​Allie Meek-Carufel

 

Teaching Philosophy 

 

Every time I walk into a classroom, I wonder what is going on in each child’s mind. I ask myself a series of questions. How can my art form help these kids succeed? What is it that they need from me? Can theatre help shape the kind of citizens they want to become? I’m almost always able to find an answer to these questions and go from there. First and foremost, I focus on the kids and their needs and what I can do in that moment to help them grow.

 

My teaching philosophy comes down to two crucial beliefs. One, every child has the potential to learn. Two, arts education can help a child grow, learn and develop into positive world citizens. “The arts, it has been said, cannot change the world, but they may change human beings who might change the world”. My philosophy stems from this quote. Students may not become artists, but the study of the arts and the use of arts in a classroom can help develop the imagination, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, self-discipline and overall holistic self. It can open their minds up to new ways of learning, it can make learning more accessible to different kinds of learners, it can make them passionate about something and develop their “self”.

 

In my teaching, I use theatre to engage students in learning as well as teach them the art of theatre. Because of this, I feel strongly about creating a classroom environment that is full of collaboration and a trusting teacher to student relationship as well as a trusting student to student relationship. Learning is not possible if there is no respect or trust as it is a reciprocal experience. Learning is not a dictatorship. There is a give and take between teacher and student. With theatre, there always needs to be a safe space available in the classroom to feel able to share ideas, feelings and thoughts. Every students thoughts are heard and they are not only invited to ask questions and to take risks and try, but encouraged to do so. For without trying and failing, learning cannot happen.

 

Every child has the right to learn and every child has the ability to learn. Some may learn at different speeds and in different ways. However, each child has that potential to broaden their mind, their knowledge and their ability, both in skills and in theory. It is my belief and my intention to reach all students, regardless of what their learning ability is. It is the job of the teacher to understand each student, their needs, their strengths and their weakness. In doing so, they are better able to help that child find their voice and use the tools necessary to teach based on their needs and their eventual goals.

 

Finally, I believe that as a teacher, you need to always be learning. Always to continue learning more about what you teach because contrary to popular belief that “those who can ‘do’ and those who can’t, teach”. I believe in the absolute opposite. Those “can” and “do” MUST teach. They must also continue to “do”. In every discipline, not just in theatre. Though, I speak from a theatre artist’s perspective. As a theatre teacher and teaching artist, how can I be teaching the art of theatre if I am not in constant practice? On that same note, how can I teach something if I don’t love it or aren’t passionate about it? The key to teaching a subject or to teaching in general, is love and passion, as well as knowledge. Only then will the student understand.