Arts Integration Specialist

"The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation."
- Stella Adler

What is Arts Integration?

"In Arts-Integrated Curriculum, the arts become the approach to teaching and the vehicle for learning. Students meet dual learning objectives when they engage in the creative process to explore connections between an art form and another subject area to gain greater understanding in both. For example, students meet objectives in theater (characterization, stage composition, action, expression) and in social studies. The experience is mutually reinforcing—creating a dramatization provides an authentic context for students to learn more about the social studies content and as students delve deeper into the social studies content their growing understandings impact their dramatizations. For Arts-Integrated Curriculum to result in deep student understanding in both the art form and the other curriculum area, it requires that teachers engage in professional development to learn about arts standards and how to connect the arts to the curriculum they teach." ARTSEDGE

Mission

Why Arts Integration?

Michele strives to use her extensive knowledge and passion for Education and the Dramatic Arts to improve classroom instruction, by coaching teachers on implementing various Arts-Integration techniques.

Students involved in classrooms with Arts-Integration, experience the content in a creative way. Students actively engage with the text/content, developing higher level thinking skills such as synthesis and problem solving. They also gain confidence, the ability to collaborate with peers, and make creative choices.

Workshop Offerings for Educators

"Living Timeline"

For Social Studies Teachers, grades 7-12
2 Hours of Instruction Time
This Arts-Integration technique, brings sequential content to life, incorporating the performance sensibilities, allowing students to immerse themselves in a given historical period.
Max # of workshop participants: 25

"Dramatizing Directions"

For Teachers of All Grade Levels
2 Hours of Instruction Time
Giving directions is an essential part of the classroom. Save yourself from repeating directions over and over again by bringing Drama into the process. This approach allows students to fully engage with the material, improving comprehension and follow through.
Max # of workshop participants: 25

"Vocal Health for the Educator"

For Teachers of All Grade Levels
2 Hours of Instruction Time
Teachers, like actors, use their voices all day long. By warming up both vocally and physically, educators will ensure better vocal health, and be less likely to lose their voices.
Max # of workshop participants: 25

In-school Residencies and Workshops

Acting in the Classroom

Acting in the Classroom: Actors possess a variety of skills that transcend the art form and enhance an individual's success in many areas of life. In this residency, students will become actors, developing their actors' toolkit, and building their skills of concentration, focus, cooperation and collaboration.

Bring your Content to Life

Bring Your Content to Life: Providing curriculum-based, in-class lessons tailored to your current unit plan. Working directly with the classroom teacher, the Teaching Artist will create lessons that teach the content through the art of theatre. Students will be actively engaged in the learning process.

Request a Proposal

What Teachers are saying about Arts Integration

"There are many children who never have the opportunity see a real performance. The Shakespeare Theatre allows these students to have this experience. Having a person come to our school and engage the students in dramatic exercises and give them to opportunity to do improvisation is an incredible experience that allows them to discover a whole different side of themselves. Arts are an important part of the curriculum. They give students who sometimes struggle academically a chance to be successful in another way. It allows them to explore their creative side which fosters a sense of self confidence which they can take into their regular academic subjects. Sometimes all that students need is the self-confidence to feel like they can do anything they put their mind to."

Kathleen Miller, Language Arts Teacher 5-8th Grades
St. Jude Regional Catholic School