Jason Zembuch – South Plantation
High School
Personal Statement
What would you say is/are the
most important thing(s) you believe in as an art teacher?
If there is one belief that I am able to instill in my kids before they leave me, it is that “no” and “can’t” don’t exist. When faced with obstacles, we must figure out how to overcome them, not if we can overcome them. And if it is important enough to us, when we hit that wall, we are willing to walk 500 miles along the side of that wall just to turn the corner and walk 500 miles back to the exact same spot in order to continue our journey. “No” does not mean “no,” it simply means “not that way.”
If there is one belief that I am able to instill in my kids before they leave me, it is that “no” and “can’t” don’t exist. When faced with obstacles, we must figure out how to overcome them, not if we can overcome them. And if it is important enough to us, when we hit that wall, we are willing to walk 500 miles along the side of that wall just to turn the corner and walk 500 miles back to the exact same spot in order to continue our journey. “No” does not mean “no,” it simply means “not that way.”
If we are able to start from here, I think the rest falls in
place. An environment in which “failure”
is safe is able to be created and we, both my students and I, can then take
risks and make new discoveries about not only our craft, but about who we are
as people.
What is your greatest
contribution to your students, your profession, and to the Arts?
Ten years ago, I began teaching atSouth Plantation
High School
and met my first deaf student. His name
was Helder and he loved acting. And then
came Jesse, Giovanna, Suany, Sean, Isaiah, Genes, and the list goes on. As my program grew, so did the number of deaf
and hard of hearing students within that program.
Ten years ago, I began teaching at
Ten years ago, I would walk through the halls on a typical school day
and see deaf students with deaf students and hearing with hearing. However, after school, the rehearsal hall was
different. Hearing students were exposed
to and embraced deaf culture and deaf students found themselves embraced and
valued by their hearing colleagues. An
ensemble was born with a new and unique dynamic. But this new dynamic did not simply stay
within the walls of the theatre. Today,
one needs only to walk the halls at South
Plantation High
School to see how theatre can make a
difference. The change is astonishing.
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