Danielle Miller
Outstanding Speech & Theatre Teacher of the Year for New Jersey 2016
Danielle Miller has always had an enormous passion for theatre. She began performing on stage at an early age and always knew that she wanted theatre to be a part of her life. Straight from high school, she interned with private acting coach Bob Luke at his studio in NYC. She then performed and toured with the off-Broadway production of Tony and Tina’s Wedding. Her experiences in NYC allowed her to see that her true passion was in directing and theatre education. Danielle went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree in theatre from Montclair State University, with a minor in musical theatre.
Ms. Miller is thrilled to be directing her eleventh production for Hoboken Public Schools this year. Being an educator fills her heart with so much joy. She is proud that ours is one of the only districts in the state to produce two musicals per school year. Under her leadership, both the HJSHS Drama and Backstage Clubs participate in four statewide theatre competitions per school year. Over the course of five years her students have won over fifty awards in monologues, scenes, improvisation, one-act plays, musical theatre singing, and theatre marketing categories.
Ms. Miller is proud of the challenging curriculum she wrote for the classes she teaches at HJSHS, including, Drama & Speech, Theatre I: Principles of Acting, Advanced Scene Study, Senior Workshop, Backstage Elements, and Dance Fitness and Appreciation. Ms. Miller has also been chosen by the New Jersey Department of Education to be on the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards theatre writing team. She will be one of a few educators to begin the standards review and revision process for theatre in the state.
Ms. Miller is the current President of the Speech and Theatre Association of NJ. This organization is the voice of advocacy for inclusion of speech and theatre arts in education curricula. This role allows Ms. Miller to collaborate, both professionally and personally, with many theatre educators in the state at both the K-12 and college levels. She helps plan two annual professional development workshops for theatre educators. She also oversees the Governor’s Awards Competition that is held at Mason Gross School Of The Arts where over thirty high schools compete from across the state.
Ms. Miller created a workshop called “How To Make Your Classroom Run Like A Well Oiled Machine”. She teaches it annually at the NJEA Teachers Convention in Atlantic City. This workshop showcases ways to engage students, establish communication skills, create teamwork within a classroom, and develop self-regulated learners through theatre exercises. It is geared for all grade and subject areas, as Ms. Miller believes that theatre techniques can be integrated into all subject areas. This opportunity has allowed Ms. Miller to connect and collaborate with English, history, science, math, and world language teachers across the state.
Ms. Miller is also the founder of Hudson County Theatre Day, which is held at HJSHS annually and is co-sponsored by Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists. This experience allows Hudson County theatre educators and students an opportunity to collaborate with other nearby schools, while learning from professional actors and college professors.
Running the theatre program for Hoboken Public Schools has been the most rewarding experience of Ms. Miller’s life. She feels like she is one part in a very large puzzle that helps adolescents figure out their path in the world. She tries her best to make a difference in her students’ lives, and to provide the consistency they need to be able to push themselves to educational success. It is an honor to be Teacher of the Year and to work with such fantastic students, colleagues, and administration daily.