“My class explores the ways in which the performing arts investigates social justice issues that our communities face.”

Hometown

Richmond, Virginia

Department

School of Teacher Education - Secondary

Degree:
PBCTE-Secondary Education Student (Dance)

What is your background in fine arts?
After I received a bachelor’s degree in arts and theater from Berea College, I came to UH and earned my master of fine arts and dance with an emphasis in performance and choreography. I am now in my first semester of the Post Baccalaureate in Teacher Education-Secondary Education Program.

Where do you work? Describe your responsibilities.
I am an emergency hire at SEEQS Public Charter School in Kaimukī. As the Performing Arts teacher, I teach theater and dance classes, but I am also responsible for teaching two electives – one that is needed (last semester was Yearbook) and one of my choice. This semester, I created a course called TASC Force, which stands for Transient Art for Social Change. My class explores the ways in which the performing arts investigates social justice issues that our communities face. Outside of SEEQS, I frequently dance with Convergence Dance Theatre, Iona Contemporary Dance, Tau Dance, Monkey Waterfall, and Piko Dance Arts.

How has this new dance license program* in the PBCTE-Secondary program impacted or benefitted your career path?
This program will help strengthen my pedagogical approaches by giving me a broader knowledge of best practices that I can immediately begin implementing as an emergency hire.

Is there anyone in particular who inspired you to pursue teaching as a career?
I’ve been inspired to teach since I was in elementary school, but it wasn’t until high school that I truly knew I wanted to peruse a career in teaching theatre and dance. Todd Ritter at Henrico High School, Adanma Onyedike Barton, and Stephanie Woodie at Berea College have all played a role—among many others—in helping me along my artistic journey.

How did you become interested in the field of education?
As previously mentioned, I was always interested in teaching and had many great teachers whom I admired. High school really brought out the best in me while I was a student of the magnet program, the Center for the Arts, at Henrico High School.

What are your future visions and goals?
I want to continue teaching theatre and dance to children and adults. I also have visions of one day owning a piece of farmland where I will create an educational theatre and dance program for children and teens. We would learn about the arts as it relates to nature and try to understand how our coexistence with it impacts the world.

*The PBCTE-Secondary in Dance is a new teaching license field, approved by HTSB in 2017. Terry will be the third person to obtain the dance license. The license program is a collaboration between the COE and the Department of Theatre and Dance.
I’m interested in learning more about a degree or certificate from the College of Education.