Manuel Kaufmann

"I love using analogies and visuals in the classroom to illustrate a new technique or idea or to cement an older one. These two approaches allow me to represent an idea and engage students more profoundly. Comparisons with known entities will stimulate the learner’s thinking and enable him or her to assimilate new information more easily."

"Newer and older material is being reviewed every week after the big new concept of the week is introduced. Students have shown much higher levels of absorption when big chunks of information are being cut into smaller chunks. Showing relevance by identifying concrete short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for new content is the most effective tool to get students excited and motivated about them."

"My class resources include step-by-step directions/exercises and self-check strategies which function as do-it-yourself manuals on how to overcome writer’s block, generate ideas using easily accessible methods, plan strategically, and create and maintain drama through concepts such as forward motion, space, contrast, variation, and color."

"My personal teaching style is a hybrid of lecturing, coaching, and frequent questioning that engages students to develop skills to find answers and solutions through exploration and provokes them to dig more deeply."

"The ultimate goal is to prepare the students to function effectively at Berklee, but even more in their professional life after Berklee, turning roadblocks and limitations into creative solutions and building lifelong learning and adapting skills."