of engaging with illustration. 

Evaluation/Goal:  

This role presents the following challenges: 

• High number of students that need to make use of translation software to partake in workshops and tutorials.  

• Sound pollution from other classes due to open plan studio setting. Sometimes 3-4 happening at the same time in close proximity of one another.  

To address these issues, I have made the following action plan:  

Lesson Instructions in text:  

All students will be sent an email 2-3 days ahead of the lesson. This email should contain links to access the following resource: 

1: Access information about the space we will be teaching in: 

• be transparent about issues around audio levels and possible sensory overload.  

• Be welcome to the idea of people bringing fidget toys, noise cancelling headphones and other tools for support. 

2: Workshop slides and written instructions for the workshop: 

• Instructions will be clearly labelled with the same steps and order used in the slides.  

• Make it clear that this is ok to use translation software and that printed copies will be available on the day for all students. 

These small steps will help students to better prepare for the teaching environment. 

  (examples of Fidget toys that students use.)

Facing students when talking:  

A crucial step when working with students with impaired hearing who might be making use of lip reading is to face them when talking.  

• I will be aware of where I am facing and pause any instruction in case, I need to look something up behind a computer screen.  

• If possible, it is also good to make use of closed caption software and screens that can be viewed by all participants. 

Culturally Relevant References: 

Illustration used in the article: Breaking language barriers: supporting non-native English-speaking students (Liu, Wang, Wang, 2022).  

To better connect students across language barriers, I find it is effective to make use of references that reflect multicultural perspectives (Liu, Wang, Wang, 2022).  

If planning allows it, I will email students with 2 weeks’ notice and ask them for suggestions on artists to look at in relation to the topic and/or method of your workshop.  

This will help establish a stronger sense of co-teaching between students and teachers. 

Overcoming Sensory Overload:  

When starting a lesson, I will address the state of the room and whatever potential disruptions you can notice on the day, ask students to partake.  

I will establish a code of conduct that allows students to move in and out of the space as they please, if they are there for the sections where I will be instructing new tasks, group sharing or presenting references and context for the lesson.  

This allows students to feel empowered to take action in cases of sensory overload. 

Bibliography: 

THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect (2024) ‘Breaking language barriers: supporting non-native English-speaking students,’ 1 October. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/breaking-language-barriers-supporting-nonnative-englishspeaking-students. 

Speks. (n.d.). What Are Fidget Toys and Where Did They Come From? [online] Available at: https://www.getspeks.com/blogs/speksed/what-are-fidget-toys-and-where-did-they-come-from.

(Screenshot from Sara’s Workshop recording)

I was paired up with Sara Massieu for my teaching review and I observed her teaching through a video recording and provided feedback in writing and over a call on teams.

LINK to feedback that I provided to Sara Massieu

Main takeaway: 

Sara was very charismatic in her delivery for this online workshop. She has a very accessible way of talking about the topic, she does not use overly academic wording and from my observation I noticed students questions never focused on explaining wording. Questions were mainly practical.

In my experience, it is not often that I see teachers be as animated and energetic in an online space as they are in person, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

There was a lot of idea generation tasks in the workshop, but it seemed hard for the students to engage with their assigned groups over teams. So in my feedback I suggested taking some tasks out and task students with preparing them before starting the session. This way there will be more for the groups to share what they have generated and make more time for the other tasks.

In order to better support the different student groups I also suggested making use of breakout spaces so that they could talk more freely without other students observing them. I recommended that breakout rooms would always need 15-20 minutes as it takes a while for students to land in the separate space.

(Example of a reference presented to the group)

I was very impressed by the selection of references Sara provides for the students. Unlike my initial workshop slides she makes great use of visual examples in order to theme background for the slides and present clear examples of everything that she talks about to the group.

(Opening slide for the workshop)

For my teaching review I did not have the opportunity to be observed in person. So instead i submitted a workshop plan with the main focus being to push myself to better support students struggling language barriers and to make the theory presented as accessible as possible.

LINK to Feedback from my tutor Linda

LINK to Feedback from Sara Massieu

LINK to workshop slides that have been edited based on my feedback

Reviewing the feedback is was given, here are my main takeaways:

• Based on suggestions from Linda, I have added animated gifs, using imagery from old video games. Maintaining the same sense of silly in my visual presentation as I have in my work and when talking to students. I still need to find or create imagery of people making a Video Game Zine. 

Example of a new gif used in the presentation (Mario 64, 1996)

• Based on Anna Anthropy’s writing. I will develop a short manifesto about Video Game Zines. This will be shared with students before the workshop (A, Anthropy. 2012). This will help students to better understand the political context of video game zines and how they can be used to challenge traditional notions of game design. 

• I have added space for students to share their own examples of Video Game zines. This will make the opening part of the workshop more interactive for participants.

• To improve accessibility, I will translate the email instruction into a short video, using closed captions. This will help support students who process spoken words better than written and it will also introduce students to me in case this will be their first interaction with me as a teacher. 

• I have changed the fonts in order to make it easier to read and more accessible to students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. This should be cohesive on all learning materials whether on screens or printed.  

• To improve student engagement, I will design the student handouts into a paper zine that can be handed out to students on the day or sent via email. This should be applied to every workshop so that the handouts fit the theme of the workshop. 

• I will make use of the references Sara provided about how to best teach students about sensitive topics. This way I can comfortably lean into the queer and political context of videogame zines further. This will support LGBTQIA+ students to feel seen in the classroom, and for other students to learn more about queer identities. (See Sara’s Feedback form foor full list of references)

Another GIF used in the presentation. (Hartflip0218. 2018)

Bibliography:

Anthropy, A. (2012) Rise Of The Videogame Zinesters. 1^st edn. New York: Seven Stories Press. 

Mario 64. (1996). Nintendo 64 [Game]. Tokyo, Japan: Nintendo.  

Hartflip0218. (2018) Mario eats super mushroom!! (GIF), unknown.