Mason Zabrucky’s Monster Island

Teaching Philosophy

“The world is scary and mysterious, so as a teacher I’ve chosen the path of turning fear into understanding through art.”

My own art-making practices reflect things humans consider scary. There is beauty in fangs and fire. Light cannot exist without darkness, and there is also order in chaos. If everyone knew how beneficial spiders were to the environment, I think people would be less afraid of them. What children deserve the most is patience and care, so they can be guided through these concepts and build their own perspective.

While being able to reach an entire class is important to get lessons across, I also value the one-on-one interactions. I think it's important to be engaged with your students' interests so you can help them create the art they want most, while also getting your lesson across. I was born in a weird generation where I actually understand the things my students like, even though they are a fraction of my age. I know what it felt like in school to put time into something I wasn’t interested in, so I’m always trying to give my students a level of personal freedom in the work we make together.

I also think it's important to acknowledge the state of your students in the teaching environment. Set examples for being open with your emotions without fear of persecution. I don’t believe that there are bad students either, you have to be flexible and empathetic. I only know everything that they’re willing to tell me, and what they need most is someone to support them especially if they don’t have one elsewhere. In my journey I will give my students a sense of purpose, and create an aura of respect and fairness in my classroom. Everyone is welcome. -Mason Zabrucky