Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Walker
Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When thinking about when I started my career in theatre education and where I am today, I am both amazed and not.
I knew I wanted to teach while in high school. I was highly involved in theatre and wanted to go into a helping profession. I decided to teach middle school. From my own experience (and those of many others) I knew that that was rough on kids and heavily impacts who you are and what you think about yourself. So I thought by teaching theatre, I could give students a place to feel safe, be creative, and become part of a family. So that’s the path I took. I did Teacher Cadet classes in high school, majored in Theatre at USC Columbia, and went on to receive my Master’s of Arts in Teaching in Theatre Ed.
During grad school, I was placed in a public elementary arts school, Saluda River Academy for the Arts in West Columbia. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. What can K-5 students do in theatre? How much can they even read? Where do I begin? Once there, though, I worked with an incredible coaching teacher, Linda Linke who showed me exactly how much elementary students can do, and how fun it is to work with them. It was from this experience that my mind was made up, I wanted to work with K-5 students. They were still so open to creative ideas, fearless, and sweet. They reminded me of what makes the art of theatre fun and significant. Though it was not easy to find full-time elementary theatre teaching positions in SC, I managed to. I learned so much from the places I worked and will remember those students forever. Then in 2010, when Mrs. Linke retired, I interviewed and got the position at Saluda River. I have been there ever since.
I have grown both as an educator and as a person working at SRAA. I have learned how to write grants, lead workshop and conference presentations, teach GT students, network, produce impactful performances, integrate the arts, work with incredible teaching artists and educators, create meaningful field trip experiences, work with professional organizations, and so much more. At Saluda River, you are more than just a teacher of your personal subject, you become a teacher of all the arts.
In the summer of 2019, I took my dream trip to Jaipur, India to teach English and Theatre. It was scary and wonderful. With all the differences in culture and language, I learned that kids are kids, no matter where you are, and they all love a good improv. game! From this experience, I had my first professional article published in National Theatre Magazine in March 2020.
When I first began teaching I was amazed at what veteran teachers could do – their resume, resources, and networks. Now, being one of those educators, I see that it takes one step at a time. One performance, one conference, one more year full of events to make the present possible.
While there are certainly challenging days, weeks, or months, teaching has made me a better person. One of the best things to experience are students who come back and visit and talk about the impact of theatre and the arts. Several former students have even gone into arts education themselves. Because of teaching I am a more patient, creative, hard-working, and empathetic person.
I have several years left in education and can’t wait to see where the rest of my career takes me. 🙂
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with anything, there have been some challenges along the way with education. My first year of teaching was at a wonderful school, but with a culture I was not used to. It was in the country, a small town, and I had to learn the lingo and way of living of the students who I taught. They also had not had a much exposure to the arts, much less theatre, so it was a lesson in starting small and getting back to basics. I learned a lot about classroom management there.
Becoming an ABC Grant Manager in 2010 was also something that overwhelmed me at first. It seemed like such a daunting task and better suited for someone else. This too, I took step by step however, and asked lots of questions, and learned from mistakes.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In addition to teaching theatre and managing our school’s arts grant, I have been involved in several organizations outside of school, including Artists for Africa, The Columbia Drama Club, SC Theatre Association (Theatre for Youth Chair), and more. These organizations offer opportunities to grow my education and theatre skills.
I have also continued my own personal theatre career by appearing in shows at local theatres around town. This allows me to practice the craft that I love and share that process with my students.
I also enjoy teaching classes and workshops on the weekends and in the summer. I have always been interested in integrating mindful practices within my teaching and the arts in general. Observing and then coteaching a mindfulness class for student actors allowed me to put this into practice.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
One of the best things about teaching is being around other incredible educators. I have made life-long friends with teachers at each school, especially Saluda River. Because SRAA is a small, arts-integrated school, the arts team (and really all teachers), collaborate very closely on all kinds of projects, trips, conferences, etc. I have genuinely loved not only getting to know some creative, kind, and determined educators, but also learning from them and becoming better for knowing them.
I also love being a coaching teacher for M.A.T. students from USC. I am amazed at how much talent these students have early in their career. They inspire me to remember to have fun and get back to basics. So many of them have gone on to be incredibly talented theatre educators.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sraa.lex2.org/
