[ARH Learns] Teaching Through the Arts with Aliza Sarian

Over the two-day session, artists learnt about expanding their teaching practice through the lens of developing the whole person - such as how to engage students with varying levels of interest in the arts and methods for integrating arts with social-emotional learning. Aliza is a dramaturg and arts educator herself, who is currently based in Canada and has years of arts education experience under her belt.

Here are three key takeaways from the workshop:

1. Connect through Culturally Responsive Teaching: This is an approach to bridge students' personal and lived experiences with the arts. For example, in a music class on rhythm, you can invite students to bring a playlist of music they like, to encourage them to take ownership of their own learning. Learn more about the principles of this teaching approach here.

2. Deliver your lesson with rotating learning stations: Students will rotate in small groups through a series of learning stations. This is a helpful way to quickly cover a large amount of content or different topics. The movement and interaction involved help keep the lesson engaging! To learn more about this interactive approach, check out the resource article linked here.

3. Consider how arts education can play a role in a student's personal development: The arts help develop transferable skills which can be applied in other areas of life. For example, practising voice projection in theatre isn't just for the stage - they can boost confidence in class presentations too! Browse more performing arts-based resources for educators here.