TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I believe the purpose of education is to include all that want to learn and are passionate about learning. I believe that everyone has a right to education no matter what the students status or ability.
I want to teach in the arts because I believe there are fundamental values found in the theater that a student can apply to any aspect of their life such as work ethics, responsibility to yourself and a group, problem-solving, self-directed learning, and critical thinking. Having taught theater to underprivileged children and those on the autism spectrum, I have witnessed an increase in confidence, self-esteem and social skills built while working on theater techniques that helped them in other areas of classwork and outside of school. In my opinion, students learn best when they have an opportunity to express themselves in group discussion. While I think lectures are valuable I also believe a student's involvement in discussion with professors and peers is paramount to their learning.
My goals when teaching is to make sure everyone is comprehending the lesson and can discuss, write, and disseminate the information that has been presented. I am looking for individual fulfillment with the material and their personal growth with the subject during the semester.
Therefore I believe the most effective methods for lecture-based teaching are class discussion, and in a practical class such as acting or voice and speech, I find what is most effective for the student is the act of doing - getting up and working through the text and movement. I know this because I have seen the success this has within the classroom as well as in their work. They build communicative skills and can think and feedback objectively. Students also become more engaged when they know their opinion and feedback is valued in the classroom.
My strengths as a teacher are the ability to listen, to navigate and steer the discussion, problem solve when difficulty arises. I believe my ten years working with children with special needs has given me infinite patience and an understanding that every student learns differently than the next. I am extremely qualified to modify and adapt material so that it is accessible to every learner. I assess learning through a student’s individual progress in the class as well as their ability to demonstrate knowledge - be that oral, written, or performed in any other way.
I believe the purpose of education is to include all that want to learn and are passionate about learning. I believe that everyone has a right to education no matter what the students status or ability.
I want to teach in the arts because I believe there are fundamental values found in the theater that a student can apply to any aspect of their life such as work ethics, responsibility to yourself and a group, problem-solving, self-directed learning, and critical thinking. Having taught theater to underprivileged children and those on the autism spectrum, I have witnessed an increase in confidence, self-esteem and social skills built while working on theater techniques that helped them in other areas of classwork and outside of school. In my opinion, students learn best when they have an opportunity to express themselves in group discussion. While I think lectures are valuable I also believe a student's involvement in discussion with professors and peers is paramount to their learning.
My goals when teaching is to make sure everyone is comprehending the lesson and can discuss, write, and disseminate the information that has been presented. I am looking for individual fulfillment with the material and their personal growth with the subject during the semester.
Therefore I believe the most effective methods for lecture-based teaching are class discussion, and in a practical class such as acting or voice and speech, I find what is most effective for the student is the act of doing - getting up and working through the text and movement. I know this because I have seen the success this has within the classroom as well as in their work. They build communicative skills and can think and feedback objectively. Students also become more engaged when they know their opinion and feedback is valued in the classroom.
My strengths as a teacher are the ability to listen, to navigate and steer the discussion, problem solve when difficulty arises. I believe my ten years working with children with special needs has given me infinite patience and an understanding that every student learns differently than the next. I am extremely qualified to modify and adapt material so that it is accessible to every learner. I assess learning through a student’s individual progress in the class as well as their ability to demonstrate knowledge - be that oral, written, or performed in any other way.
