In honor of National Arts in Education week, we celebrate the work of our incredible teaching artists!
We asked them to share their reflections on their work with students throughout the Chicagoland area. We are proud to introduce them and share what they have to say:
Jenny Avery, originally from New York City has been teaching for WT for almost 10 years:
“I think this memory serves as both a highlight of my teaching for Writers as well as one of the reasons I continue to remain a teaching artist. It was one of the first years of the Novel Series program. I was teaching at Price, which was a school on the list to be closed. It had a population of at-risk kids, almost all below the poverty line and many with very poor reading skills. It was a fourth grade class and they were reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, a personal favorite of mine. The kids had no idea what I was coming in to do but they were enormously excited to get up out of their chairs and move around if nothing else. They were also incredibly hungry to be treated like kids who could achieve and as I was coming into the situation not knowing any of them, that is exactly what I did. We did a reader’s theatre version of a few of the chapters of the book. When the kids performed for their teacher and the principal I vividly remember the teacher crying and just looking floored at what her students were doing. When we asked what was going on, she said that she had never seen most of these kids get up and speak loudly and clearly, much less memorize and/or read a text before and she just couldn’t believe her eyes. The kids were so excited – the teacher and principal so proud – it was a very moving event to be a part of.”
Amanda Dunne Acevedo, originally from Gages Lake, IL has been teaching for WT for 5.5 years:
“One of my favorite teaching artist memories is the first time I taught the 8th graders at Peirce focusing on The House on Mango Street. One of the “corners” [small group work] was a group of English Language Learners who were struggling with creative writing. We had them write their vignettes in Spanish and then during the presentation, some of their peers translated for the class what they were saying. These students were so confident and spoke so eloquently about their struggles, fears, missing home, and wanting to fit in. It was a powerful moment for the class, for those students, and for me as a young teaching artist to see the power of a great book and the stories we have to tell.”
Ashley Roberson, originally from New Orleans, Louisiana has been with WT for 2 years:
“Being a teaching artist allows me to merge two passions of mine: the arts and education. It gives me the freedom to explore different aspects of the arts so not only am I able (hopefully) to expand the young minds that I am teaching, and encourage them to see things in a new and creative way, I myself am learning as well!”
Sindy Castro was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Hialeah, FL and has been with WT for 2 years:
“Teaching artistry allows me to explore my artistic discipline with my students. It allows me to delve into curiosities that I can explore with my students through theatre about the world around us.”
Stephanie Chavara was born in the Chicago suburbs and moved every 3 years growing up. She’s been with WT for 6 months:
“After a tough semester staging fairy tales with a class, I introduced them to non-fiction stories of kid-heroes. When they heard how an 11 year old escaped being enslaved at a rug factory, they felt a huge sense of responsibility towards his story, put in an incredible amount of effort, and went above and beyond all their previous work to create an amazing, ensemble-driven play.”
Elizabeth Dowling, originally from Sumter, SC and Risha Hill, originally from Birmingham, AL are the newest additions to our team!
Elizabeth: “One of my favorite teaching artist memories involves a second grade classroom. We were playing a game with ‘imaginary clay’ when the girl standing next to me fixed me with a skeptical glare and asked (of the imaginary clay), ‘Did you bring that from home?’ I told her yes, I had, and ended up giving a piece to each of the students to take home. It was a great reminder of how invested we can become in the things we create, even when they are imaginary.”
Risha: “My favorite teaching artist experience was working with several Continuation High Schools in Los Angeles. These schools are the ‘last stop’ for students with substance abuse and legal issues. Students were able to use theatre to express themselves in a manner that was positive, pro-active and completely new! Watching them grow as artists and, more importantly, conscientious members of society was the evidence needed to prove to all involved of the transformative power of art-making.”
Nicole Ripley, Director of Education and Kelsey Chigas, Education Outreach Coordinator also spend significant time in the classroom:
Kelsey: “I love being a teaching artist because I see students making brave choices and supporting one another in doing so.”
Nicole: “Recently a member of our Youth Council shared with me, ‘… the work I was fortunate enough to learn from with my time spent at Writers has not only allowed me to reevaluate the world around me and challenge what I have previously been taught, it has also led me to truly understand the significance of art to our global community and the potential it has to generate an accepting and educated population.’ Teaching artistry allows us to ignite in young people new ways of thinking and interacting with their world. This happens in small moments when a student writes a poem and in bigger ways when students find a voice and platform to share their deepest truths. For me, it is most meaningful when I have the opportunity to mentor a young person, create safe spaces for them, and nurture their growth into a creative thinker and engaged citizen.”
More on the WT Education Department:
Youth Council | Residencies | Tours | Professional Development
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