ELAINE HENDRIKS SMITH, PH.D.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy began to take shape long before I entered a classroom. My mom, a middle school special education teacher, asked me to help her test an activity she had planned for her students. She taped a dollar bill high up on the wall then told my dad and me that whoever could reach it first could keep it. I’m six inches taller than my dad, so I walked over and grabbed the bill easily. He didn’t even try. My mom then asked us what we had learned. I said it was too easy for me, but while it wasn’t impossible for my dad, it would have taken him longer—he was at a disadvantage from the start.

With this deceptively simple exercise, my mom demonstrated that education practices which appear fair are not always equitable. Rather than explaining this concept directly, she created a learning experience that allows us to discover it ourselves. That moment shaped my understanding of teaching as a practice grounded in awareness of difference. Students arrive in my classroom with varied backgrounds, abilities, and starting points. So, effective teaching must begin by acknowledging those differences instead of ignoring them. Education is not one-size-fits-all.

As an instructor, I design courses that prioritize flexibility, transparency, and active participation so that students can access learning in multiple ways. My role is not to dictate a single path to understanding, but to create a supportive structure in which students can explore, question, and contribute. I remain actively engaged in the learning process, offering guidance when needed, stepping back when appropriate, and consistently making space for student voices to shape our collective work. My goal is to foster a classroom community where curiosity and individual discovery are not only possible, but expected.

One way I build community is by reframing the “Student Responsibilities” section of my syllabus through what I call the “Four R’s”: respect yourself, respect each other, respect the text, respect the space. Developed through years of working with young artists in summer theatre programs, these principles provide a shared language for accountability and collaboration. In courses such as Play Analysis, Directing I, and Musical Theatre History, the Four R’s function as both discussion norms and guiding values. For example, “respect the text” guides close-reading practices and analysis, while “respect each other” shapes how students give and receive feedback throughout the course. Together, these expectations help students understand that learning is a communal responsibility, not an individual pursuit.

Instructor of Record, Florida State University
History of Musical Theatre I & II, Directing I, Play Analysis

Teaching Assistant, Florida State University
Performance 1, World Theatre History I & II, Introduction to Theatre for Majors, Introduction to Theatre for Non-Majors (Online)

Guest Lecturer/Workshops, Florida State University

  • Always Auditioning, Program for Instructional Excellence, Florida State University (2023)
  • Engaging Student in a PIE-rate Adventure, Program for Instruction Excellence, Florida State University (2023)
  • Expressionism, World Theatre History, Florida State University School of Theatre (2022)
  • Theatre in the Middle Ages, World Theatre History, Florida State University School of Theatre (2021)

Teen Mentor/Teacher

  • Drama Teacher (Ages 6 – 13), Young Actors Theatre, Tallahassee, FL (2021 – 2026)
  • Mentor, Lighting, QLab & Stage Management, Young Actors Theatre, Tallahassee, FL (2021 – 2025)
  • Teacher/Director, Online Musical Theatre Summer Camp (Summer 2020)
  • Director, Intern/Apprentice Program, The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield, MI (2011 – 2019)
  • Teacher, Acting & Audition Workshops, Theatre Berman Center for the Performing Arts, West Bloomfield, MI (2011 – 2019)
  • Mentor, Lighting Design & Stage Management, Frankel Jewish Academy, West Bloomfield, MI (2008 – 2010)
  • Teacher, Improvisation Workshops (Ages 5 – 11), Matrix Theatre Company, Detroit, MI (2006 – 2009)
  • Teacher, Beginners Acting Classes (Ages 5 – 7), Matrix Theatre Company, Detroit, MI (2006 – 2009)
  • Mentor, Stage Management, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, Detroit, MI (2005 – 2011)
  • Mentor, Intern/Teen Apprentice Program, Minnesota Festival Theatre, Albert Lea, MN (1999 – 2001)