Teaching Philosophy
When you enter this space, we are co-creators, co-learners, collaborators; a community.
There is space here to question, to dig deep and to make mistakes.
There is room here to play and to process.
We meet each other where we are while looking forward to where we want to be.
As humans, artists and students, we are always in the process of something-of doing, being, learning. I’ve determined through the years the process is often worth more than the product. We
learn through exploration and discovery. Our mistakes can often teach us more than our successes.
Both are to be celebrated.
The beautiful thing about the classroom is that it brings us together from different places in our own
processes.
The learning environments I create allow for a sense of discovery designed to challenge
students where they are while allowing room to grow.
As an educator, I’m teaching students where
they are in any given moment. I’m tailoring lessons to their ability and to the abilities that I see in
them. But I’m also teaching the people they will be long after they have left the spaces we shared.
With this knowledge, comes a great sense of responsibility. I believe that it is my greatest gift to give
theatre away to the next generation.
Working with students reminds me why we do what we do in the field. I bring with me to the c
lassroom a wealth of theatrical knowledge ranging from design and technical theatre to creative
drama and theatre history. My background in the K-12 educational system gives me a unique
perspective on education of all levels, curriculum planning and assessment. I aspire to teach
students as a whole; not just design or theatre but also to recognize who they are, how they learn
and how they collaborate with others.
I believe every student can learn and flourish—my role as an
educator is to create environments that nurture learning in a variety of ways.
I design curriculum geared towards the 21st century learner with an awareness of diversity, industry
standards and technology. One of the things I love most about teaching theatre is the real-world
application of so many of our tools and techniques. Through exploration of design thinking, students
learn to approach each project with an open mind, to think creatively, strategize and problem solve.
I
am also a big proponent of reflection -always asking students what went well? What were some
areas of challenge? What would you do differently next time?
By taking time to look backwards, we
connect the lessons we learn, and we can apply our knowledge to what comes next.
When you enter this space, we are co-creators, co-learners, collaborators; a community.
There is space here to question, to dig deep and to make mistakes.
There is room here to play and to process.
We meet each other where we are while looking forward to where we want to be.