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Instructor: Emily Howard

Emily Howard is a theatre educator and professional actor whose passion for the performing arts inspires students to discover their creativity, confidence, and unique voices. She holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Theatre from California State University, Long Beach. Her master's thesis explored California's Visual and Performing Arts Standards, reflecting her commitment to meaningful arts education. Howard's diverse teaching experience includes elementary education in grades three through five, Beginning Acting instruction at San Jose State University, and serving as an Artist-in-Residence Teacher through San Joaquin County, where she taught K-8 theatre and improvisation. She also taught Speech, Storytelling, and Improvisation to students in grades 5-8 for three years in Tracy, California. Having acted professionally in Los Angeles, Howard brings practical industry experience to her teaching. She is passionate about showing students how theatre can be transformative and life-changing.

Classes by this instructor

EDU-941: Sprinkle Theatre Into Core Subjects (K-5)

Explore the National Core Arts Standards as a guide to provide quality arts education in your classroom! Gain a repertoire of purposeful games to engage your students and give them a new perspective in the subjects you are already teaching: literature, science or history! Understand grace in your classroom as you implement the Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting process.

EDU-943: Storytelling and More!

Transform the way your students engage with text by turning public speaking into an exciting, creative classroom tool. Designed specifically for K-5 educators, this independent study course bridges the gap between literacy and oral communication by mastering three distinct public speaking genres: Storytelling (retelling in one's own words), Oral Interpretation (bringing literature to life while staying true to the text), and Traditional Speaking (delivering presentations with visual aids).

EDU-949: African American Plays

This class will guide high school teachers through a survey of plays by African Americans to gain an understanding and empathy for African American culture. These texts will expose the reader to an array of experiences within the African American culture, including nuances such as racism within the culture, identity, self-image, and generational differences.

EDU-950: Whole-Brain Child: Book Application

This course explores "The Whole-Brain Child" by Dr. Dan J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, helping educators understand the brain's role in student behavior. It examines child cognitive development and how the logical left and emotional right brain develop and integrate, influencing reactions to stress. Educators will learn 12 emotional regulation strategies to integrate whole-brain teaching into their classroom and help students reprogram their responses in healthy ways.

EDU-955: Teaching Empathy: The Human Experience and Process Drama

How do you break through to students who have not been taught empathy or racial reconciliation at home? How can you prepare your students for adulthood by teaching them to cultivate an awareness of their biases, or the effects of bullying? Through Process Drama, your students will gain empathy for the human experience by guided activities that take little set-up and few materials.

EDU-964: Asian American Plays

This class will guide you through a survey of Asian American plays, focusing on the Chinese and Japanese American experiences as represented through drama. The goals of this course will be to gain an empathy for these cultures by engaging five plays, studying themes within the required plays, and making comparisons to other Asian American media

EDU-965: Latino American Plays

This class will guide you through a survey of plays by/about Latino Americans to gain an understanding and empathy for Latino American culture. These plays will expose you to an array of experiences within the Latino American culture: dreams and expectations of American life, identity as Latino Americans, self-image, and generational tensions. You will make correlations between assigned plays and other mediums of Latino American media.

EDU-967: Shakespeare for Elementary Students

This course will take the teacher through the interactive book 'How to Teach your Children Shakespeare', by Ken Ludwig. You will learn the value of teaching students how to memorize Shakespeare's passages, strategies of memorization, and make social emotional connections for your students with famous themes and characters.This course will give teachers something new and exciting in their toolbag!

EDUC-932: Brainstorm: The Power of the Teenage Brain: Book Application

Our teen years are filled with heightened emotions, the push and pull of independence, and excitement of applying abstract principles. Instead of giving readers a toolbox of how to "deal" with the struggles of emerging teens, Dr. Siegel informs us of how the rapidly growing brain is affecting actions and choices, and he invites us into coming alongside this age group with healthy guidelines and appropriate encouragement.

MUS-903: Movement & Music (K-5)

Explore the National Core Arts Standards as a guide to provide quality arts education in your classroom! Go beyond the surface of dance and music to teach your students grade-appropriate theory in this non-intimidating class! Utilizing the NCCAS's resources, videos, and lessons, you will know how to gauge proficiency in the Creating, Performing, Responding processes.