Megan Pendleton's journey with TASIS began in 2007 as a university student working at the Château des Enfants summer program, later directing the inaugural Minnows program at Focolare in 2008. After gaining extensive international teaching experience in Vermont, Seoul, Moscow, and Istanbul, she returned to Montagnola in 2024 as a High School Art Teacher. Pendleton currently teaches IB Art History, IB Visual Arts I and II, and Drawing & Painting while also participating in the Global Service Program as a chaperone for the Moldova trip. Her teaching philosophy centers on creating a trusting environment where students feel safe to explore creativity through calculated risk-taking and self-expression. Pendleton emphasizes that motivated students become self-directed learners, making her classroom a space for discovery and positive energy where students can develop artwork they genuinely value. She finds TASIS unique not only for its stunning surroundings but for its special community of learners and educators who embrace cultural arts and adventure, reflecting founder Mrs. Fleming's educational vision.
Pendleton particularly values how TASIS enables experiential learning through academic travel, recently taking IB Visual Arts students to Basel for museum visits, Rhine painting sessions, and workshops at the International School of Basel. She plans further artistic excursions to Museo Hermann Hesse and Venice for canal-side painting. The 2025 Spring Arts Festival stands as her proudest achievement, where students curated and exhibited work across all grade levels, demonstrating the visual arts department's collective strength. Pendleton enjoys teaching each course uniquely—Drawing & Painting for introducing artistic capabilities, IB Art History for developing visual vocabulary, and IB Visual Arts for portfolio development that enhances future communication skills. She hopes to establish an Artist-in-Residence program where visiting artists would work alongside students and present community exhibitions. Pendleton aims for students to remember her classes as both 艰巨的 and fruitful, helping them discover intrinsic creative gifts they can share with the world through visual communication and artistic expression.
