Teaching Method Evolution - Traditional lecture methods are becoming less effective for Gen Z students due to technological advancements [2][3] - Active learning strategies, such as writing activities and short engaging videos, improve student focus and engagement [17] - Incorporating props, real-world examples (Netflix, Game of Thrones), and creating a safe environment enhance student learning [10][11][12] Frameworks for Enhanced Learning - The "writing shapes thinking" approach, used since the late 1980s, can be applied to computing education [8] - The AGES model (Attention, Generation, Emotion, Spacing) helps students remember content better [9][10][11][12][13] Impact of Active Learning - Active learning methods improved success rates in a first-year unit by 13%, increasing from 63% to 76% in a 2,000 student cohort through 2023 [18] - Digital learning is not just a backup plan; short videos can achieve high engagement rates (75-77%) [15][16] Adapting to Student Needs - Face-to-face lectures are important for first-year students to build confidence, while third-year students may prefer online videos for employability [18][19] - Educators should reflect on why they teach, how they teach, and who they are teaching for, rather than blaming students for disengagement [23]

Racial Discrimination & Black Experiences - Black students are more likely to experience racial discrimination than non-black peers, especially at less diverse institutions [2] - One in four (25%) black employees have experienced racial discrimination due to their race, based on a 2021 Gallup study [2] - Blackness is often discussed with a deficit-oriented mindset, exemplified by questions dismissing the continued relevance of addressing racism, HBCUs, or Black History Month [10] Poetry & Pedagogy - Poetry serves as a means to preserve history, share culture, tell stories, and inform the masses [13] - Poetry can be integrated with pedagogy to help students understand the nuances of blackness and black identity [14][15] - Freeverse, prose, and personal stories can be used to assess student learning, amplify black voices, and create spaces that center black joy and culture [16] - Poetry is passion, purpose, intellect, and resistance [17] Social Justice & Black Identity - Activism will continue to oppose systems that disenfranchise people within the African diaspora as long as acts of injustice exist [12] - Black experiences are real, and poetry transcends beyond the confines of a classroom [19] - Historically white institutions may be complacent in addressing the needs of black students, staff, and faculty [18]

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]