Michael Seth Novick

I'm a Brooklyn based educator with a background in film and cultural studies.

I majored in Cinema and Cultural Studies at Stony Brook University. As an undergraduate teaching assistant, I helped construct the syllabi for three different courses based on my assessment of the students’ needs and abilities. Working with these students one-on-one during my office hours, I came up with new ways to communicate ideas if I found they were having trouble.

In some ways, I find teaching to be quite similar to filmmaking. I’ve made a number of short films, all of which were produced with very few resources and even less money. Part of what I find so pleasurable about this process is seeing how the limitations forced upon me make for a more creative result. The challenge of figuring out how to create something within a given set of restrictions invigorates me and, in turn, inspires others whom I work with. This kind of work requires the creativity and imagination to take an abstract idea and turn it into an image, and the resourcefulness to find a way to realize that vision on film—whether it’s building my own steadicam mount from plumbing supplies or building a makeshift dolly out of a wheelchair. In the same way, I can excite children about learning because I get excited about teaching them and uncovering their full potential, despite—or perhaps because of—the challenges of limited resources and high needs. I have strong analytical skills that help me assess a situation and move forward accordingly.

As a teacher and filmmaker, I love the challenge of problem solving and finding a way to realize the potential in every situation.