When deciding the location for our walk, drama teacher Kara Neufeglise knew they wanted to be close to water. We began at the Claude Dubrick trailway along the Grand River in Waterloo. When muddy conditions and fallen logs required us to turn back, we moved to Colonial Creek Link in the Eastbridge neighbourhood, still following the water.
“Water for me is such a grounding thing…it’s consistent, which I love,” Neufeglise said. “My granny Pat…inspired my love of water…There was a river and a creek and a pond on her property [in Neustadt], so water is just so important to me.”
We paused to take in the sights of the Grand River, including the nesting waterfowl.
“I love animals so much,” Neufeglise said. “It’s why I was a little bit late today. There was this cute dog outside my house.”
Neufeglise grew up in Walkerton, and after experiencing housing insecurity while still a teenager, they moved to Kitchener to live with their aunt and fell in love with the area. They attended the University of Waterloo for drama, psychology and French, then received their teaching credentials from York University.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I had a really bad teacher and a really good teacher, and they inspired me to go that route,” Neufeglise said.
They started teaching in the Upper Grand region, then made the move to the Waterloo District and landed at Grand River Collegiate Institute. Their teaching process is shaped through the practice of unlearning, relearning and learning.
“I truly love my job,” Neufeglise said. “I’m so lucky. And I get to teach drama, which is the best.”
They first discovered their love of drama and performing while attending an alternative school for students struggling with absenteeism. A local group brought puppets to the class and the students performed at elementary schools.
“That’s kind of when I realized I love being someone else,” Neufeglise said. “I love acting, I love working with kids. That’s really where teaching came from.”
Before pursuing a teaching career, Neufeglise stretched their performance muscles as a webcam correspondent for MuchMusic. They got into that work through a Jonas Brothers MySpace fan page they ran and used to help promote other musicians.
“One of the artists that I helped to promote in the early days was Taylor Swift,” Neufeglise said. “She invited a bunch of the MySpace people [to MuchMusic]…she walked in, and anyone that kind of screamed or freaked out was taken out of the room…it ended up being me and like four other people [in the room], and they offered us [positions as] webcam correspondents on Much on Demand.”
Neufeglise dabbled in drag performance and has worked as an extra in movies and television, but now channels most of their creative energy into opportunities for their students. They ran a student-created one-act play festival in January, they facilitate the annual Haunted Hallway and they teach a highly sought after Director’s Craft class. The students selected for the class have the opportunity to direct a full-length production; the school will present Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution in June.
Even during their time off, Neufeglise is always thinking about ways to support their students.
“I would love to dabble in writing because…it would save a lot of money [on rights],” Neufeglise said. “Also, I feel that it would be another creative outlet for me to enjoy.”
They are taking a theatre carpentry workshop in the summer to bring those skills back to the classroom.
“I think for me, theatre has come down to being about the kids,” they said. “[Help them] amplify their voices.”
We stopped to watch some ducks paddle in the creek and met a friendly dog crossing a bridge as I asked Neufeglise about their classroom experiences.
As a non-binary teacher, Neufeglise has to navigate a system that still relies heavily on the gendered honourifics of “Mr.” and “Mrs.”. Their decision was to go only by their last name, forgoing any title.
“I have some students that will intentionally [say] ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs.’, but I found that not letting it bother me has really helped,” Neufeglise said. “When they see it doesn’t bother me, they stop…also, it’s really cool to see them correct each other.”
Neufeglise finds a lot to celebrate amongst their students, citing their inclusivity and creativity as highlights. They teach site-specific theatre which encourages exploring the school with new eyes, as well as autoethnographic work which uses qualitative methods and draws on lived experiences, centering the researcher as subject. This form of creation can expand to fit any number of themes and experiences, and for those emerging playwrights who want to tackle difficult moments from their history, the performance element adds a layer of distance that increases security.
“There’s protection within stories,” Neufeglise said. “You’re able to poke at some of those sensitive things without actually hurting them.”
When Neufeglise does take a break from teaching, they enjoy curling, horror movies and true crime podcasts. And while pursuing hobbies and connecting with nature are important, they feed Neufeglise’s true passion and calling, which is supporting students and creating opportunities for young people to shine and be heard through art.
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