Teaching Philosophy

Having taken my first improv class in 1991, I have had quite a number of teachers over the years. Some fantastic, some mediocre, and some downright awful. What I took from them all, however, were the best bits and pieces that I now use in the classes I teach.

My Teaching Style

Were I to describe my teaching style in three words, they would be fun, nurturing, and firm.

I believe a fun, positive environment is more conducive to learning than, say, a tear-'em-down-and-build-'em-back-up approach. I was in that kind of class for 2 years, and while I personally did not have a problem being treated that way, I saw the long-term negative effects it had on other students. I vowed to never do that as a teacher.

By the same token, I am also a believer of notes, and I give copious ones. Sometimes I give notes after a scene; sometimes I side-coach. I always try to point out the things that worked first, so the student gets positive reinforcement on what to continue doing. When it comes to giving corrective notes, I try to stay away from those that essentially say, "That was bad" or "That was wrong"; rather, I ask the student to consider what might have been a better choice. That way, the student is actively engaged in learning as opposed to passively being talked at.

Your Approach to Class

Ellen Geer, the Artistic Director of the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum for the past 28 years, has an amazing attitude when it comes to taking classes from others. Leaning forward with child-like enthusiasm, she asks eagerly, "What can you teach me?" This is a woman who has starred in every play Shakespeare ever wrote, appeared in over 100 films and television shows, and is a professor at UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. Yet with all that, she still approaches class as an opportunity to learn something new.

That is the kind of student I enjoy teaching.