Narine Titizian
Theatre Studies & Psychology
Why did you choose Arts & Humanities at Western?
I chose Arts & Humanities at Western because I wanted to continue my education in a field that I enjoy. When starting my undergrad, I was still unsure of what exactly I wanted to pursue, which is what led to me working towards a double major in Theatre Studies as well as Psychology. I am glad that I made this decision as it allowed me to learn about two fields of interest to me. Specifically, the Arts & Humanities program at Western stood out to me and my time fulfilling my module requirements for my major in Theatre Studies helped me realize my passion for arts education.
Why did you want to undertake an internship, and why did you select the internship you did?
I wanted to undertake an internship because I am a hands-on learner. I thought it was an amazing way to balance my courses throughout the semester and have exposure to my career goal before applying to teacher’s colleges. With this in mind, I decided to select an internship that allowed me to work in a high school classroom alongside a drama teacher as Teaching Assistant.
How did you go about developing your TAship?
In developing my TAship, I first reached out to my high school drama teacher and told her about the course and the idea I had. She was incredibly supportive and open to my ideas and being my supervisor for the internship. She then directed me to look into getting permission from the school board. After I got that permission, I started thinking about what exactly my time at the school would look like. While communicating with my supervisor I decided on three of the main goals I wanted to focus on throughout my TAship, and worked on a plan that would help and guide me to practice my goals while learning from my supervisor at the same time.
What did your internship teach you about pedagogy, and how do you think it will help you become a better educator?
This internship opened my eyes to so many important details about teaching an arts course, especially the ways in which you test and grade students in a drama course. With the assignments and exams being performance-based as opposed to essays or written work, I learned many tips and tools from my supervisor such as assignment and rubrics ideas and outlines that will help me be a strong educator.
What are your plans after graduation, and how has your internship helped you to advance those plans?
One of the most valuable lessons I learned during my internship is the importance of adapting my teaching methods to cater to diverse learning styles. I encountered a classroom with students who had varied strengths and weaknesses, and I realized that a one-size-fits-all approach wasn't effective. Through observing the class engagement, and feedback from my supervisor, I honed my ability to identify individual learning preferences and modify my teaching method accordingly. This helped me to provide students with extra support individually if they needed it, and this experience taught me the importance of flexibility and continuous learning in the field of education.
What is the most valuable lesson you learned during your internship?
My teacher’s college applications were due during my time at my internship. The specific program I hoped to get accepted into required an arts résumé along with an art portfolio, and this internship provided me with many strong experiences to apply to both documents. I truly believe that this internship allowed me to stand out, and I am incredibly excited to start my program at Queen’s University in May of this year through August of next year. This program stood out to me because it is shorter in length and allows students to do one of their teaching placements in an alternative setting anywhere in the world. I will be in the Artist in Community Education program there and I cannot wait to continue to apply all that I have learned from my internship to my work moving forward.
What advice would you give to incoming Arts and Humanities students? Would you recommend undertaking an internship to other students? If so, why?
I would recommend undertaking an internship to other students! It has been one of my favourite experiences at Western during my undergrad. I encourage students to choose an internship in a field that they are passionate about and one that will help to consider future career options. I would ensure that you are ready to organize and manage your time very well, as an internship is time-consuming and requires your full attention. If you are excited about the work, you are doing then it is completely worth it. I balanced my classes at Western, my internship, and a part-time job throughout the semester and I would do it all again. The learning outcomes that came from this experience have been so incredibly valuable to me and I could not recommend the Arts & Humanities internship course more.
