Teaching Philosophy
I believe that taking a class is very similar to creating and/or viewing a performance. One of these similarities is, like creating or viewing a performance, taking a class can and should be a transformative experience. I tell my students that if they leave our class at the end of the semester the same person that they were at the beginning of the semester, then we have not done our jobs. I emphasize we because I believe that education is a partnership between student and professor. Education, particularly at the college level, is not about merely receiving and retaining information, it is about becoming critical thinkers and empathetic global citizens – this requires deep thought, work and engagement. As a professor it is my responsibility to create an environment in which a student feels safe, inspired and challenged to grow and transform and then within that environment it is the student’s job to be curious, be prepared and be ready for the “growing pains” of being challenged to think in new ways and about new topics.
I understand through experience and training that there are a variety of learning styles for students and I try to reflect this in my teaching; mixing lectures, exercises, group work, etc. I am also interested in bringing theatrical practices into the classroom. In the discussion sections for a Script Analysis course that was a requirement for all theatre and film students at ASU, I made an effort to bring play scripts to “life” via exercises and workshops. For example, when students studied Anna Deavere Smith’s Fires In the Mirror, I conducted a workshop where they did their own ethnographic performances with their peers. This turned out to be one of the most memorable classes I have taught because students better understood through embodied experience ADS’s methodologies and because it helped create community in the classroom. While teaching my students about Marxism (as it related to Chekhov’s The Three Sisters) I had them write love letters as various characters from the play; the letters included how money impacted the decisions they were making. When we read the letters out-loud and discussed them they realized that they were understanding the major principles of Marxism, but as the students pointed out, if I had told them at the beginning of class that we were going to learn about Marxism and proceeded to lecture to them, they would have “shut off.” I am also interested in using theatre practices, specifically the techniques of Boal’s Image Theatre and Theater of the Oppressed, in courses such as Theatre History where such embodied practices of learning may be less typical. This reflects my “do what it takes” attitude towards teaching. Just as working with an ensemble means adjusting to the various styles, rhythms, etc. of everyone in the room; I believe that, when possible, teaching should be responsive to who is in the room and what is going on that day and in that moment. Thinking of the classroom as a democratic and collaborative process has also been greatly influenced by my work with Cornerstone Theater, with whom I participated in the one month training Institute in 2010. Cornerstone’s signature collaborative approach to play-making saturated every aspect of our time there: titles and rank being nearly irrelevant, at any given moment I might be problem-solving with someone who was a tenure-track professor, or someone who was completing their undergraduate degree. My experience working on an equal basis with a group of bright, talented and diverse young people reinforced my perspective as a professor to look at everyone in the room as both teacher and student, with my role as professor being to offer my perhaps more seasoned experiences and knowledge but to more importantly help my students recognize and take ownership of their own knowledge.
In my experience, a critical element of a Professor’s job is preparing our students for the “outside” and “professional” world. This to me entails a number of components. I expect “professionalism” from my students in the classroom - developing and demonstrating classroom and life skills that will be expected of students whether they are working in the professional theater world or in a business office. That is the “tough love” element of my job, the “nurturing” part of this life preparation is that I also believe it is part of my job to inspire my students about their post college futures; I make a point to share with them the resources and connections that I have in the professional world, offer advising on career and graduate school choices, and share my own experiences working in the professional theater world, becoming an academic and working all the “odd jobs” in-between. It is important to me that my students know that I am a resource for them beyond the classroom and that they think of me as part of their support team. Being from a border town and having extensive experience living and traveling in cultures that are “different” from my own, I have a particular interest in working with students who are first generation Americans or are not from the United States. Teaching English as a Second Language students at Hunter College in New York and a number of first generation Americans and students who are the first in their family to go to college both at Hunter, ASU and Whittier College I have found that these students feel comfortable reaching out to me about the special challenges they face and that I consider their needs in my course development and teaching.
