Meaning in Practice
My pathway into teaching grows from understanding how images and texts shape the world we live in, and how they shape us as we move through it. Working with visual and material processes creates a steady cycle of trying, noticing and adjusting that keeps learning active, even when the next step is unclear.
This process offers both direction and composure. Pauses and mistakes are not disruptions but places where attention settles and new ideas form.
I use a set of lenses to examine how meaning emerges in visual and material work. They guide my own way of looking, experimenting and reflecting, and offer ways students might encounter the same kind of learning in the classroom.
Making Lenses
Research by Making
Iteration
Action & Reflection
Participation
Material Thinking
Documentation
The Riddle
Making Public
The Circle of Doing Research
Making shows that knowledge grows in action. By experimenting with materials, ideas take shape in their hands as much as in their minds. For me As a teacher-in-training, each design, test or lesson is a way of thinking-through-doing — showing that making is also a way of knowing. Visuals Process photos: material trials, sketches, simple prototypes.
Students see that growth comes through revision, not perfection. By trying, failing and trying again, they notice how each version brings new insight. For me: Each lesson I design and deliver is a prototype. I reflect, adjust and re-test. Iteration shapes not only student learning but also my professional growth. Visuals: multiple versions side by side (sketch → mock-up → final piece).
Students experience that doing and thinking belong together. By pausing to ask “What worked? Why? What next?”, they see how reflection strengthens action. For me: I plan, act, observe and reflect in cycles. This rhythm turns teaching into a reflective practice, where uncertainty is part of learning. Visuals: student reflection notes, teacher lesson reflections, feedback sheets.
Students see that ideas expand through dialogue. By collaborating, they notice that learning is a shared process. For me: I grow through participation with students, mentors and colleagues. Teaching is never isolated — it is co-created in the classroom community. Visuals: group work photos, classroom discussions, collaborative setups.
Students see that materials “talk back”. Fabrics, tools and digital media push their ideas in unexpected directions. For me: As a textiles specialist, I embody material thinking in my teaching. By exploring cloth, texture and form, I show how materials spark both creativity and critical awareness. Visuals: close-ups of textile samples, digital tools in use, colour/texture experiments.
Students see that sketches, samples and notes are not extras but evidence of learning. By documenting, they notice their growth over time. For me: I document my lessons and reflections as a living archive. Documentation makes my progress visible as a teacher-in-training, just as it does for students. Visuals: sketchbook spreads, lesson materials, annotated whiteboards.
Students see inquiry as a structure: Question → Action → Finding → Reflection. This helps them notice patterns in their own learning. For me: I use the same riddle-structure to design and evaluate lessons. Each teaching moment becomes a cycle of questioning and discovery. Visuals: diagram of The Riddle, student projects broken into the four steps.
Students see that sharing makes learning stronger. By presenting their work, they notice that an audience can become a co-researcher. For me: This website is part of making public: I share my journey so others can respond. Publishing my process is how I grow, just as students grow when they present their work. Visuals: photos of exhibitions, classroom presentations, displays or online shares.
Students see learning as a cycle: Make → Share → Reflect → Iterate. Each round builds resilience and confidence. For me: My teaching journey follows the same circle. Every placement, lesson and reflection adds to my understanding — preparing me to guide students in their own cycles of growth. Visuals: circular diagram of the framework, timeline of teacher development.