From the Heart: Handmade Greeting Cards

NOTE: If you don't see a time that fits your schedule, please send a request with times that work for you! I am often able to accommodate suggestions. 

Since most of my classes depend on learner interaction, I will reach out to families enrolled in sessions that have not met minimum enrollment a week in advance of the session start date to suggest options in case the session does not meet minimum. 

I am a teaching artist with a passion for immersive education using interactive techniques. Offline, I am Artistic Director of Dare to Dream Theatre, a youth theatre company highlighting learning and growth at all levels. 

I teach classes combining Theater and academics. My philosophy is that learning sticks more deeply when the student is engaged in methods that best match their learning style. Studies have shown that creativity and discovering things on one’s own produce the deepest learning, no matter which  style individual learner relates to. Therefore, I use interactive, immersive, theater techniques in my teaching. 

I am a storyteller by nature and revel in opportunities to share stories with learners I meet. I’m working on writing a series of young adult novels, and characters and event from those stories may find their way into some of my classes.

Along with encouraging a lifelong love of reading, learning, and the arts, I enjoy being creative as well. I love to make handmade gifts and explore new techniques. I’m lucky that running a theater gives me excuses to try out new crafts and techniques when making props, puppets, and costumes. I especially enjoy scrapbooking and card making, candle making, essential oils, silk painting, drawing, resin craft, and clay work. I am amazed by the creativity of the learners I meet, and am often inspired to create with them!  

“Read to Me” sessions are opportunities for students learning to read to practice literacy and reading skills with other learners at the same reading level. All Read to Me sessions provide time for each early learner to read aloud. These are practice sessions during which learners practice and develop skills they are learning with other reading teachers. They can be offered for one on one or small group (less than 6 learners) in either a public or private format.

Creative Play Dates are literacy and art based storytime/creative Play sessions for youth age 3-6. These classes can be formatted for one on one sessions, child and guardian sessions, or small groups of young readers. I enjoy mixing up formats and activities during these sessions, and often welcome input from the young guests. Some sessions will be led by a favorite character (puppet, or Miss Rachel leading the session “in character” as a favorite storybook character complete with costume, wig, and makeup) some sessions will require play dough, crayons, markers, paper, scissors etc. All sessions highlight some of the 5 skills of early literacy (Reading, Writing, Singing, Playing, Talking). 

You may see that some of my book series related classes (Dragon Masters, Rainbow Magic) feature less "book club literacy" and more creative connections. In my "book club" type classes we won't read the book in class, nor will there be a reading assignment. Activities in these classes will encourage learners to retell and explore stories they already know, connecting content to creativity and logic through art, craft, and escape rooms. 

Adventure Quests and Drama Quests require students in grades k+ to use their academic skills, voices, bodies, and imaginations to help a character from literature solve a challenge by taking on the role of characters that fit into the setting of the story. These sessions may require use of additional materials and familiarity with the books and characters that serve as inspiration for the Quest. 

Performance classes will lead young performers through preparing a performance that will be recorded and shared with performers and their families digitally. 

One on one audition coaching and acting classes will help students prepare for an upcoming audition or build acting skills.  

“Let’s Celebrate!” Sessions offer fun themed activities to celebrate a birthday, holiday, or a virtual/remote play date. Activities vary based on theme, and can be customized upon host’s request for private sessions. 

“From the Heart” classes allow me to share one of my hobbies creating handmade gifts. These classes alway require specific materials and are full of shared creativity and inspiration as we create together exploring one of the techniques that I use to make gifts for those I care about. 

Link to Google Slides Presentation with further information: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rfaA668yDdubD3h77WCKxhdEo_Ya_zMNXirDQX4uEm8/present?usp=sharing