Student Testimonies
~ "Watching Dr. Nigh lecture was a terrific learning opportunity for me. As her Teaching Assistant, I witnessed her command of the material, as well as her ability to engage the students – majors and non-majors alike. She is passionate about theatre and performance in general, and its use in society for change and progress, making her a valuable asset to the department and university. Her experience, background and energy, as well as her rapport with students, are admirable. She brings a much-needed understanding of contemporary theatre’s place in the world to academia." (Anne Marie Cammaratto, Teacher's Assistant, MFA Student, Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Katherine Jean Nigh is a profound advocate, scholar, mentor, and educator. Deciding to take her class was one of the most pivotal and rewarding decisions of my undergraduate career. I found her classes so helpful I took Theater History 1, Theater History 2, and Community Engaged Theater with her. Dr. Nigh appeals for a degree of connection with her students. This connection allowed her to best help me. She left the responsibility of initiating contact to me. Due to the positive experience I had after visiting her office hours, I gained the confidence to connect with other professors: a necessary skill for adulthood. Dr. Nigh also appeals to students to connect with the material. The level of knowledge and zeal she brings to class is inspiring. "Geeking out" is something that she encourages and applauds, she inspired me to research people and ideas that I found interesting which help me retain a better grasp of the material. Dr. Nigh is the type of professor who produces powerful professionals. I am sincerely indebted to her. I would recommend her to any student who is ready to thrive." (Janae Rockemore, Student Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh has made a monumental impact in my life as an artist. Having taken two courses with her, she has expanded my horizons of what theater is and what it could be. Her expansive knowledge in history and performance has challenged me to look beyond the mainstream to see there is a whole world of art out there. It is hard to find a professor who challenges you while still caring so fiercely about their students, like Dr. Nigh does. She listens to students concerns; never shying away from difficult, yet important, discussions when most professors would prefer to sweep them under the rug. She has inspired me to be the artist I am today, and I will forever cherish my time in her classroom. " (Peter Loikits, Student Temple University)
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~ "I have taken four classes taught with Dr. Katherine Nigh. Two of those were required. The other two were
electives that I chose to take – not just because of my interest in the material – but because of Dr. Nigh’s
incredible ability to teach, to rally, and to encourage meaningful thought that resonates beyond the
classroom setting. Her abilities as a teacher stem from her ambitions as a theatre artist. One of her primary goals in this field is to promote social change in oppressed societies. On a micro level, Dr. Nigh emboldens her
students to critically confront oppressive systems that exist both around and within the classroom. Her
Socratic approach to lecture is always inviting. If my opinion differed from her own, my opinion still felt
welcome and important to the discussion. My voice, and the voices of my peers, always felt essential in
Dr. Nigh’s class. It is clear that she cares about her students. She has faith in them. And – most importantly – she knows how to sharpen their artistry and push their intellects so that they can have faith in themselves." (Jon Diaz, Student Temple University)
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~ "She has helped so many students in her small classes come to see exactly who she is and what she stands for through the art of teaching. Someone who is as confident and firm in herself and her beliefs is an inspiration and motivates young artists who are at their most self conscious, indecisive and impressionable point in their journey of education. I, as well as many other students who really got to know her true self, credit her with leaps and bounds in our careers and life aspirations." (Anonymous review, Performance Art, Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh's enthusiasm for the course is unmatched by any professor Ive had before. It is clear from day one that she deeply cares not just about the material but also about her students. She is a strong professor and knows that students will learn from her if they listen." (Anonymous review, Theater History I, Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh gives her students a unique gift through history lessons, making it crystal clear that it is always the victor who writes history. Especially in theater, it is our jobs to rewrite and reclaim the precedents set by those of privilege in power. She is flat out the best professor I have ever had, ever. I have genuinely been changed more by her astute, inclusive and passionate teaching methods than I have at any other point in my life." (Anonymous review, Theater History I, Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh's approach to her students was incredible in terms of truly understanding them individually and accommodating to how her students react to each others comments during the course of the Semester. She allowed the hard hits for controversial issues illustrated in the material for the class toward separate communities fly; while simultaneously, truly listening to our individual input and imploring a healthy learning environment for all of us. Dr. Nigh seems to be on a path of uncovering great work and her leadership contributed mostly to my learning." (Anonymous review, Modern Directions, Temple University)
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~ "When it comes to diversity Dr. Nigh is extremely understanding. Dr. Nigh is clear about her own beliefs and is active in her passion for inclusivity and social justice. Dr. Nigh is honest about her own life experiences and spoke to us as adults who also had our own. The class was one of the best environments that I have had at Temples campus and that is all due to Dr. Nigh and her ability to create that space." (Anonymous review, Modern Directions, Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh morphed her teaching style to match the demands of the class and that helped me learn the techniques necessary. She helped us all along by allowing us to more or less control the conversations of the class but guiding them in the correct direction. She was incredibly receptive to all of the ideas that we had. It was inspirational to see her teaching in her field. She has connections who were able to Skype in for certain classes to give us real-world experiences. I also really enjoyed that the second half of the semester was left more open because it allowed time to stay on certain topics or expand on something we did earlier in class. She treated us like equals rather than being condescending which is a pitfall a lot of professors fall in to. Please keep letting her teach this course. It changed my college career." (Anonymous review, student at Temple University)
