Haley Murphy

Haley Murphy

Middle School Performing Arts

This is how Middle School Performing Arts teacher Haley Murphy describes the creative process: “Being creative means being a problem solver, thinking of alternatives, striving to communicate; drama is not just about the students who will become actors,” she says. “We’re giving them opportunities that will benefit them lifelong in interviews, in doing presentations at work, and in developing empathy. Acting is always about thinking on your feet and about walking in another person’s shoes. The creative process calls each person to develop both individual talents and the interpersonal skills that help the whole group succeed. Teaching drama is about facilitating all these experiences, creating meaningful moments for each student, on and offstage.”

The young Haley grew up handing out theater programs as part of a family professionally involved in the theater, and her interest in performance grew during high school.  She attended Bennington College, where she majored in Directing, and minored in Early Childhood. She has taught theater at several area schools and at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in D.C. She is also the founder, director, and teaching artist of Dodgeball Theater in Reston, and of its Teen Ensemble. Her own creative process is sparked when using the arts to support middle schoolers going through their exciting and sometimes unsettling developmental changes, helping them navigate the shifting internal landscape with moments of joy and mastery as they mature.

Ms. Murphy is a student in the Creative Teaching Through Drama program at Catholic University.

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