[Music] If I were to say, I'm resilient, displaced but not defeated. My mental health unstable and depleted, grateful to epitomize black excellence, yet saddened by the collateral damage, stuck in limbo, questioning what is heavier, the degree or the crown. You'd probably say, "Oh, it's just a poem about something." Yeah, it's whatever.Yet, it's more than just a poem. Yet, academically, if I were to say, black students are far more likely to experience racial discrimination than their non-black peers, and t ...

Core Argument - The presentation argues for reimagining the classroom as a stage, with teachers as performers and students as the audience [12] - It advocates for integrating pedagogical practices with performance techniques to enhance the educational experience [13] - The central idea is that teaching is a performance, requiring teachers to adapt and engage students effectively [15] Teaching & Learning - Traditional education is often unidirectional, with the teacher as an authority figure [18] - Modern classrooms should be dynamic spaces that acknowledge individual differences and feelings [20] - Effective teaching involves discipline, care, and compassion [21] - Student learning is the best form of applause for a teacher's performance [17] Teacher Identity - Teacher identity is not stable and shifts with pedagogical research and classroom experience [10] - Teachers should view lesson plans as scripts, allowing for flexibility and adaptation [21] - Teachers should embrace their role as "educators," combining education and performance [13] Personal Journey - The speaker's experience as an actor informs their perspective on teaching [5] - The speaker's journey involved transitioning from acting to teaching, finding intersections between the two [6][7] - The speaker's involvement in a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (T-OL) program shaped their understanding of pedagogy [8]