Teaching

The classroom is a theater...

where the teacher creates an experience for an audience of students who, in turn, think, feel, and respond.

In the Ars Poetica, the Roman philosopher, Horace, states that the purpose of poetry, or drama, is to entertain and to educate -- “dulce et utile”. While the audience invests their time and attention in the experience, they make emotional, intellectual, and personal connections that provokes questions, thought, and action.

Students are motivated when engaged in guided practice, discussion, lecture, research, devised projects, and more. This project-based pedagogy encourages students' meaningful connections to the content and to seek application in their daily lives.

Jim's educational work explores various theatrical disciplines, but also directing/facilitating new plays written by young people and developed through group collaboration. These classes, programs, and workshops meet the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Performing Arts (2020):

1. Creating

2. Performing/Presenting/Producing

3. Responding

4. Connecting