Teaching Philosophy
I believe the arts are central to the total educational experience of students across academic disciplines. My objective is to provide both the arts and non-arts students I teach with essential tools for creativity, innovation, collaboration, and visual and textual interpretation. My interest in teaching is not only to encourage students to perform, choreograph, read, think and write critically but also to be able to apply their intellectual astuteness to events and situations inside and outside of their familiar world of experiences.
Accordingly, my classes introduce students to virtuosic methods of acquiring, analyzing, observing and evaluating information and movement, affording them the opportunity to confront new ideas and different points of views while increasing their ability to discuss and defend their own positions both in performance and in writing. I believe that this broadens student’s horizon and encourages them to critically examine their values, goals, and ideals in the context of others. Thus, deepening their sense of humanity and helping forge a common bond with other citizens of the world while retaining and valuing their own distinguished and separate identities. Fostering a community of critically engaged artist citizens working towards the advancement of society and humanity as a whole is core to my teaching philosophy. My courses incorporate traditional, modern, contemporary, and post-modern forms, critical readings of related literature, informational lectures, student-lead class discussions, peer-review, teamwork, and presentation. I interact and encourage students to develop a dialogue among themselves that is a practice of listening and sharing. I aim to create an inclusive environment that is learner-focused, interactive and activity-led to optimize students’ learning experiences. With that said, I constantly build community in the classroom and beyond and make sure no student is invisibilized. My experience as a member of an underrepresented group has helped me in modeling these approaches and mentoring students who face similar challenges based on their identity. My elders from their forbearers created an atmosphere where differences are embraced and celebrated no matter its form. |