Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is a very personal experience for me because of the passion I have in sharing the experience of learning with others. My love of the theatre began when I first witnessed its unique ability to illuminate the human condition and strengthen community; to breakdown the barriers that separate us and open up the possibilities of the imagination. The opportunity to nurture this love of the theatre and of learning in students is the main reason I chose to pursue a faculty position at a university. I have come to understand that educating, motivating, and nurturing a student’s critical thinking and artistic agency is my greatest talent. Providing students with a learning atmosphere where trust encourages risk-taking and celebrates the honest exchange of ideas is my most important task as an educator.
I believe many of the theatre classes taught within a solid liberal arts foundation increase a student’s expressive abilities, their self-confidence, and provide them with a life-long appreciation and love of the theatre arts. When working with students who have varying degrees of interest and ability in an acting class, I seek to understand their learning styles, personality, diversity, and career goals. By gaining this degree of individual understanding, I strive for a high level of energetic interaction with my students in order to increase their confidence, motivate their capabilities, and showcase their talents. I measure a student’s success subjectively where their individual attitude, aptitude, and growth are key components. My teaching style is geared to the individual student and my primary responsibility is to ask probing questions and give them assignments that help them reawaken their imaginations.
It is my belief that the theatre is perfect melding of the liberal arts. Students studying the theatre arts in the studio, classroom, and rehearsal hall must understand the historical context and often the social, economic, and political forces at work in the culture or period in which the production is set. They must develop an intense curiosity of the human psychology and how it informs our individual world-view. They must nurture their empathy as they attempt to understand individuals, cultures and time periods that are very different from their own. Finally, they must be able to broaden their imagination and creative intelligence to bring their artistic endeavors to life in a monologue, scene, or production.
Instilling a love and appreciation of live theatre is most effectively done by direct participation with the creative process. By choosing class assignments and projects that allow the students to understand foundational concepts and comprehend the relevance and vitality of theatre they gain invaluable experience in group dynamics, team building, and cooperative learning. For me, nothing is more exciting than guiding students as they generate and produce theatre that speaks with their voice—that illuminates their own lives.
Understanding the business of “the business” is critical to a student’s success. Offering courses in professional development, where students can explore opportunities from advanced degree training, internships, audition techniques, and resume and headshots, is an area where my knowledge and experience as a professional actor and director will give them greater insight and provide them with the resources they may need in order to succeed. I also encourage students to participate in professional organizations outside the classroom in order to increase their professional networks. I am always interested in starting, facilitating, or advising student-led performance initiatives.
As an educator, improving teaching skills and being on top of innovations in the theatre are the keys to life-long learning. In this spirit, gathering and reviewing regular feedback from students helps me to continually improve my teaching abilities. I devote considerable effort to my students and seek to provide them with high quality educational experiences and ample opportunities for career growth.
Ultimately my goal is to foster students who have a broad knowledge base in theatre and the world around them by encouraging them to develop their artistic agency and unique point-of-view. They must develop an appreciation of: critical thinking that values risk; a collaborative spirit that honors dissent and clarity of storytelling; and, the power of cross discipline exploration and experimentation.
Teaching is a very personal experience for me because of the passion I have in sharing the experience of learning with others. My love of the theatre began when I first witnessed its unique ability to illuminate the human condition and strengthen community; to breakdown the barriers that separate us and open up the possibilities of the imagination. The opportunity to nurture this love of the theatre and of learning in students is the main reason I chose to pursue a faculty position at a university. I have come to understand that educating, motivating, and nurturing a student’s critical thinking and artistic agency is my greatest talent. Providing students with a learning atmosphere where trust encourages risk-taking and celebrates the honest exchange of ideas is my most important task as an educator.
I believe many of the theatre classes taught within a solid liberal arts foundation increase a student’s expressive abilities, their self-confidence, and provide them with a life-long appreciation and love of the theatre arts. When working with students who have varying degrees of interest and ability in an acting class, I seek to understand their learning styles, personality, diversity, and career goals. By gaining this degree of individual understanding, I strive for a high level of energetic interaction with my students in order to increase their confidence, motivate their capabilities, and showcase their talents. I measure a student’s success subjectively where their individual attitude, aptitude, and growth are key components. My teaching style is geared to the individual student and my primary responsibility is to ask probing questions and give them assignments that help them reawaken their imaginations.
It is my belief that the theatre is perfect melding of the liberal arts. Students studying the theatre arts in the studio, classroom, and rehearsal hall must understand the historical context and often the social, economic, and political forces at work in the culture or period in which the production is set. They must develop an intense curiosity of the human psychology and how it informs our individual world-view. They must nurture their empathy as they attempt to understand individuals, cultures and time periods that are very different from their own. Finally, they must be able to broaden their imagination and creative intelligence to bring their artistic endeavors to life in a monologue, scene, or production.
Instilling a love and appreciation of live theatre is most effectively done by direct participation with the creative process. By choosing class assignments and projects that allow the students to understand foundational concepts and comprehend the relevance and vitality of theatre they gain invaluable experience in group dynamics, team building, and cooperative learning. For me, nothing is more exciting than guiding students as they generate and produce theatre that speaks with their voice—that illuminates their own lives.
Understanding the business of “the business” is critical to a student’s success. Offering courses in professional development, where students can explore opportunities from advanced degree training, internships, audition techniques, and resume and headshots, is an area where my knowledge and experience as a professional actor and director will give them greater insight and provide them with the resources they may need in order to succeed. I also encourage students to participate in professional organizations outside the classroom in order to increase their professional networks. I am always interested in starting, facilitating, or advising student-led performance initiatives.
As an educator, improving teaching skills and being on top of innovations in the theatre are the keys to life-long learning. In this spirit, gathering and reviewing regular feedback from students helps me to continually improve my teaching abilities. I devote considerable effort to my students and seek to provide them with high quality educational experiences and ample opportunities for career growth.
Ultimately my goal is to foster students who have a broad knowledge base in theatre and the world around them by encouraging them to develop their artistic agency and unique point-of-view. They must develop an appreciation of: critical thinking that values risk; a collaborative spirit that honors dissent and clarity of storytelling; and, the power of cross discipline exploration and experimentation.