When I first stepped into Caleen J.'s Acting II class at American University, I had no idea of the challenges I was about to face both intellectually and emotionally. As she introduced herself to us, I could tell that she was a woman of great strength and passion. However, I never expected to become a woman of strength just by taking her class.

     People oftentimes expect arts and performing classes to be easier than other "academic courses. Caleen's Acting II was the anti thesis of easy. From the first day she gave us challenging theatrical material and a rigorous work load. I still remember what she said to us the first day of class: "I want your dedication, I want your work, I want your strength, I want your energy, I want your creativity, and if you've got dreams I want them too." We gave her all these things, but she gave us more.

     She taught us as whole people. She taught us how to act, how to dissect a script, how to perform Shakespeare, and how to be a character. But more importantly, she taught us how to be a human being. She taught us how to be good, confident, supportive human beings who were not afraid to take risks in order to learn and grow. She gave us practical advice as well. Both about the professions we would be going into and also about maintaining a secure sense of ourselves when struggling in the professional world.

     Another wonderful aspect to her teaching was that it did not stop once you left the class setting. It was not so much that her door was always open- she is an extremely busy woman. It was the fact that her heart was always open. The fact that you could come to her and she would give you full access to her knowledge, sympathy, and advice made her a wonderful mentor as well as a teacher.

     The fact that she was an extraordinarily nice person does not mean that she was an easy grader. In many ways, Acting II was my most demanding class for the first semester. Any performance class in general demands a lot of physical, intellectual, and creative work. Caleen asked for our very best and did not accept any less. The wonderful thing about this was the fact that when you got a high grade you knew that you deserved it and it really meant something. So many times in this society, grades do not always have substance. In Caleen's class, your grade really meant something. At the same time, Caleen was a person who could put grades in perspective. A grade to her was a guide to where you were in the process of your work. They did not define you as a person. Whether you were doing well in her class or not she always treated you with the utmost respect. This is the most important thing a teacher can do for his/ her students: treat them with respect.

     As I look back at what I learned from Caleen, I realize that her class really has shaped who I am today (one semester later- haha). I really feel as though she made me aware of the journey I am on. She made me aware of the roads I have walked up to now and she opened my eyes to the many future paths that I can choose to travel. Caleen was truly the best teacher I have ever had because of her extensive knowledge of the subject she taught and because of the way in which she inspired us to respect and believe in ourselves- which is really the hardest and most important journey anyone can go through. It would be nice if there were more teachers like her who could help us along this path of getting through life.

Christine Reinhardt
American University