Jarrod Bennett - Teaching Philosophy ‘Theatre is “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.” Sanford Meisner ‘Theatre is a discipline that can grow to define a student’s very sense of self. It iss a craft that requires a student to take many steps that would otherwise seem impossible to gttempt, such as casting aside the concem of looking foolish to others and showing emotional vulnerability in front of a large crowd. For this reason, while theatre has the ability to teach students important disciplines such as teamwork, effective communication, and time management, its greatest, contribution isto the student’s self-worth. Therefore, my theatre class should put students on a path to self-discovery. Each student fsck gee ee eager er agea ane eee and so cach project in the class should allow them to do just that. A study of different cultures, for example, can give students different sources of information for playwriting ideas, concept statements, and performance techniques. Thea, there’s the use of technology, one of the biggest contributors to the Universal Design for Learning, which can offer a virtual plethora of means to engage students and allow them to show what they an do. + No matter how it is done though, as a teacher, I will serve as a guide, rather than an authoritative instructor, to foster a student’s intrinsic efforts in theatre. With broad projects, students will have the power to follow what they wish to achieve and discover for themselves just how much they can learn, ‘Through their efforts, they will discover more about the discipline of theatre and about themselves.