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- "Dr. Nigh is the epitome of being a sensitive instructor! She is gracious, kind, patient, wise, transparent, generous, brilliant, and full of joy! Dr Nigh leads by example. She’s dedicated her education, teaching and life’s work to being a compassionate human being, enriching lives and making this world a better place for all! We need more people in this world like Dr. Nigh!" (Anonymous review, student at Temple University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh is one of the most intelligent professors I have ever had. She is a wealth of knowledge and resources. She is understanding, but that does not mean she does not have high expectations. She challenges us to do more than bare minimum, and is right by our side when we slip up, helping us get on track. Her personal experience in the field was often used as examples when explaining concepts. She was always sensitive to culture and race but always willing to discuss difficult topics. The atmosphere in the class was caring and supportive. By far the best class I have taken at Temple." (Anonymous review, student at Temple University)
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~ "Creative. Smart. Passionate. Supportive. These are the first words that come to mind when I think of Kathy (Dr. Nigh) as a theatre artist, educator, and friend. My first experience with Kathy was as her teaching assistant in the World Theatre History classroom. In this large lecture class, Kathy not only conveyed necessary course content but also shared her experiences as a theatre artist and scholar to make the content relevant to young theatre students and engage them in meaningful discussions and thought exercises. My observations of her as a theatre educator helped me see the importance of bringing practice to the theatre history classroom, which helps students maintain interest, retain information, and understand how theatre contributes to social change. My next experiences with Kathy were as my professor. She consistently offered challenging material and engaged us in thoughtful discussions. Equally important, she was always available in person or by phone to offer feedback on papers, conference presentations, or simply bouncing around a new idea. I should also add that what appreciate most about Kathy is she accomplishes all of this with an enthusiasm and spirit for life that I feel fortunate to have experienced and dearly miss." (Deb Kochman, Teacher's Assistant and Student, PhD Candidate, Florida State University)
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~ " One of my first days as a Theatre Studies PHD student at Florida State University, the head of my department leaned over to me, signaled to the new visiting professor and whispered, “I brought her here for you.” Was she a gift? My past-self did not yet know what my future self holds dear, that Dr. Nigh is in fact a gift placed in my path to challenge my artistic expression and enhance my pedagogical approach. As a student in Dr. Nigh’s Latin@ Theatre class I reveled in the ease in which she served as the bridge between the different cultures represented in the room. Dr. Nigh’s feminist pedagogical approach allows for story sharing and consciousness raising as well as generational connectedness. She not only encourages students to march and act up against oppressive systems, she teaches them new chants as she matches their stride on the streets. My time as Dr. Nigh’s TA was energizing and encouraging. It is refreshing to see a Theatre History professor that does not lower her expectations while still encouraging students to connect historical context, social movements and theatrical practice. I am grateful to have her as a mentor and friend, and look forward to the ways she will break borders on a stage and in her classroom." (Christina Rodriguez de Conte, Teacher's Assistant and Student, PhD Candidate, Florida State University)
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~ "Dr. Nigh is by far one of the most challenging professors I have had in college. She is not just crafting a class to educate you, she is creating a class that will change you. The journey that I took as not only a student but a person in her class was one that will forever change my outlook on life and dealing with people and issues of varying gender, race, and sex. Dr. Nigh does not leave a topic alone because it is sensitive, rather she brings it to the table with insight and tact that can steer the conversation into a productive discussion and gets multiple students of varying education and background to collaborate and offer insight. Being an undergraduate in a class in a mixed class of grad students I often felt overwhelmed but when I did I could go to Dr. Nigh and she would walk me through issues and comfort me on these sensitive topics. She always has insight and challenging questions for me to ask myself, as well as a kind heart and ear to listen to me when the class she taught started to challenge my values. Her intellect, personality, and passion were so useful in guiding me through my journey with her in class and I don’t think that I would have gotten a better education in this topic without her." (Wade Jennings, student at Florida State University).
~ "I think what made Gender, Race and Sexuality in Performance so compelling for me was Dr. Nigh. She brought in a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight into topics that our school had yet to truly delve into. Additionally, she tackled topics with an enthusiasm that I don’t experience very often with my professors. She’s a warm, genial presence that is able to pull deeper intellectual conversations from students who may not have discussed socio-politics before. Her discussion-focused teaching style benefitted me well and helped me attain a more rounded understanding of intersectionality and performance." (Asdrubal Quintero, student at Florida State University).
