Hello All,  

My name is Emily Armstrong and I am thrilled to be teaching your middle schoolers in-person for Drama! My education and professional background lies in Theatre Performance, with a special emphasis on Musical Theatre. I believe that a well-rounded education and exposure to the performing arts in a safe space is vital to growth and development for every child. Whether your child is interested in being a performer or not, Drama offers valuable tools to help your student thrive in interpersonal communication, expression, vulnerability and empathy. No matter what career space they may occupy, the skills they learn in Drama will help them own any board room, thrive in one-on-one client communication and represent themselves and their brand well in any future professional space. 

In the classroom, I place a huge value on encouragement, support and honesty. My number one rule is "respect and encourage others at all costs" and each student is made aware right away that disrespect or "making fun" of others will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Theater is about exploration and celebrating differences and that must be done in a safe space. The curriculum I have created explores all elements of Theater, from ancient history, to technical theater, to the behind the scenes creative process (directing, lighting, writing, costumes) and live performance. Students will be exposed to various works of theater and are asked to critically examine past and current stage works. They are also challenged to create their own original characters and practice reviewing their peers as well as exploring the thrill of live performance firsthand. 

Each day, your students display courage, hilarity and insight that both challenges and inspires me. Thank you so much for sharing the heart and creativity of your students with me! I hope to meet each parent in person at some point in time and my door (and my email and cell phone) is always open. I love hearing feedback from each of YOU to see how I can further improve or help create an even better learning environment for your students here at American Academy. Do not ever hesitate to reach out if you feel so inclined!