As I continue to work and to learn in the field of education, I find that my definition for teaching is a bit different than the definition others may use. I see teaching as an art form. Art is defined as ‘having more than ordinary significance'. For me teaching has the power to have more than ordinary significance when we focus on contributing to a student's confidence and building a positive community.

 

Education does not exist for the sole purpose of producing high academic statistics. For me it plays a larger role in contributing to the development of a well-rounded human being. My ultimate goal is that students will succeed outside the classroom because they have grown in confidence inside my class room.

 

There are several different ways in which a person learns. As a teacher, I equally care about how the student is learning, why the student is learning, and what the student is learning. 

 

Theatre is just one of the many artistic vessels that lets students develop themselves. It grants us the freedom to exercise those tools of expression, creativity, and critical thinking within us. Once those tools have been used, students can draw back on the experience to then use them again for a new application. Through story-telling , emotional connection, musical influence, and movement students retain and recall in a highly affective way.

 

I teach because it is the way I know how to contribute to change in the world. I teach theatre because telling interesting stories about others and ourselves is something the world needs more of. Directing students and an audience to engage with material through spectacle, style, and design can promote change; change of perspective, change of thought, and change of heart. All of this makes a difference in the world on the very basic level of compassion. 

 

I actively get to know students' cultural and family backgrounds, and in turn I hope they get to know me. This familiarity establishes a level of understanding and a sense of trust, which can then grow confidence for all - including myself!

 

The best teachers I had growing up were the ones who taught me to try and to do. They allowed me to attempt new things. They let me figure out how to navigate what I was going to do about my mistakes and failures. I promise to be the kind of educator that allows her students to try, to fail, and to do again - all in the pursuit of success.