An educator and an activist, Jane Elliott was the person who informed me—via youtube—that the verb to educate comes from the Latin root educere meaning to lead out. “An educator,” Elliott concludes, “is one who is engaged in the act of leading people out of ignorance.” I am drawn to Elliott’s associating educating (local, action) with leading, and educating (global, profession) with leadership. Thinking about what it would take to lead anyone out of ignorance reminds me of what trail leaders do for amateur hikers, or of what skippers do for amateur sailors. (Amateur comes from Latin for the lover of.)
how to approach this material?
On this page, I collected some notes, workshop descriptions, and reflections that I thought could shed some light on what my pedagogic practice looks like, consists of, cares for. This material might prove useful for those who’ve not met me in a studio, who’ve not seen me at work, but might be interested in my work.
Best way to find out about my work, I think, would be by talking to anyone who’s ever participated in any of my classes. I think the true document of my work and testament to my skill lies in the received and the lived experience of those I’ve worked with.
And then there’s the case of the article I published in the Journal of Performance Philosophy back in 2020, entitled The Physical Consequence to Knowing; a speculative report (link). One day, sooner rather than later I hope, this page will continue where the article left off. Here I hope to share my thoughts on my work, and share my thoughts on the ethics of non-invasive and non-manipulative pedagogy.