Teaching

Photos by Oxana Chi

Performing Memory Class

Zami has been teaching in higher education since 2016. In 2017, she received the First Prize in the Faculty Teaching Award from Humboldt-University's Faculty of Humanities, Social and Cultural Sciences (Fakultätspreis für gute Lehre) for her course "Performing Memory: race, gender and diaspora in cultural discourses and practices." The course also ranked Best Humanities Seminar across Germany (2016). Students produced a publication and were involved in the organization of the international symposium Moving Memory in the realm of Berlin 2050 – City of Future.

Initially offered by the Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies at Humboldt-University as part of the Berlin Teaching Quality Program (Qualitätsoffensive für die Lehre), the seminar was later taught by Zami in updated and adapted versions in the Performance and Performance Studies MFA at Pratt Institute and in the Performance Studies Department at Freie Universität Berlin (Institut für Theaterwissenschaft).

Students’ Evaluations (Humboldt-University, 2016)

"This was an excellent seminar. The instructor Layla Zami was very knowledgeable and well organized, with excellent grasp of the subject, and always able to adapt to the queries of the students, despite the broad difference in their backgrounds."

"I got a lot of new impulses and ways of looking at things and found a good space to grow in my own learning process."

"I enjoyed Layla's variety of teaching methods - she was able to engage the class both intellectually and physically, while also keeping the material accessible. As a newcomer to the subject, I felt very supported in understanding the material and appreciate the numerous forms of texts used throughout the semester. Would definitely recommend."

Students’ Evaluations (Pratt Institute, 2019)

"Very organized. The content is very rich. Layla is a very gentle and informative teacher."

"Layla has been a fantastic instructor and created such a supportive environment in the class. The wealth of knowledge and resources that she brings to every class discussion is an incredible asset to the department."

"I particularly liked how Layla encouraged students to think about the ways some of the readings (despite having totally different subjects) spoke to one another. It forced us to think across subjects and disciplines. Some really fantastic guest lecturers/artists were brought in."

"Incredibly thoughtful, sensitive, disciplined, generous and knowledgeable. Invaluable to have an international perspective in the program. Layla is a force of light and inspiration."

Students’ Evaluations (Freie Universität, 2022)

"Abwechslungsreiche Unterrichtsgestaltung und gute lehrdidaktische Methoden."

"Die Auswahl der Literatur war fantastisch! Ausnahmslos interessante Texte, die mir einen guten Einblick in die unterschiedlichsten Perspektiven gegeben hat."

"Das Seminar ermöglichte mir, mich kreativ und eigenständig mit der Thematik zu befassen und das auf eine völlig neue Weise."

"Die Dozentin war sehr offen gegenüber verschiedenen Ansichten und Ideen."

"Der respektvolle und freundliche Umgang im Seminar, der sorgfältig von Layla Zami erzeugt und aufrechterhalten wurde, hatte außerdem einen großen Einfluss auf die Verbindungen zwischen den Studierenden."

"Vielen lieben Dank für das wunderschöne, vielfältige und kreative Seminar, in dem Wissenschaft und Kunst so ausgewogen ineinanderfließen, sich gegenseitig stützend zu anderen Ergebnissen bringen."

Courses at Pratt Institute

As an Adjunct Associate Professor, and formerly Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute, Zami has taught a wide range of courses on the main campus in New York (since 2018), and for the Berlin Study Abroad Program in Germany (since 2022). Holding a main appointment in the Department of Humanities and Media Studies, she was invited to teach electives and required courses in other departments and programs such as History of Art and Design, Art & Design Education, and Writing Across the Curriculum. Her versatile teaching methods with an attention to diverse learning profiles, as well as her innovative course design and engaged pedagogy make her a much appreciated educator among students and colleagues.

Students’ Evaluations (Pratt Institute, 2019-2022)

"Dr. Zami is always attentive and willing to answer questions. She is very specific in her explanations as well as for instructions."

"She puts great care into providing us with engaging class activities and shows true interest in seeing our own work grow."

"The readings in the class are not only informative but they were diverse and helped me think from different perspectives."

"I took the class over zoom and even then I looked forward to every session, she's so passionate about her work and constructs a great classroom climate."

"Dr. Zami puts in a lot of effort to make the class relevant to the interests of the students, and keeps her syllabus updated with really contemporary scholars doing exciting work. She teaches with care and compassion."

Studies Project at Movement Research, 2019

"Memory Moves" was a public event organized by Layla Zami for students in the Performance + Performance Studies Graduate Program at Pratt Institute, New York. Students contributed with presentations and performances. The session also featured special guest performances by Oxana Chi and Sheldon Raymore.

Workshops

The workshop "Moving Tongues" was originally conceived together with Oxana Chi for the association LesMigraS for the Series "Tapesh! With Heart and Vision against Violence and Discrimination," funded by the Berlin City Council. Since then, Chi and Zami offer the workshop regularly in various contexts. For instance, we have been invited to facilitate workshops for the Augsburg Peace Summer School and the GLADT Q PoC Summer School. In this workshop about words and body language, we use activities that focus on speaking, moving, and writing to learn how to navigate more easily our daily environment, especially in a foreign language setting. We address traumatic and empowering experiences. Other workshops include "Aus der Reihe tanzen" facilitated for the corporeality series "körper_n" at the association xart splitta.

Upon request, our workshops can be facilitated specially for specific audiences, e.g. women* only, people in exile, LGBT*, and/or people of color.