My Teaching Philosophy

The purpose of education is to satisfy the curiosities of individuals who show interest in furthering their knowledge and enhance skills that are beneficial in achieving their goals. I choose to teach and work in theatre because for me this field is a healthy mix of many of my interests and it gives me freedom to work in various environments. This allows me to connect with students that have interests outside of a strict theatre setting and work with students from many different backgrounds.

In my experience, students learn best by being engaged and treated as equals in a classroom setting. A strict, lecture-only class does not work for students that make connections better when interacting with others, whether it be intellectually or with hands-on activities. I believe students are more willing to participate and open to sharing their thoughts when boundaries previously set in the classroom allow and expect them to make their own decisions, as well as feel like they are in a safe and respected working environment.

My goals when teaching are to accommodate as many students’ learning styles as possible and covey the information as clearly and informatively as able. I have found that some of the most effective methods for teaching are using the technology and interests prevalent in the current time as tools and engaging in topics where students will make better connections between their knowledge and classroom lessons. This helps students in multiple ways to prepare to convey information from lessons depending on how the original material is received by the students in the classroom. I know this because I personally had difficulty learning in classes where the lessons were given in one style and did not account for or accommodate individuals that learned more efficiently in another style of teaching. My experiences have helped me when teaching students of my own in helping to recognize when my initial way of teaching a lesson doesn’t connect with the students the way that I had intended so I can pivot to another way of conveying the information.

The most important aspects of my teaching are acknowledging each student as their own individual, establishing and growing relationships with each student, and open to being in the position of a student as well as a teacher. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for students. Each are their own person that come from different backgrounds and interests. I must allow myself to be taught by my students as open as they are to learning, for there to be a mutual relationship of growth and respect between students and their teachers in order to have a healthy and safe learning environment.