Deborah Deppe

Deborah Deppe spent a great deal of her life doing theatre with her B.F.A. in theatre from the University of Oklahoma, and her M.F.A. from Michigan State University. She was the managing director for Oklahoma City Theatre Company for 11 years. She started at UCO in 2006, as an adjunct teaching Fundamentals of Speech. "My greatest joy is helping students discover their voices and how to use them to express their truth." 

MCOM 1113 Fundamentals of Speech

Communication for the Classroom Teacher, (no longer taught at UCO)

Monday and Wednesday from 8:30-9:30 a.m., and 3:15-4:15 p.m., or by appointment. I can also do a Zoom meeting where needed.

My teaching philosophy is influenced by the Langston Hughes poem, Theme for English B. He writes.....

"The instructor said,

            Go home and write

            a page tonight. 

            And let that page come out of you--

            Then, it will be true."

The student then describes his life and journey but at the end realizes that his paper will also...

"But it will be

a part of you instructor.

You are white--

yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.

That's American.

Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.

No do I often want to be a part of you.

But we are, that's true!

As I learn form you

I guess you learn from me--

although you're older--and white--

and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B."

In this poem the student and the teacher have things to learn together and though we go on to bigger jobs or great graduate programs, we are a part of one another.... forever.  This is my main approach to teaching.  I want to come together with the students to work on the speech tools that matter. And maybe, down the line, they will remember to use them.