Gail N. Herman

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Dr. Gail N. Herman is a professional storyteller and consultant for students and teachers.  She teachers "Storytelling, Mime, and Movement:  Making Learning Kinesthetic and Creative" at the University of Connecticut's Confratute Summer conference/institute on innovative education.  Her PhD is in Curriculum and Instruction and Talent Development from UConn.  Her interests include bringing the arts into schools in order to more fully reach students with kinesthetic and spatial, musical and artistic strengths in learning.  In order to bring the storytelling arts to the community she performs regularly in schools, libraries, and civic organizations; she also conducts workshops for teachers, librarians, and interested businesses.  

Over 1,000 students have benefitted from Gail's residencies integrating either storytelling or the movement arts in reading, literature and poetry, science and social studies.  Gail designs the residency to suit the teachers' students needs and the Core.  

Gail has taught storytelling and kinesthetic learning courses for Lesley University, early childhood, storytlling and speech courses for Garrett College, gifted and talented, storytelling and education courses at Frostburg State and West Virginia State Universities.  For 8 years she presented workshops in Kinetic Energy in the Visual Arts for Dr. Renee Sandell's Art Education class aat George Mason University and for Karen Carroll at Maryland Institute College of Art.   

Gail is the author and co-author of three books:  

1. Storytelling: A Triad in the Arts,  2. Kinetic Kaleidoscope: Exxploring Movement and Energy in Visual Arts, and 3. Mischievous Martha: New York City Wanderings, Foster Care, and Orphanage Life.  

She also wrote Sylvester and the Grumps, published by Garrett County Head Start and many chapters and articles in books and journals.  She was director of the Oral History Project entitled Coal Talk: Dialogues with Western Maryland Coal Communities, which is housed in Garrett College, Maryland.

 

Primary Discipline

Theater - Storytelling

Additional Disciplines

Theater - Mime

Activities

Arts for Social Change / Creative Activism
Arts Instruction / Lessons
Community Arts
Performance / Concert / Reading
Professional Development / Training
Residency - Community
Residency - In School
Residency - Other
Wedding / Parties / Private Gatherings
Writing Services
Workshops / Demonstrations / Master Class

Additional Links:

Awards

  • Storytelling Contest, Second Place, E. Sandwich Library
  • Woman of the Year, Garrett County 2010
  • Honor Societies for Academics and Theater
  • Awarded grants in MA, MD, NH, and CT over the years

Education

  • PhD University of Connecticut, Education, C & I, Talent Development
  • MA University of Massachusetts, Speech & Theater
  • MEd Univ. of Massachusetts, Aesthetics in Education
  • BA Paterson State College, Education, N-8

Professional Associations

  • National Storytelling Network, Board of Directors, Northeast Region
  • National Association for the Education of Gifted Children
  • Mid-Atlantic Oral History Association, Life Member
  • Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students: Board of Directors
  • West Virginia Storytelling
  • Connecticut Storytelling Center
  • DKG Education Service Association
  • Northeast Storytelling
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children: Life Member

Additional Information

  • Is a Teaching Artist
  • Is a Touring Artist
  • Approx. 48 events per year
  • Geographic Reach: City/Town-wide, County-wide, Surrounding Counties/Region, State-wide, Surrounding States/Region, Nationally, Internationally
  • Seasons active: Year round