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Artistic Statement
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THE PROJECT
Teacher Roundtables: Voices in Education is a film series that facilitates open and honest conversations with educators. Each roundtable explores a single-issue impacting teaching and learning environments and highlights the innovative strategies teachers develop to address these issues. The goal is to produce one roundtable discussion per year and eventually provide a tool kit for K-12 teachers so they can design and facilitate their own roundtables in their schools.
Teaching During the Pandemic (2024)
The teaching profession is inherently creative, demanding that educators design innovative solutions to instructional challenges and address various issues that arise daily in a teaching and learning environment. The COVID-19 pandemic showcased this creativity, as educators were thrust into unprecedented circumstances that required immediate, adaptive problem-solving. However, the rapid pace and logistical hurdles of the pandemic often left these acts of creativity undocumented.
In response, creativity scholar Matthew Worwood developed a roundtable discussion format to revisit the personal stories of six K-12 teachers during this transformative period. These conversations unearthed heartfelt anecdotes about the emotional and professional hurdles educators faced while striving to connect with and engage their students during lockdowns, as well as the profound personal toll of balancing health, well-being, and professional responsibilities as schools transitioned back to in-person learning later in the year.
Central to Matthew’s work is his construct of Teacher Creativity, defined as the deliberate actions educators take to solve problems within their teaching and learning environments. Through this lens, he facilitated a back-and-forth dialogue that uncovered the importance of relationships and how teachers went above and beyond in their effort to support students from behind a screen.
ACTORS
Leigh Ann McNamara, 1st Grade Teacher
William McDonough, High School Technology Teacher
Andrea Amado, World Languages Teacher
Tamashi Hettiarachchi, Pre-Service Teacher
Marla Kane, 7th Grade ELA Teacher
Lisa Masella, 4th Grade Teacher
Production Team
Directed by Matthew Worwood
Director/Producer, Matthew Worwood
Director of Photography, Christopher Orrico
Associate Producer, Amoni Karlos Mikem
Production Assistant, Lucas Worwood
Assistant Art Director, Miguel Ramos