How does one take the pulse of a teacher's craft?
There is so much to consider: his/her past, education, job history, current reading list, personal interests, etc...
How can we possibly try to capture all of this and sort it out into a measurable quantity?
Teaching is, in a way, a sort of magic process. There is science to it, and art. But because it involves fabulously complicated human beings, it cannot simply be tasted and evaluated like blueberry pie at a county fair's blue ribbon event.
In an attempt to capture the elements that combine to make Isaac Brooks teach, this small website has been constructed.
And, as in ages past, when someone tries to capture magic, it's best to apply magical tools. Though I am no student of the occult or of the dark arts, I have a passing interest in Tarot Cards. They have been used for centuries as a fortune telling device. But, they are also a fascinating medium for contemplation, meditation and the analysis of complex human experiences.
Setting aside the role of coincidence in Tarot Card reading, the symbols and values of these cards by themselves provide a sensitive, wide-ranging alphabet of description designed to capture the most subtle nuances. I hope you enjoy the visual metaphor and together we might be able to distill the essence of good teaching.
The site has three main touchstones:
1) A ten card "reading" of the forces and influences I've denoted as having an impact on my teaching.
2) A four suit "gallery" of some of the evidence of my work, categorized along four themes.
A visitor to the site can explore it in any way that's comfortable: by jumping around through various hyperlink connections, by following the "next" card in a linear fashion or by taking the quick tour offered by the nomination sheet. Enjoy the reading!