Performing Arts Teacher (Pre K – Eighth Grade) at Missoula International School
Spotlight Society Member at Missoula Children’s Theatre
What inspired you to become a teacher, and what do you love most about working with students through the arts?
As a child, the performing arts, dance and theater classes were my happy place. They offered a sanctuary where I could be myself, and a place that I felt inspired and seen. It is one of my greatest hopes to provide that same kind of safe, inspiring, and creative space for my students.
I have suffered from an anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember, another reason I was drawn to becoming a teacher. I know what it is like to suffer quietly, needing the expressive, creative outlet that performing arts can provide. Those classes and productions allowed me to channel the anxiety that was confusing and frustrating to me into something else. It continues to be the tool that helps calm my brain.
For me, the performing arts were a lifeline that offered support and community. I knew that I could find other people that were like me (sensitive, expressive, creative, empathetic) in those places, and those relationships not only saved me when I was growing up, but still to this day are where some of my closest lifelong friendships bloomed. I have wanted to share that same type of classroom that helped me flourish at different points in my own life.
It is essential to me that all my students feel valued and supported in my class. Their ideas and choices drive much of what we do, both in my classes and across Missoula International School. We teach a hands-on, inquiry- and project-based program that gives students ownership of their work and helps them make transdisciplinary connections. I am beyond grateful to teach at such an inspiring place! The Missoula Children’s Theatre models this same spirit through their camps, workshops, and after-school youth programs. These programs give me hope for the future of the performing arts. I’m constantly inspired by the incredible talent, kindness, and work ethic of the students and staff involved. MCT is an organization that leads by example, helping guide the next generation of performers, artists, teachers, engineers, doctors, and more.
Lastly, I love having fun with my students. I love dancing, singing, playing instruments and acting, which makes teaching these subjects inspiring and fun. I have found that if you are having fun and enjoy what you are teaching, your students will most likely have fun and engage authentically as well. They say that if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life, and I absolutely agree with this sentiment!
Do you have a favorite success story or moment when you saw a student’s confidence or creativity blossom through music or performance?
One of my proudest moments as a teacher began with a conversation during recess with a 4th grade student. He asked if he could sing a song from a musical he had seen while visiting his grandparents. This student had never done anything like this before, and I emphatically answered, “YES!” The musical Hamilton truly changed his life—and mine—in the best possible way.
This student had always been shy in my class, despite my efforts to build his confidence and find ways for him to connect with music. He had been my student since he was four years old and had struggled with stage fright, often participating from the wings or partnering with me rather than performing alone.
But after seeing Hamilton live, something ignited in him. Not only did he thrive in my class with a newfound love for musical theater, he also gained confidence in other subjects like English and Humanities. His English teacher shared journal entries and a spin-off play he had written, celebrating the same spark we had both seen.
His joy in singing and rapping to the songs from Hamilton was infectious, spreading through his classmates until all the 4th and 5th graders asked to create a Hamilton mash-up for their end-of-year performance. I designed a unit connecting American Government and music, and it became one of my favorite collaborations ever—an epic performance where every student gave their all.
This is the power of theater, music, and the performing arts. I will never forget this profound, incredible experience. Moments like this light me up as a teacher, inspiring me to keep growing, evolving, and becoming the best version of myself.
What would you tell others about the importance of supporting the arts — both in schools and through community organizations like MCT?
Performing Arts education fosters creativity, develops critical thinking skills and helps develop emotional intelligence. The integration of the performing arts through school and/or community programs is an essential element to a thriving community. In my opinion, the Finnish educational system has the absolute best model of an inclusive, progressive curriculum that I hope the entire world eventually adopts. The ideals of their model are in alignment with the values of programs in our Missoula community such as MCT, Zootown Arts and the Missoula International School. Their model does an incredible job of highlighting why the arts are essential and integral within their communities.
Finnish schools offer comprehensive arts education from an early age, encompassing visual arts, music, drama and literature. This approach ensures that students have the opportunity to explore their artistic talents and develop a well-rounded skill set. In Finnish schools, students engage in interdisciplinary projects that encourage the integration of arts with other subjects. This not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also demonstrates the interconnectedness of art with various aspects of life.
(Works Cited; Mimi Pieper, senior Computer Science major (minor in Rhetoric and Reason) in the SOU Honors College)
The performing arts have always been a huge part of my life, offering me a way to release emotions and channel my feelings creatively and positively. Dancing and singing are like breathing—essential to who I am. Knowing there are many others who feel the same is one of the main reasons I became a teacher. I wanted to help students who, like me, need the arts to feel like themselves and need a place to explore and create.
In my classroom, I hope to offer that space—where students can explore many facets of the performing arts and connect with them in ways that feel authentic. I want my students to feel safe taking creative risks, to be fully themselves, and to build the confidence to advocate for arts education in the future because they’ve experienced its value firsthand.
The performing arts foster social-emotional growth, build community, and help students find their voice—skills that are vital in today’s world and will be even more essential in the future. My hope is that through these experiences, my students will not only gain confidence but also become advocates for the arts in their communities, having personally experienced their profound, lasting impact.
If you could share one hope for the future of arts education in our community, what would it be?
My biggest hope for the future of performing arts education is that it becomes more accessible to everyone, everywhere, all the time. One of the many reasons I love Missoula Children’s Theatre is that their little red truck program is making that dream a reality for children all over the world. I love hearing stories about friends who were positively impacted by MCT in places far from Montana. My cousins have participated in MCT plays in North Dakota, Arizona, and overseas. To me, this represents hope—and it brings such joy to my heart thinking about all the excited kids who get to experience the joy of belonging in a play, thanks to MCT, their touring actor/directors, and their little red trucks! They are bringing the performing arts to communities that might not otherwise have the opportunity.
I also hope that performing arts programs continue to create opportunities for students to develop not just as performers, but as kind, supportive community members. Missoula Children’s Theatre excels at this. Their philosophy always puts being a good human first-building community and friendship within the cast and group. Those connections form the foundation for strong performances and lifelong friendships. From team-building games during warm-ups to backstage traditions like Secret Santa and opening night good-luck gifts, MCT productions create a culture of kindness, inclusion, and community.
As a Spotlight Society supporter, what motivated you to give to Missoula Children’s Theatre, and what does that partnership mean to you as an educator?
Some of my most cherished memories have come from participating in community shows with Missoula Children’s Theatre. I feel so much gratitude for the friendships and memories that I have made during those experiences. A few of those shows provided the opportunity to perform alongside a few of my students, making those shows even more memorable and special to me. MCT is one of my favorite places in the whole world and getting to share that treasured place and the joy that it brings to me with my students, while working on a production together, to me is priceless. That is my million dollars! The impact that MCT has on our community and the opportunity that it brings to children and adolescents all over the world is breathtaking to me and I will forever do all that I can to help ensure that Missoula Children’s Theatre is here to inspire many generations to come!