Meet the Faculty - Thurmond Whatley - Aiken Technical College

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Thurmond Whatley: Program Coordinator, Developmental English and Fine Arts
Instructor: Theatre, Journalism and Developmental English; Creativity is key in Thurmond Whatley's classroom. The Developmental English and Fine Arts Program Coordinator not only teaches theater, film and journalism, but also the developmental classes designed to help students succeed in a sometimes overwhelming college setting.; "I spend a lot of effort on teaching students how to view the college experience and how to make writing work for them in college," Mr. Whatley said. "Many students need a reason for spending time and effort on subjects that they've had little success with during their public school years."; Not long ago, Mr. Whatley encountered a class in which the majority of students were uncomfortable with a standard lecture and discussion class model. Rather than insisting on having his students stick to the syllabus, Mr. Whatley asked his students to write a book about themselves. Each of eight essays addressed some aspect of the students' lives. The creativity required inspired the students to write and re-write their essays without complaint, giving them a positive learning experience.; "I also try to instill basic job skills into my courses," Mr. Whatley continued. "Be on time; call me before class when you know you will be absent; when you are absent, make sure you take responsibility to catch up on your work before the next class. It is often a battle, but during a semester, I do see improvement in the work ethic of many students."; "In theater and film courses, I try to instill some excitement in students for looking deeper into these wonderful art forms as a way of analyzing decisions they make in their own lives. For example, in writing a 10-minute play, students have to come to terms with why characters in a play are doing the things they are doing. It is always nice when students make the "ah-ha!" connection between a character's action or motivation and some decision or action in their own lives."; Mr. Whatley also puts his creativity to positive use in his activities off-campus. He recently directed a play — "When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet" — that was selected by the South Carolina Theater Association to represent South Carolina at the Southeastern Theater Conference in Orlando, Fla. The production was well received, and one actress received a festival "Best Actress Award" for her work in the play.; Mr. Whatley is also currently serving a second term as president of the board of directors of the Aiken Community Playhouse.

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