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TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

WHY I TEACH 

 

The adage “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” never rang true for me. My theatre teachers were my heroes, guiding me through imagination as a child, mentoring me as a young adult, and now standing alongside me as artistic peers. They cherished the creative freedom of academic environments, making me realize that teaching the performing arts would always be a part of my life.

 

Through formal instruction and working with master educators, I came to see teaching as a profound opportunity—not just to train the next generation of artists, but to nurture empathy, critical thinking, and humanity. At its core, art is storytelling, and how we engage with stories can shape both our individual lives and the broader collective experience.

 

HOW I TEACH

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My classroom is grounded in four pillars: Proven Pedagogy, Inclusivity & Respect, Student Generated Work, and Connection to the Industry.

 

Proven Pedagogy - My formal education at Pacific Oaks Teachers College and my work with Anne Green Gilbert (a pioneer in the field of brain-compatible education) instilled in me a deep respect for student-centered learning and proven pedagogical techniques. This was reinforced by the strict curriculum of my graduate program, where I received three years of instruction in the Meisner acting progression, Fitzmaurice Voicework™, and Williamson Movement Technique. In my theatre classrooms, the curriculum I employ is designed to give students the tools they need to thrive as artists, especially in those trying moments when they cannot rely on creative inspiration alone. In my GE classes, every assignment is designed to develop students’ critical thinking, problem solving and creative storytelling skills. Lessons are crafted to meet the needs of kinesthetic, visual, auditory and analytic learners. 

 

Inclusivity & Respect - I foster a classroom where respect is a daily practice. I value diversity and make it a priority to address hard conversations about identity, bias, and working through/with differences. Every student has a right to feel at home, and I hold space for intellectual risk and growth. My classroom emphasizes conflict resolution, communication, and mutual respect, ensuring that students from all walks of life feel supported and heard. I am committed to supporting students in rehearsing and performing in their native language(s). 

 

Student Generated Work - In an ever-changing artistic landscape, I see it as my duty to support students in creating and producing their own work. This empowers students to harness their own artistry and create opportunities outside the constraints of the industry.

 

Connection to the Industry - Staying connected to the industry is essential to my teaching. I actively engage with current theatre trends, maintain my own professional practice, and network to create opportunities for my students. My goal is to prepare students for the reality of working in the arts, ensuring they have both the skills and the connections to succeed.

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TEACHING THE WHOLE PERSON

 

Teaching and directing are, for me, acts of deep collaboration and care. I strive to engage the whole person—student, actor, or ensemble member—by meeting them where they are and inviting them to bring their full selves into the creative process. Inviting student actors to bring their lives with them into the workspace helps bridge the gap between their high school or community theatre experiences and the expectations of the professional world. I see it as my job to guide student actors as they discover what “showing up” means and begin navigating the interaction between their lives outside the rehearsal room and their creative work. I never assume what life experiences my student actors have or haven’t had, and I dedicate time to group table reads, ensuring that my cast can get on the same page before we dive into emotional scene work.

 

In the rehearsal room, I draw inspiration from my time with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, where I learned the power of fostering an ensemble’s artistic intelligence. I see my role as a guide, creating a collaborative space where actors can experiment, devise, and ultimately take ownership of their work. This approach includes teaching foundational devising techniques, incorporating student-led creative contributions such as onstage rituals or co-composed musical pieces, and balancing individual expression with group cohesion. 

 

For me, teaching the whole person means cultivating a space where each individual’s unique perspective can thrive, ensuring that our work together is transformative—not just artistically, but personally.​

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