Teaching is Leading; Leading is Teaching
As an instructor at City Tech, a university career-driven program, I am honored to lead students to their desires: a deeply satisfying professional life doing something genuine to them. I bring my strongest quality: the ability to inspire.
When I was appointed to assistant processor in 2010, we were on the cusp of instant communication. None of us could anticipate its speed and influence. Manufactured communication was no more; I clearly saw the power of digital products and encouraged students to embrace them and design for them, never looking back. I told them to design for the digital realm and that making mistakes is okay–that’s why they’re in school, keep going.
Often, being a college student in an art program is intimidating. I believe that the key to innovative outcomes is to teach students to internalize their journey through their work. I came to City Tech from an eclectic creative life, first as a designer, later, as an artist with international exhibitions and after, a creative project manager. My artwork evolved to multimedia installation, uniting art and technology disciplines to create experiential environments. As an educator, I continued on this trajectory, teaching by sharing knowledge, teaching by showing students how to make discoveries, teaching by leading them to ownership and confidence–so they approach their work with dedication, and feel like they’re doing something great that will make a difference.
The quest for great design is still identified by what resonates with the end user–-what serves, what educates, and what entertains. Inspiring students for a creative life is what I believe I owe my students, because that’s what was given to me. I’ve modeled all my courses the way I was taught: discovery through exploration; journey leading to delight; trust in one’s inner creator to realize ideas, no matter the medium.
Life events and their aftermath reshapes their discourse in multi-layered contexts. My students live in environments directly affected by these events, and are poised to express themselves in those contexts. I believe it is my responsibility to inspire them and lead them to what informs their decisions.
We blast through barriers on a daily basis. The classes I teach are filled with projects, resulting in many aha! moments. My mission is to bring exploration to an arena of possibility for my students to absorb, transform, and own. I aim to develop discernment while maintaining vulnerability. I want to share my experiences with knowledge and reference, so my students can devote themselves to the creative life they long to live.
Anita Giraldo, Brooklyn, NY, 2024
