Meet Amira Pollock
When Amira Pollock walks into a classroom, she is living her life’s dream and sharing her passion for learning new skills. "I come from a family of educators, and it’s all I ever wanted to do. I've always enjoyed teaching and using empathy to put myself in someone else's shoes and being hands on. I bring that to every class."
With 20 years’ experience, Pollock’s credentials include a B.A. degree from Rice University and a M.F.A. degree in Theatre Education from UT, where she studied learning styles and techniques such as improvisation that she puts to use in her popular courses .
She is known as a creative, approachable and energetic instructor and delivers an array of "soft skills" courses though the Center for Professional Education, McCombs School of Business and custom programs arranged through Extended Campus Custom Training (ECCT).
"I teach students how to story tell and think on their feet, to communicate and be engaging. These may be soft skills, but they are essential."
Abandoning the Comfort Zone
It can be challenging to translate skills taught in a comfortable classroom to the real-world environment, but Pollock's approach simulates high pressure situations so that students can practice within that relaxed classroom. Her students are engaged, often moving about and exercising poise under pressure. Games, role play, scenarios and other non-lecture activities allow students to learn and practice under pressure in a low-stakes environment.
Students will find Pollock encouraging and caring, even nurturing - traits she uses to push them to take risks for the sake of learning in a safe environment.
"Learning doesn't happen in the comfort zone. I also find that my students want actionable takeaways, things to do, and they want very direct feedback. I do that for them. I don't sugarcoat things, but I make sure it's done in a really supportive atmosphere."
"I don’t believe in death by PowerPoint. I believe in the power of practice and the best thing I can do is give you the gift of facilitating activities that aren't easy, that push you outside of your comfort zone. But that helps you grow. And it's fun."
Teaching Designed for Learning
"I make sure that I'm not just lecturing, because research has confirmed that is not how everyone learns. I embrace multiple learning styles, so instead of just me talking at them, there are visuals and discussion opportunities, plus experiential activities."
For example, students in a public speaking class may be asked to respond to questions pulled from a hat instead of from a work sheet. "You get nervous being called on to answer questions. This way we can focus on the interesting hat full of questions instead."
Another exercise has students voting for "pizza" or "tacos" by lining up at opposite sides of the room. Once they start talking about their choices, they are literally thinking on their feet without the anticipated fear of speaking.
Pollock, who has presented at SXSW since 2016, credits TED Talks for inspiring fresh teaching approaches. She often uses TED Talks videos or clips from shows such as "Mad Men" and "Friends" in her courses. "People love them."
Challenging at All Levels
Pollock has been praised for instruction that reaches students at all levels in the same class. "I can have someone who's closer to the beginning of their career and someone who is at the very pinnacle of their career and make sure that they're both challenged in my course.
"As a student growing up, I never wanted to be bored. So, I make sure that my students are all finding something challenging with the material. If someone is struggling, I’ll go to my one-on-one coaching. If someone looks bored. I'll throw a challenge at them."
Ultimately, Pollock believes her lessons will be memorable and useful because they are relevant, engaging and fun. Her students agree:
"The four-hour session seemed to fly by. In the short amount of time our group worked with Amira, we all walked away with some usable tactics to integrate into our daily work lives. Amira brings a renewed zest to communication training."
"This course was so fun. I know that sounds counterintuitive when you think about public speaking but the different exercises we did throughout the class were entertaining and educational. Amira is very knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. Everyone felt included without feeling the pressure of participation. I strongly recommend this class AND this instructor."
"I took Amira's Business Improv class at UT several years ago. It was a great experience and helped me to be more open to new opportunities at work. The 'Yes, and!' approach is so helpful when receiving new ideas for projects or when managing a brainstorm. It helps keep your mind in the right place, rather than worrying about the outcome (which is when ideas tend to fail). I also loved how playful she made situations at work seem, a lot of times we forget that work can be FUN and enjoyable. She helped me remember that and I use many of her tips still today!"
Engage Pollock to Train Your Team
If Pollock's specialties line up with key skills that your team needs to build, contact the Extended Campus Custom Training team to explore the custom training options available to you.
