The Art of Applying Reflection

Book excerpt: Teaching Artists (that is, artists who teach) are in a constant state of reflection and self evaluation. Reflexive Teaching Artistry is the ability to apply personal reflection to practice as a means to better support and engage students. Reflection is certainly useful at the culmination of a class or project, but how does reflecting throughout the creative process benefit participants? How can a Teaching Artist's reflections be applied to their practice throughout a creative process to better serve the objectives of a program? Using the lens of Reflexive Teaching Artistry, this thesis examines three unique drama-based projects and the instances of “in-the-moment” reflection that challenged original project curriculum or infrastructure. The projects discussed include intergenerational program Come to the Table, the Multimodal Performing Arts Intervention (MPAI) arts and wellness research study, and a performance of When Pigs Fly, a Theatre for the Very Young piece, as performed for an audience with memory loss.