Educator Philosophy
Education is valuable for all students and all humanity; it can help the world as curiosity and knowledge are nurtured.
Every student is an asset for the gain of worldly wisdom. As such, every student needs a diverse way of learning utilizing multiple intelligences such as verbal, logical, visual, musical, kinesthetic, inter/intrapersonal and naturalistic. My job as a teacher is to ensure that each student is engaged in learning through a variety of instruction that supports all their learning. It is essential to assess all students and first make sure that they are able to meet their growth needs and overall well being.
As someone who is involved in the performing arts community, integration of content areas such as using theatre in an English class, or incorporating the importance of math in technical theatre, is an essential element of instruction to incorporate within the classroom that benefits student growth.
Why I teach
Teach to Curiosity:
Theatre is all about trying new things! Students are gaining new experiences, like talking in front of others, pretending to be someone else, pantomining, working together in a scene performance, or making a puppet! Theatre helps to push students to try something or be someone that they had thought about before.
Teach to Inspire:
Students in theatre and in the productions perform in front of a whole audience! This sort of experience can be daunting and dramatic, but students encourage each other, and lift each other up to memorize whole plays! Students learn how to build a whole new world to act in, and all of those fine details are extraordinary.
Teach to Create:
Theatre is all about creating! Creating a new character, creating a new world. From the words on a page, we help to realize a new place where students have never been to - like a Steampunk Shakespeare, or a Bodega in Washington Heights. If ever you can imgaine, theatre can create it - it's a wonderful experience to have students be a part of creating a whole new world on stage.
Highlights from the past two years:
Puppet Theatre performance for the school’s SpED classes
Productions:
2019 Fall Production - Macbeth
Numerous Certificates of Merit for the judged production of Macbeth.
2020 Spring Musical - In the Heights (production complete except for an audience)
2020 Fall Production - In the Wake - virtual performance!
All productions have a student-led aspect for design
Student Talent Shows
Virtual Theatre Awards
Participation in theatre associations CETA and EdTA
Increased student membership by 77%
Running Theatre Drama Club and Thespian Troupe
Participation in Theatre Festivals
CETA - Southern California Theatre Festival
Chapman University - Henry Kemp-Blair Shakespeare Festival
Organization of theater space and facilities
School Collaboration
In-school Puppet Performance for SpED classes
Theatre Scene Performance at school district
Planning for Fine Arts Festival with VAPA Department
Current co-leader on a “Focus on Learning group” for WASC preparation
Student Sample Work
Beginning Tech Theatre: 3D Model through Trimble SketchUp
SketchUp is a modeling tool that students were able to use to create scenic design models. The process first started with students getting familiar with the program, and learning about scenic design elements. The summative assessment of their learning was creating a model within the theatre space. Here are some of their designs!
Intro to Drama
During our distance learning, students were still able to participate in acting activities! Some of these include monologues or pantomimes. Students were also able to do theatre history research and production analysis.
Advanced Theatre Production
One of the topics that my students loved to do this year was makeup. While in distance learning, I was able to provide a small makeup kit to students with a variety of products. After we planned and mapped the makeup students were able to apply it! Out of precaution, students just applied the make-up to their hands.
Here are some of their applications for surrealism, skeleton (using nose and scar wax), and a witch (using crepe wool)!
