After getting my Master’s in the US, working as a Senior Designer for over 15 years in different countries (NYC, Barcelona, Vietnam, Cambodia and China), having my work recognised by the most renowned international shows (the New York Festival, Art Director’s Club, Cannes Festival and published in international books and magazines), I decided to get a teaching licence to move into international education, a decade ago. It was a heartfelt and political move to contribute to the world with what I knew how to do best: coming up of ideas and make them happen, and teaching Design in the MYP has proved to be an excellent platform to achieve it. Joy is at the center of my educational philosophy. I design my lessons with the student interests in mind by providing safe spaces for them to explore. I believe that the teacher should be a guide to support the process, challenge the students and contribute to their emotional wellbeing, especially under the current circumstances.
I have also taught Spanish Literature and Spanish Language Acquisition in the IBMYP and IBDP and my Master Thesis was about the relationship of Literature and the Arts, since I approach Design from an artistic perspective. For me, MYP Design is not only skill based, but a quest for discovery, as it often happens in the Arts. Since I come from working in the field, I am able to balance the practical knowledge with the need for exploration and imagination, since it is the only path to innovation and discovery. I can teach both digital and product design, and I have experience running units in a variety of fields: graphic, architecture, electronics, robotics, woodwork and film. But the focus of my teaching is on the process, on the thinking, on the coming up with ideas and understanding why we do things and more I importantly: does the world need these things?
I strive to educate Designers that understand the world they live in, and that are aware of the social and environmental impact of their creations. I am also committed to encouraging girls to follow career paths in the STEAM subjects. I adapt the units to learn from the host country, since I think the relevance and proximity of the projects are key to student engagement. I left my hometown, Barcelona, 21 years ago and I have been travelling extensively and living in different countries since: learning about their cultures, their differences and their languages. I can fluently communicate in five: English, Spanish, Catalan, French and Chinese, but I have tried to learn many more, since I strongly believe languages are doors to truly understand cultural diversity.
I have experience leading groups, no matter if they are professional designers, creative teams, teachers or students. I am also an eager reader and I have been recently engaged with the work on Peter Gray on the freedom to learn, or Arno Stern on how to create spaces that allow for creativity. I am also interested in classroom layout and interior design. However, the work of Ken Robinson stating the need for creativity in our school system is probably the reason why I got into teaching.