Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy comes down to 5 values:

1. This classroom runs on respect & kindness.

2. The ultimate goal is becoming a better human being.

3. Theatre is where stories are told. They are to be told with authenticity.

4. Consent Matters. Period.

5. This classroom strives to be a safe place for all.

Students have a right to be able to learn in a safe classroom regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, economic status, and culture. I strive to not only be inclusive as a teacher but to create a classroom culture where students are inclusive and empathetic to their classmates. Where they take responsibility. I understand that students all have different learning styles which is why it is important to me to incorporate differentiated learning and instructions in my lesson plans. In terms of my value #4, the reason why I put it down is that the theatre community deals with physical touch and emotional connections between characters. In a time where sexual harassment and assault are so present in teenagers' lives, ensuring a safe environment using Intimacy Choreography and teaching consent early to students will help them in their lives after high school.

I believe theatre should tell stories with authenticity. If I do not have the demographic for the show, I will not do the show as a production. I would like, however, to still educate students on the themes of the shows that tell the stories of people of different races, cultures, socioeconomic status, etc.

I also run my classroom with an understanding of the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) theory. I will react to students' emotional responses by teaching them healthy coping mechanisms first. They will be taking responsibility for their emotions. I will use sending them to administration as a last resort. I will also be more accommodating and recognize that students have different ways of reaching expectations. I recognize that students who have multiple ACEs (for example, homelessness, parents are divorced, have experienced sexual violence, etc.) they will have a harder time concentrating in school and are more likely to traumatically respond.

Being a neurodiverse teacher, I incorporate self-regulation strategies in my classroom. I want to teach them not only learning in theatre but also social-emotional learning of coping strategies. This also means strategies to avoid burnout emotionally and mentally in myself, my students, and parent volunteers during productions.

Collaboration is a huge principle in my classroom. It teaches respecting others during the creative process. Students collaborate with each other and the director and I, myself, collaborate with them and other teachers.