Room 605, before after-school rehearsals started, is filled with the laughter and yelling of students talking to each other. The door opens and closes as students come in and out of the class. If you were to walk in, you would be greeted by vibrant colors and an army of squishmallows.
Theater teacher, Mrs. Sydney Benoit has been a teacher for four years, and she is in her third year teaching theater.
“I was really excited about it being a new campus. I knew I would be able to set up the program the way I wanted to. I moved 5 ½ hours to work here, and it’s really been paying off,” Theater teacher Mrs. Benoit said.
Of course, being a theater teacher wasn’t always her first option.
“I would do social media marketing. When I was growing up, social media was new. I’ve always really liked photography, and I’ve always liked writing,” Mrs. Benoit said.
Even though she didn’t do social media marketing, which taught graphic design, she chose to take those skills and use them in teaching.
“Some of my favorite things to teach would be design and technical things. Makeup design, costume design, and sound design. I love teaching students about making their own sound designs and lighting,” Mrs. Benoit said.
As students are learning in Mrs. Benoit’s class, they should be following the three R’s.
“Students can follow the three R’s in my class by being open to learning. I feel like if they step out of their comfort zone, they will feel better about the class. Find something throughout the class that they enjoy and gravitate towards,” Mrs. Benoit said.
Mrs. Benoit says that students should feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone, but some students are a little afraid.
“I would first let them know that their feeling are valid, everyone, at some point, has experienced those feelings. No one has any room to judge, and if you are still nervous about performing in front of a class, you can perform to the squishmallows. The squishmallows are a great audience, they are always smiling,” Mrs. Benoit said.
