Community Arts Partner

Teaching Approach

Teaching Philosophy + Approach

I have been a teaching artist for 20+ years. My philosophy of teaching art is to empower youth to take ownership of the process by including them in all aspects of the production. Youth decide the idea of the play they want to do, choose their characters,  improvise the script, aid in selection of music, choreography, light and sound depending on their interests. I work mainly with youth aged 5-18. I enjoy working with youth because their minds are so open without the censor that we get as adults, so it helps me as a writer to quiet my own censor. I work often with youth of color and at-risk kids from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I have worked with youth involved in the juvenile justice system to create plays about their life experiences and taught youth to be journalists to interview unsung heroes in the Rainier Valley. A lot of the youth I've worked with have been from the Rainier Valley and the Central District, the most diverse and underserved areas of the city. I consider my experience working with diverse populations and students with no previous acting experience my strongest assets.

Curriculum Integration Possibilities

Math Geography Science English Literature Music Art Dance Athletics

Special Skills and Areas of Expertise

My greatest strength is working with diverse underserved populations, disadvantaged youth, youth affected by the criminal justice system and other forms of violence, youth with behavioral problems, ELL, and special education populations

Testimonials from Schools

Kathya used nuanced humor and song to provide the audience with a glimpse into the first-hand experiences of normal people living through and being a part of the Civil Rights Movement. Her ability to adapt her stories to a classroom setting was also remarkable; she provided a self-contained history and social justice lesson while spinning a tale that captivated adults and children alike. – Cultural Center Director at Whitman College I was inspired to write this because Ms. Alexander held a writing workshop at Maple Elementary. I hadn’t really written the type of writing I submitted since I attended Chief Stealth High School in 1992. When I attempt to write I feel I have a lot of grammatical errors due to my starting life as an ELL student. I whole heartedly appreciate you choosing my piece of writing for your mothers day edition of your paper.  Teaching Assistant after I submitted her poem to the South Seattle Emerald for publication I really enjoyed listening to your story.  One of my favorite parts was how you didn’t understand why you were treated so poorly by whites.  I especially liked your style of storytelling.  It was very active.  You always kept me laughing. – Middle Schooler at Lake Washington