~ "Dr. Nigh demonstrated a lot of knowledge as well as passion for the subject matter. Her enthusiasm and positive energy made the class more enjoyable (especially since our class was rather sassy and, at times, stressful). She made sure to give us her undivided attention and was very generous with extra credit opportunities. Also the syllabus was very organized; the study guides were very helpful and the professor was very fun!" (Anonymous sutdent review, Theatre History I, Florida State University).
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~ "I really enjoyed the mastery/knowledge Dr. Nigh had for this subject and as a whole just an overall passion for this craft. She was so excited to share her knowledge and along with that was very accomodating to a very combative class. She always composed herself and made sure to create an environment that was condusive to learning. She was very comfortable talking to a large class; she knew how to command an audience and was able to connect with students personally." (Anonymous student review, Theatre History I, Florida State University).
~ "Dr. Nigh is engaging! Which is really refreshing and exciting. She has presence, a sense of humor and has made it more than clear that she is an expert in this subject. She is also very caring and kind hearted and wants her students to take away as much as she offers in the course." (Anonymous student review, Theatre History I, Florida State University).
~ "I was introduced to Dr. Katherine Nigh during a time when I had three years of Chicano Studies background and a growing love for the performing arts, specifically acting and theatre. I knew I wanted spend the rest of my professional career submerged in both, but the idea that I had to choose between the two was instilled in me by most traditional Theatre professors. I enrolled in Dr. Nigh's World Theatre and Theatre for Social Change courses. During the length of both courses, Dr. Nigh opened my eyes to the point where social consciousness and Theatre intersect. She taught with passion and grace, with a deep respect for the subjects at hand and with a gleaming love for the power of performance. Dr. Nigh re-shaped theatre for me from a high brow, high art unchangeable entity, to one that became a vehicle for the human experience and a beacon for change. She was active in our post-bachelor's plans and she directly introduced me to Cornerstone Theater Company's Institute, which I attended on partial scholarship during the summer of 2012. I have since pursued work in the Theater that directly relates to the valuable lessons she taught and I can say has allowed me to become a more sentient performer." (Jeanette Flores, former student at Whittier College).
~ "Each day in New York City dawns with promise and prospect and just enough angsty, 20-something terror to keep me thriving. Ending up at NYU to pursue my Masters Degree is simultaneously thrilling and humbling and something that I would not have considered had I not met Dr. Nigh. She entered my life when I was a senior at Whittier College and I could not imagine a more opportune time to study with a professor so engaging and fresh. I was recently back from several study abroad experiences, gearing up to work on my fellowship and senior projects, and unsure of how to best synthesize my material and memories. I signed up to take Dr. Nigh's Theater for Social Change course thinking that it would structure the space necessary for me to explore the intersection between my two majors (Global Studies and Theater). To say that the course fulfilled and exceeded my expectations would be a vast understatement. Dr. Nigh created an environment where I felt safe, supported, and encouraged to explore the opinions of my classmates and myself on current socio-political issues and the ways that performance can be used for power. Always hoping to provide us with the best opportunities, Dr. Nigh even organized trips and performances for us (the class and greater student body) that occurred outside of class time. We attended plays by Cornerstone Theater and Culture Clash and put up a soundscape of monologues written about the Virginia Tech shooting. These extracurricular activities let me experience first-hand the knowledge that Dr. Nigh was bringing to the classroom. I truly felt inspired by her class, her dedication, and her presence. I took on my final projects with vim and vigor knowing that, even though she wasn't my assigned advisor, she was there with an open door and open mind ready to provide whatever assistance she could. I continue to revel in the commitment Dr. Nigh upholds in her academic relationships. After I graduated from Whittier, I went back to her for graduate school recommendation letters and am now in the Performance Studies program that she so motivated me to attend. I am honored to have been a student of hers and am fortunate to have her as an enduring source of advice and encouragement." (Colleen Daly, former student at Whittier College).
~"The first class I took with Dr. Kathy Nigh was Theatre for Social Change which was more than just a creative delight after having known her for a while. Though we tackled some pretty big issues such as immigration, racism, and sexism, that of which could have easily created a dichotomy of opinion, Dr. Nigh had the sensitivity and forethought to guide the conversations in a tactful yet direct manner. This not only allowed for mutual respect between my classmates, but also allowed us to voice our vastly diverse opinions which made for a fulfilling learning experience. " (Mayra Amaya, former student at Arizona State University).