My name is Gem Smith, and I am an Academic Support Lecturer at the London College of Communications. I am assigned to support the Design School. I also provide one to one tutorials and open access workshops across all courses. I hope to develop my teaching practice and gain further knowledge as an educator.
I have worked within education for over fifteen years, working in various roles. I have worked within Further and Higher Education. Reflecting on my own journey within education has enabled me to embrace the development of transition. With my experience working in FE and transitioning to HE I can emphasise with students and the leap from one institution to another. This has enabled me to have a deep interest in this area.
I am intrigued about the impact of movement from one educational stage to another and how this can be empowering but also daunting at the same time for our students. Supporting students through stages of transition and encouraging them to be independent and confident learners is a role that I appreciate.
I have an eclectic design background from fashion, art and design to interiors. I love the way design can be translated into different areas of creativity. Creativity has no boundaries. In my creative endeavors I am heavily influenced by texture and the 3 D form.
Combining teaching with my love for design is a combination of skills and experiences that I am privileged to indulge in. I am looking forward to learning and developing new dimensions to my teaching journey.
Fig 1 -3: Examples of my practice. (Smith,