I Teach Too!

Hi, again! So, as a performing artist, I always get the proverbial question, "So what resturant do you work at?" Yes, unfortunately, the 'starving artist' sterotype persists, and we all find ourselves with second, and sometimes third and fourth jobs. I have decided that teaching, in all it's gloriuous forms is where I would like to devote my off-stage time.

I love teaching, and have taught, at the elementary, middle, and high school levels: improvisation, voice, movement, acting, and all aspects of Shakespeare. Among others, I have worked with Peninsula Youth Theatre, Children's Musical Theatre of San Jose, The California Theatre Center, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Kids on Camera, Solano Youth Theatre and was a guest tap dance artist at Castilleja School in Palo Alto. I am also an SAT, PSAT and ACT tutor with Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, and have been a swim instructor for about 14 years (I swam competitivly for 10 years before teaching). Currently I teach potential fish at the Jewish Community Center San Francisco.

Why I Teach

I have been teaching/working with young people for over 14 years. It is by far the most fulfilling job I have ever had. I always tell people, even though the average pay was higher, I had to quit the bartending and temp world because it was, please pardon my French, soul sucking. I hated getting up in the morning, I hated what I did, and I felt like a hollow, diminished version of the person I could be. I had no reason, nor desire to continue in that lifestyle.

Teaching has given me my soul and purpose back. I feel like a contributing member of society. I feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when a kid gets that twinkle in his eye that says, "Oh my gosh...I did it. I got it". Now, I can't imagine doing anything else. Young people are such amazing creatures. They see the world through unfiltered eyes. They have incredible imaginations, and I learn something wonderful and new with every job. Sometimes I feel as if they are teaching me more than I could ever teach them. And sometimes I feel like I had the opportunity to give them back something priceless.

I would like to impart a brief and extremely meaningful story for me. I had a student once who's only vocabulary in times of anxiety and stress involved his hands and feet. When he got upset and mad his instinct was to hit or kick. Now, he knew better. He always said he should have used his words or talked to a teacher instead of hitting, but he had trouble putting this knowledge into practice. It got to the point where the parents and my supervisor were involved and he was on the verge of being asked to leave. It came down to my decision. I felt awful, like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Here was this kid, who for all intents and purposes was a good kid at heart; he just didn't know how to express himself. If I gave him a second chance and something really awful happened, and another child was involved it would be on my shoulders that I hadn't protected the other students. But in my heart of hearts I really thought this child needed a second chance. So he came back the next day on a trial basis. That afternoon, during lunch, he came up to me and told me another child had pushed him and made him fall. After talking to all involved it turned out to have been a miscommunication, and everything was resolved, sorrys and handshakes all around. But the miracle was soon to come. As I was walking away, this "problem" child came up to me, and as innocently as a bird sings his song he said to me, with the biggest grin on his face, "I handled it good this time, Sarah, didn't I?" I smiled so hard I thought my face was going to pop off it's mooring, and I said, "Yes, yes you did."

That's why I teach.