Record of Observation or Review of Teaching Practice
Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Peckham Levels, Unit 9 Festival – Graphic Design Yr3
Size of student group: 20
Observer: Lily Ash Sakula
Observee: Ana Teles
Part One
What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
Unit 9 Festival – Graphic Design Yr3. I’m not one of their tutors, but I’ll be supporting students with their work and events. The studios will host workshops, an exhibition, and presentations simultaneously.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
This is my first time working with the entire BA Graphic Design Year 3 cohort. I already know some students from their previous exhibitions and events at Peckham Levels.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
Students will be expected to present work and exchange ideas with peers; lead workshops to gain professional-relevant skills; practise articulating and communicating design concepts; learn to display work professionally in an exhibition setting.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
There’s a workshop at 11:10 on Crafting Chinese New Year Traditions and another at 12:20 on Create n Share, with outputs produced during these sessions. Presentations will also be happening simultaneously. As the space is open to the public and all CCW students, other activities may take place as well.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
There are no specific areas of concern, but I’m not sure how well students have prepared for these activities or how familiar they are with the space. My role will be to support them in making the most of this time and environment.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
I will let them know orally on the day.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
How will feedback be exchanged?
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Ana takes time to make Peckham levels space warm and inviting to students, welcoming everyone who enters and keeping biscuits, tea and coffee topped up.
Ana offers a wide range of expert technical and practical support to students while I am there: including obtaining a step ladder, offering advice on how to hang a display, and talking a student through how to write a risk assessment. She has a lovely way of being supportive of student enterprise while not assuming knowledge.
Ana also acts as a connector, constantly offering students ways to extend their practice. For example, she tells students who are running a workshop to apply for a workshop festival that is being run at Peckham levels next month. Her wide knowledge of the people, space and schedule allows her to constantly be making connections between students, spaces and events.
In a meeting with a student, Ana is very encouraging – she compliments student on how her proposal for an exhibition is “well written and designed”. She offers multiple ways for the student to promote the show and including an offer to format the info for the Peckham levels website.
She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the available equipment and offers student different options for sound and hanging technologies and tools.
Ana makes herself available to help in professional and boundaried ways to the students she works with, including giving her working hours and phone number so they always know how to reach her.
Part Three
Observee to reflect on the observer’s comments and describe how they will act on the feedback exchanged:
It reassures me that my efforts to create a welcoming and supportive environment at Peckham Levels are making a difference. Offering refreshments and biscuits, which I initially hesitated to purchase to save budget for larger equipment, has proven to help students feel more comfortable and welcomed. I’ve realised how important it is for students to feel encouraged from the moment they arrive.
I had not previously considered myself a “connector”, but upon reflection, I realise that I have been playing that role by offering advice on expanding students’ practices and showing them the opportunities available within the space and the community at Peckham Levels. Moving forward, I will be more intentional in this aspect, and actively encourage students to explore further opportunities. One of the key advantages of this space is its openness to the public, where students can build their own “community of practice” (Lave & Wenger, 2002). This is important because facilitating a sense of connection with the broader artistic and professional community not only enables students’ learning but also prepares them for real-world collaboration and networking. To improve this, I could create more structured networking or collaboration events that actively connect students with external opportunities or facilitate interactions among them. This could also be incorporated into my student support through offering more tailored guidance on building networks, connecting students with relevant industry professionals, and facilitating collaborative projects within and outside of the Peckham Levels community.
Wenger, E., McDermott, R. and Snyder, W., (2002) Cultivating communities of practice: a guide to managing knowledge. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.