This portfolio is a brief introduction to my teaching philosophy and highlights some memorable lesson plans from across my teaching career.

1. adnanlotiaTEACHING PORTFOLIO

2. adnan lotia te aching portfolio
adnanlotia 220 Covert Street #1 Brooklyn NY 11207
347-935-0195 | adnan@adnanistan.com | adnanistan.com
education
M.S. Art + Design Education Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY | 2012
Graduate Graphic Design Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA | 2006
Graphic Design Harvard University, Cambridge, MA | 2003
B.S. Studio Art New York University School of Education, New York, NY | 2001
Liberal Arts Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY | 1999
teachingexperience
Illustration Teacher Homeschoolers Network, New York, NY | 2013–2014
Taught narrative illustration to middle and high school students. Developed lesson plans
incoporating drawing, illustration and design concepts.
Robotics Teacher Vision Education + Media, New York, NY | 2012–2014
Taught Lego robotics to elementary and middle school students in an afterschool setting.
Implemented lesson plans incoporating technology, construction and coding concepts.
Claymation Teacher Saturday Art School, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY | 2011–2013
Taught claymation to elementary school students. Developed lesson plans incorporating
sculpture, photography, and principles of art and design with varied materials.
Student Teacher High School of Art and Design, New York, NY | 2012
Taught graphic design and illustration classes to high school students. Developed lesson
plans incorporating graphic design, visual culture, and creative problem-solving.
Art + Design Teacher Teaching in Galleries, Pratt Institute, New York, NY | 2011
Taught art and design to high school students in galleries and museums around New York City. Developed a
curriculum incorporating art and design concepts, based on portraiture.
Head of Art Department The CAS School, Karachi, Pakistan | 2007–2010
Taught art and design to middle school students. Developed art and design curricula incorporating advanced
drawing, problem solving and research-based design. Designed school publications, prospectus and website.
Design Teacher Southshore School for A-Level Studies, Karachi, Pakistan | 2008–2010
Taught design to high school students. Developed design curriculum incorporating graphic design, technology
and principles of design. Designed school publications and prospectus.
Program Coordinator SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls School, Karachi, Pakistan | 2009
Taught art to middle school students. Developed art curriculum incorporating critical thinking, direct
observation and imaginative exercises.
Art History Teacher Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, Karachi, Pakistan | 2001–2002
Taught art history to undergraduate students. Designed a class website to facilitate coursework and
understanding. Restructured the institution’s liberal arts curriculum and grading policy.
Art Teacher Karachi American School, Karachi, Pakistan | 2001
Taught art to elementary, middle and high school students. Introduced students of all levels to techniques and
materials. Worked with Advanced Placement students on portfolio creation.
rèsumè

3. adnan lotia te aching portfolio
myteachingphilosophyconsistsoftwocoregoals:
cultivatingcreativity+fosteringindependence
Iachievethesegoalsusingacombinationofclassroom
strategies,strengthenedbyscaffolding,VTStechniques
andinnovativelessonplanning
content>context>concept
My teaching practice is based on providing relevant contexts for new concepts. While many artist-teachers introduce new
materials and techniques in isolation, I contextualize the tools of contemporary art and design using narratives from history or
examples from modern life. I relate material usage to concept development­—so that in addition to learning new skills, students
understand how to apply them clearly and expressively.
art+design=society
I believe that education is synonymous with responsible citizenship. In my classroom, I model tolerance, multiculturalism, and social
awareness in an attempt to promote strong ethical values. My lesson plans are designed to broaden student perspectives on the
issues that confront the world today and the challenges that it will face in the future.
visualculture>culturalvision
An important part of my teaching approach is understanding the student population with whom I am working. I continue to expand
on my own interests that overlap with student culture in areas such as film, technology, comics, and gaming. I strive to incorporate
these resources into my lessons, both to engage students in the content, as well as to demonstrate its relevance to their lives.
teaching philosophy

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teamdioramas ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLAYMATION
battlebots ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROBOTICS
groupportraitwithbodycasting HIGH SCHOOL PORTRAITURE
comicbookinking HIGH SCHOOL ILLUSTRATION
lessonplans2010–2014
lesson plans

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teamdioramas
Ages 5–8 years
Saturday Art School, Pratt Institute
Heavy paper, watercolor pencils, figurines, cameras
Art / Design / Technology
Students were shown examples of museum dioramas. After a discussion on figure and ground, they were paired up and asked to select a few
figurines from a huge box of toys. In teams, they decided on a background for their dioramas and then painted two sheets of paper for the
background and the base. The students then arranged their figurines within the dioramas and photographed them from several different angles.
Looking at visual resources Experimenting with watercolor pencils
Creating background and ground in teams Photographing the dioramas
theprocess
lesson plans te am dior amas

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Building and customizing a Battlebot Strengthening the robot with shielding
battlebots
Age 7–10 years
Afterschool Robotics, Packer Collegiate Institute
Lego EV3 kits, laptops, arena
Design / Technology
Students considered how a robot could be designed with both defensive and offensive capabilities. In small groups, they created robots with
shielding and added attachments for attacking other Battlebots. They programmed their robots to operate in an arena with defined penalty zones
and “safe” bases. They then held a tournament to test their robots against each other, continuously improving their performance.
Devising a strategy and programming Testing and battling other robots in the arena
theprocess
lesson plans bat tlebots

8. adnan lotia te aching portfolio lesson plans bat tlebots

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Casting a classmate’s body part Collaborating on constructing the final piece
Demonstrating the casting technique Casting a body part
groupportraitwithbodycasting
Age 14–17 years
Teaching in Galleries, Chelsea High School
Packing tape
Art / Sculpture
Students were shown visual references of artists who use body casting in their work, including Kiki Smith, Marc Quinn and Antony Gormley.
After observing a demonstration of how to cast their own body parts using packing tape, each student then cast a few body parts. The class
was then challenged to combine the parts together to form a cohesive whole. The finished piece thus represented all of the students and
served as a group portrait.
theprocess
lesson plans group portr ait with body casting

10. adnan lotia te aching portfolio lesson plans group portr ait with body casting

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comicbookinking
Age 14–17 years
Narrative Illustration, Homeschoolers Network
Paper, pencils, double-sided Sharpies, ink brush pens
Art / Design
After a demonstration on material usage, students began converting their pencil drawings into inked illustrations. Using multiple techniques,
including cross-hatching, line variation and solid colors, students explored the medium and arrived at a personal style which suited their
drawings. They then applied their inking style to their entire comic, with emphasis on consistency and clarity, before erasing their pencil lines.
Combining techniques to form a personal style Applying consistent inking to the entire comic
Drawing the comic in pencil Exploring different inking techniques
theprocess
lesson plans comic book ink ing

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“theeducatorwithademocraticvisionorposturecannotavoid
inhisteachingpraxisinsistingonthecriticalcapacity,curiosity,
andautonomyofthelearner.” -paulo freire, pedagogy of freedom