Faculty Spotlight: Heather Coker Hawkins
Instructional Background
After earning an MFA in Film Production from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, Heather moved to Los Angeles and pursued a dual career in the film industry and the dance community for 15 years. Her work included serving as a camera assistant on films and as a researcher for documentary films and television productions. Her experience in casting provided insight into the entertainment industry’s labor standards. While contributing to network television shows and feature films, they also created independent films and dance performances within experimental and performing arts spaces.
Later, she pursued a second MFA in Dance from UCLA, refining their directorial vision and developing teaching strategies that integrated embodied practices with film and video. After teaching as an adjunct instructor at various institutions, they joined the University of Tennessee full-time in 2019, embracing the opportunity to contribute to its academic community.
Teaching Philosophy
Heather’s teaching philosophy centers on equity, diversity, and experiential learning through collaboration. She believes in cultivating a classroom environment grounded in compassion, understanding, and shared investment, where students are valued as experts in their own experiences. By encouraging students to explore their perspectives, they aim to create opportunities for growth and expansion.
Professional experiences in the film and television industries shaped this approach. Working on set and in production and casting offices exposed them to systemic labor inequities and opportunities for improvement. These insights drive her commitment to empowering students to seek better conditions for themselves and others.
Returning to graduate school clarified her purpose: teaching filmmaking from a performance-centered perspective, which reframes the process as collaborative and values the collective contributions of the team over a hierarchical structure. Heather guides students to question and critique existing systems, preparing them to enter the workforce equipped with knowledge, skills, and confidence. By nurturing relationships and focusing on individual impact, she strives to inspire the next generation of filmmakers and artists to create industries prioritizing human well-being alongside creative excellence.
Impact on Students
The interdisciplinary academic and career paths, spanning film, dance, and teaching, have given Heather the tools to engage with students with genuine curiosity and minimal assumptions. This open-minded approach allows her to see students’ potential, even when it is undefined. By creating a space that celebrates exploration and individuality, their classes guide students in discovering and achieving goals they may not have initially envisioned.
Training as a yoga teacher has also profoundly shaped her teaching practice. This training heightened their awareness of the varied dynamics present in a classroom, helping them navigate diverse student audiences and establish an inclusive learning environment. She strives to balance information delivery in ways that resonate with and encourage growth from multiple perspectives, ensuring students feel seen, heard, and empowered regardless of their backgrounds or prior experiences.
Significant Teaching Experience
The pandemic presented incredible challenges for everyone, offering a unique opportunity for reflection and reinvention. With little time to dwell on limitations, Heather innovated and created new content to engage students from a distance. This period reaffirmed a fundamental truth about her teaching approach: she cares deeply about her students and their growth.
Understanding that college is a choice, she views her responsibility as providing an experience that supports students’ journeys toward their chosen paths. Beyond academic and professional development, she aims to facilitate personal growth by designing assignments encouraging individual artistic inquiry and help students gain a deeper understanding of themselves while acquiring technical skills and conceptual knowledge.
Future of Teaching and Learning
Our shared future in higher education is increasingly shaped by student-centered learning and the integration of well-being pedagogy. One positive outcome of the pandemic was the rigorous reevaluation of course design and a renewed focus on curricular effectiveness. As our students change dramatically every few years, we must adapt our teaching approaches to reflect their unique needs. This includes meeting them where they are and helping them process and adapt information in ways that integrate seamlessly into their habits, values, and personal ethos.
We are also grappling with a growing sense of isolation among students and within faculty communities. Addressing this challenge requires a thoughtful and critical use of technology to forge meaningful connections and engagement. While emerging technologies have immense potential to bring people together, their role should remain a tool—a means to an end rather than the end itself. People hold the answers; tools assist in delivering them. By staying critical of the technologies we use and focusing on human connections, we can ensure our work leaves a lasting and meaningful impact on current and future students.