CAROLINE LYONS
ACTOR // EDUCATOR // DOULA
Education Philosophy
I firmly believe"empowerment forward pedagogy" that amplifies trauma-informed practices that create a classroom environment that is “predictable, consistent, positive, safe, and equitable." By demolishing harmful hierarchical teaching frameworks, I am looking to put the tools in my students hands to feel they play a unique role in their education. As I continue to grow as an educator, I will always be an advocate for using the arts and humanities not necessarily to build the next generation of performers but to help mold a generation of emotionally empowered individuals ready to face the world with confidence, empathy, and the will to make change.
How I Got Here
"Throughout my time in ACTING I I have learned an incredible amount about not only the art of acting but even more about myself."
After many years of what I called "accidental pedagogy" where I found myself in teaching in non-educational spaces as a postpartum doula and a caregiver, I made the decision to pursue education after a life changing opportunity at a camp for families of high conflict divorce. I began working in an afterschool program in NYC teaching, coordinating and facilitating a program for over 300 middle school children all the while working as a postpartum doula. The global pandemic hit in 2020, and I saw a chance to go back to school and Mary Baldwin University's Shakespeare and Performance program gifted me the chance to honor the actor in me while learning to become an educator.
I had the opportunity to work as a Graduate Teaching Fellow in my third year where I was given the opportunity to teach the introductory Acting class (ACTING I) for Mary Baldwin's undergraduates. Through that process, I was able to put research I conducted for my MLitt thesis in the classroom and happily taught 10 young people the art of acting. As I move on from Mary Baldwin, I look forward to a bright career in education continues to grow my teaching philosophy.
Materials
Download my award winning master's thesis project about creating a trauma-informed Shakespeare curriculum for children with high ACE scores (Adverse Childhood Experiences).
Download my full Teaching Philosophy as well as my Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
Download my workshop for A Midsummer Night's Dream on helping children with establishing boundaries and fostering healthy relationships.
Download my second master's thesis project on the creation and execution of my Midsummer workshop on establishing boundaries and fostering healthy relationships.
