Statement of

Teaching Philosopy

 ​“What we know matters, but who we are matters more.” – Brené Brown

As a theatre educator I spend much of my time teaching students about character. Often this looks like how to get into the minds of a character in a play and how to bring that character to life on stage. The real power of theatre comes in how we can take the tools we use to understand a character and apply them to daily life. I begin each school year with a conversation on Core Values and how we can live our core values, as opposed to, reciting them. In doing this I am building a vocabulary for my students to be able to talk about vulnerability, emotions, and integrity. 

In reflecting on my teaching practice I have developed a teaching philosophy that nurtures empathy in my students not only through play character analysis but also through collaborative interactions. Whether I am focused on working with acting students or designers and technicians I begin with play analysis that includes historical context for the piece. This connection to history builds upon foundational information that my students have accumulated through their years in education. By scaffolding my lessons on content from their past classes students are able to enter into the rehearsal, design, or build process with confidence and as an expert, as opposed to feeling as though they are a novice. 

Assignments in play analysis also focus on what elements of ourselves we might see in the characters. To me, it is this portion of analysis that helps build empathy. The phrase asks us to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” and a theatre classroom is the perfect environment to do this. Inspired by my Brené Brown Dare to Leadⓒ training, I pushed for my classroom to be a space students feel comfortable being vulnerable. To help students continue to develop their vocabulary I incorporated teachings from Atlas of the Heart which breakdown complex emotions into easily digestible chunks. My students will develop the ability to differentiate between mad and furious, or happy and elated. I found this process produced powerful performances, compelling designs, and designers who truly understand how to set the mood for the audience. For what is mood but a visual or aural trigger for an emotional response. Empathy is then planted in the audience for the characters on stage. 

Empathy is essential to creating a culture that values diversity. Our ability to empathize with others and to listen to understand allows diversity to flourish. As an educator I have spent months in antiracist training and diversity, equity, and inclusion conferences to ensure that all students thrive in my classroom. Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are so important to me I have conducted interviews to understand the various perspectives from LGBTQIA+ educators around the world, identify what we can do to provide inclusive spaces, and implement those ideas in my classroom and community. 

My perspective on lesson planning, student engagement, and assessment has shifted since I began to implement the research of Jay Dolmage on Academic Ableism. Dolmage’s book introduced me to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which has given actionable items I can use to design accessible lessons for all students. By implementing UDL in my curriculum planning I have been able to allow students to thrive in their own ways. The information they are learning is the same but the methods in which they learn and showcase their understanding vary from student to student. This is another real world example I am setting for my students in accepting people of diverse backgrounds and abilities because at the end of the day my goal is that my students come out of my classroom better human beings. 

Statement on Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are critical to creative spaces because, without varying perspectives and viewpoints, we run low on creative input. It is our diversity that allows creativity to flow fully. A commitment to these ideas is important first and foremost because representation matters. If young people do not see themselves represented in a powerful, affirming way, it can impact their ability to achieve their highest potential. As an educator, it is my goal to ensure that each child sees themselves represented in the art we discuss, view, and perform. 

When these values are upheld, and put into action, it fosters environments that survive and thrive. In my experiences, when I work in environments that promote these ideals, the workplace is happier, and more creative, and the work we are doing is much more exciting because we all get to learn about other people’s perspectives and incorporate that into one community project, a theatrical production. With this in mind, I have committed to extensive work in Accessibility, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I hold these as my core values.

 

• Working in and creating accessible spaces.
•  Researching, utilizing, and celebrating material from diverse points of view and experiences.
• Affirming the identities of all people I work with. 
• Fueling creativity with many and varying perspectives.
  
• ​Rallying to advocate for legislation that promotes accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Seeing everyone for who they are and allowing them the space to become who they want to be.
• ​Working to dismantle systemic racism.

These values have grown in me since childhood. For as long as I can remember, I have advocated for everyone.  As an educator, I have spent months in antiracist training and diversity, equity, and inclusion conferences to ensure all students thrive in my classroom. Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are so important to me that I have conducted interviews to understand the various perspectives from LGBTQIA+ educators around the world, identify what we can do to provide inclusive spaces and implement those ideas in my classroom and community. I have launched a podcast, Teaching While Queer, which focuses on telling the stores of queer educators and administrators. These stories have allowed me to compile several responses to the question, “How do we move the needle toward inclusivity?” That research is used not only in my own classroom but in presentations given at Texas Educational Conferences and the PrideWorks for Youth convention.
 My perspective on lesson planning, student engagement, and assessment has shifted since I began to implement the research of Jay Dolmage on Academic Ableism. Dolmage’s book introduced me to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which has given actionable items I can use to design accessible lessons for all students. By implementing UDL in my curriculum planning, I have allowed students to thrive in their own ways. By understanding ableism and how it impacts not just my classroom but the entirety of academia, I have been able to help deconstruct ableism in my classroom and provide equitable access for students with disabilities. I take this information and share it with educators at the Texas Thespians Educators Conference, Texas Educational Theatre Association Conferences, and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education conference. Teachers are inundated with students who have varying needs, and often, teachers do not have the time they’d like to commit to accessible planning. My goal is to be a resource for teachers, not only theatre teachers but all teachers so that providing equitable access to content can become a standard.
 As I move forward, I plan to continue my own education in methods to create inclusive and accessible environments, sit back and listen to varying perspectives, and amplify the voices of those who are being oppressed.