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University of Montana

Beginner's Mind: Teaching From a Position of Not Knowing

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Most students believe that their teachers are experts in all aspects of the field they teach in. In April of 2009 my drama students asked me to teach Commedia dell’Arte during the upcoming school year. I did have a strong knowledge of the subject but I decided to approach the project with a beginner’s mind and take a risk teaching a form of theatre I knew little about. Over the course of the school year, my students and I learned together. We researched the history, movement, and production elements of Commedia dell’Arte. The end result was a Commedia inspired performance where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet collided with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While studying Commedia dell’Arte the students learned how to take risks, work together, write a show, produce a show, and enjoy the journey to an end result. I discovered that it is not necessary to be an expert in everything I teach. All it takes is a willingness to risk and approach the subject with a mind open to possibilities.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts (MA)
Grantor dc:publisher
University of Montana
Year
2010

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Sullivan, Tara Lynn

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1319
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-2338

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Montana Technology
Base URL
scholarworks.umt.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Sullivan, Tara Lynn. Beginner's Mind: Teaching From a Position of Not Knowing. University of Montana, 2010. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1319