Pedagogy and Practice
My teaching practice is grounded in relational, inquiry-based learning, where photography, mindfulness, and dialogue become tools for attention, reflection, and shared understanding.
I approach education as a collaborative space — one where meaning is constructed through lived experience, curiosity, and presence rather than instruction alone.
Relational and Democratic Learning
Rooted in the democratic philosophies of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, I view education as a shared, relational practice. Teacher and student learn alongside one another, co-creating meaning through dialogue, reflection, and lived experience.
This approach supports learners in recognizing their agency — their ability to make thoughtful choices in their learning, their creative work, and the perspectives they bring into the world.
Photography as Seeing
I draw on the practice of the “decisive moment,” encouraging students to slow down and attend to gesture, light, and movement as they unfold.
Mindfulness is woven into this process — not as a separate practice, but as a way of seeing more clearly and staying present with what is changing.
Photography becomes a practice of attention: learning to observe before interpreting, and to remain open to what emerges.
Interdisciplinary Exploration
Learning unfolds through collaborative critique, project-based assignments, and experimentation rooted in students’ lived experience.
Participants are invited to use photography as a tool for inquiry — to question their environments, cultures, and identities through visual language.
This process supports both technical development and conceptual awareness, allowing students to grow their ability to see and to articulate meaning through images.
Project: We Are Inspired Therefore…
Students explore how meaning is constructed through visual language, drawing on historical and contemporary references such as René Descartes and Barbara Kruger.
Working with text, collage, and image, they develop visual statements that examine identity, messaging, and cultural framing.
My pedagogy is also shaped by lived experience. Raised in a multigenerational Italian American household, I learned early the importance of listening across perspectives, navigating relationships, and approaching difference with care and attention.
These early experiences continue to inform how I create learning environments grounded in empathy, communication, and trust.
Alongside this, an early — and unexpected — influence was the character of Mary Poppins, whose blend of imagination, structure, and care reflects my belief that rigor and creativity, discipline and joy, can coexist in meaningful learning spaces.
Across classrooms, studios, workshops, and mentorship, my work centers on cultivating environments where curiosity, attention, and reflection are supported through practice.
This approach continues to evolve through teaching, photography, and ongoing collaboration with learners and communities.
