Teacher

Philosophy

“The more fun you’re having, the more you’ll remember and learn. It’s as simple as that.”

I believe that teaching should never be a joke and always be taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and entertaining. I was homeschooled for part of my middle school and all of my high school years, which has informed a lot of my teaching style and philosophy. Even in lecture-based classes, I often try to encourage (but never force) creative discussion and design games or other activities (when appropriate) for students to do during class.

I favor the more hands-on approach to learning. I do my best to incorporate as much activity-based learning into my lessons as possible. In my experience it has yielded better results in absorbing material. I particularly enjoy utilizing media in my lessons and will often make use of video, music, etc. to make them fun but still modern and practical.

Finally, I strive for complete understanding in my lessons. For example, when learning the Japanese language, I aim to help the student understand grammatical structures, phrases, etc. in the context of Japan’s culture/history/society. In so doing I aim for students to be able to navigate their own conversations in Japanese more naturally.

Experience: University Level

Tufts University, Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies (2022-Present)

JPN 62 Modern Japanese Literature (Fall 2023) – Teacher
JPN 80 Japanese Film (Fall 2023-2024 & Spring 2023) – Teacher
JPN 73: Japanese Popular Culture (Fall 2022-2024) – Teacher
JPN-92-01 Special Topics: Modern Japanese Women’s Literature (Spring 2023-2024) – Teacher
JPN-92-02 Special Topics: Theatre & Society in Japan – Traditional to Modern (Spring 2024) – Teacher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Music and Theater Arts (Fall 2022-2023 & Spring 2023-2024)

Fully developed and have been teaching undergraduate-level course 21M.710 Script Analysis, focused on the theatrical interpretation of a wide range of playscripts every semester since Fall 2022. Designed course to fulfill MIT’s Communication Intensive in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences requirement.

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Department of Theatre and Dance (2015-2021)

THEA 101 Introduction to Theatre (Fall 2015) – Teacher’s Assistant
THEA 414 Women in Drama and Theatre (Fall 2015) – Teacher’s Assistant
THEA 763D Gender & Ghosts in Supernatural Japan: Stage & Film (Spring 2021) – Teacher; Graduate-Level Seminar Course

Experience: Guest Lectures

Bates College

“From Monster Cats to Dead Wet Girls: The Evolution of the Monstrous Feminine in Japanese Horror” – Lecture presented for the Asian Studies Program, September 2023

Wellesley College

JPN 252 Supernatural Japan (Fall 2022) – Lecture on female spirits and The Peony Lantern
JPN 356 Hauntings in Modern Japan (Fall 2020) – Lecture on The Peony Lantern as both literary narrative and kabuki performance

University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

WGSS 481 Women and Film (Fall 2021 & 2022) – Lectures on Japanese horror and women
DNCE 459 Drag Performance (Spring 2016) – Lecture on the onnagata in kabuki theatre and the otokoyaku in the Takarazuka Revue
THEA 312 World Theatre History (Fall 2016) – Lecture on kyōgen
THEA 428 & THEA 420 C Kyogen Theatre Movement & Voice (Fall 2016) – Lectures on background/history and discussion of plays in kyōgen

Experience: Junior/Middle & High School-Level

Outschool (May 2020-Present)

Online teacher of seminars and multi-week courses on Japanese language, history and culture in classes of up to 10 students ranging in age from 10 to 17.

For more detailed descriptions of class offerings, please visit Jennifer’s Outschool Profile.

Anime On-Stage – Seminar; 80 min.
Monster Cats & Dead Wet Girls: Japanese Horror for Stage & Film – Seminar; 80 min.
Ninja: Myth Meets History – Seminar; 80 min.
Samurai: Myth Meets History – Seminar; 80 min.
She’s the Man: Performing Gender in Japanese Theatre – Seminar; 80 min.
Anime History & Culture – 10-Week Course; 75 min. Weekly
Blood & Honor: The Warrior in East Asian Cinema – 6-Week Course; 75 min. Weekly
From Noh to Anime Musicals: A Crash Course in Japanese Theatre – 8-Week Course; 75 min. Weekly
Japanese Folklore: Ghosts Monsters & Strange Tales – Ongoing Course; 1 Hour Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture I: Traveling in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture II: Going to School in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture III: Living in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture IV: Making Food & Fashion in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture V: Having Fun With Media in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture VI: Eating in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Culture VII: Taking in the Seasons & Nature in Japan – 8-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Learn Japanese Through Music – 6-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly
Samurai History & Culture – 10-Week Course; 75 Min. Weekly

Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program (2012-2014)

Co-taught and led English classes for students at a Japanese high school in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Learned how to engage and teach young students material that they were adverse to learning by utilizing hands-on activities, music, video and PowerPoint.

Also taught monthly at a special needs school with elementary to middle school-age students.

MIT Educational Studies Program (2006-Present)

Teacher of seminars and occasionally multi-week classes on Asian studies to middle school and high school students attending programs hosted by MIT Educational Studies Program (ESP).

For more detailed descriptions of classes taught for MIT ESP, please visit Jennifer’s MIT ESP Teacher’s Profile.

SPLASH 2006: 4 Hours of Teaching; New Seminars: “How to Become a Samurai and Ninja in 2 Hours” & “Days of the Wolves of Mibu: Shinsengumi!”
SPLASH 2007: 8 Hours of Teaching; New Seminars: “True History Behind Samurai Anime” & “Legends of the Samurai and Ninja”
The Many Faces of Japanese History (HSSP Summer 2008) – 8-Week Course; 2 Hours Weekly
SPLASH 2008: 8 Hours of Teaching; New Seminar: “Japanese Culture: Traditional Meets Modern”
SPLASH 2010: 6 Hours of Teaching; New Seminars: “Samurai versus Ninja”, “Testing the Waters of Japanese Culture” & “Japanese Folklore: Kitsune, Oni and Yuurei, Oh My!”
Japanese Culture: Traditional Meets Modern (HSSP Spring 2011) – 8-Week Course; 2 Hours Weekly
Spark 2012: 4 Hours of Teaching; New Seminar: “Blood and Honor: The Story of the Warrior in East Asian Cinema”
SPLASH 2017: 8 Hours of Teaching; New Seminars: “Insider’s Guide to Traveling/Living in Japan” & “Monstrous Wives & Dead Wet Girls: Exploring the Horrors of Female Ghosts in Japan”; New Workshop: “Playwriting Intensive”
SPLASH 2019: 4 Hours of Teaching; New Seminars: “J-Horror: Dead Wet Girls & Monstrous Mothers” & “From Noh to TeniMyu: A Crash Course in Japanese Theatre”
Blood and Honor: Deconstructing the Warrior in East Asian Cinema (HSSP Summer 2020) – 6-Week Course; 1 Hour Weekly

Voyagers Homeschooling Cooperative Center (2006-2008)

Taught courses pertaining to Japanese history, language, culture and literature to homeschooled students ranging from middle school to high school level at the Voyagers Homeschooling Cooperative Center in Acton, MA.