Sean Corcoran
Ph.D. (ABD), M.Ed., B.Mus.
Subject: Language Arts / Creative Arts
What will my child walk away with? Stronger social-emotional intelligence, greater creative confidence, and the communication skills that come from learning to express and listen in a genuinely collaborative environment. My doctoral research at Queen’s University explores how creative music-making and improvisation support social-emotional learning, and those findings shape how I design every class.
What can families expect? A learner-centered, inclusive classroom rooted in creativity and community connection. I have taught at OISE, Queen’s University, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and I bring that breadth of institutional experience to how I work with students at Brain Power.
What does class actually feel like? Creative, warm, and genuinely community-oriented. I believe the classroom should feel like a space where students want to be, and I invest real effort in building that environment. Students who feel connected to their learning community engage more deeply and take more productive intellectual risks.
How do you challenge a curious mind? I give curious students creative problems with genuine ambiguity — challenges where there is no single correct answer and where the quality of the process matters as much as the quality of the outcome. That is a different and more demanding kind of challenge than a well-defined problem, and capable students consistently rise to it.
Credentials and Experience Ph.D. candidate in Education, Queen’s University (research on creative music-making, improvisation, and social-emotional learning). M.Ed. B.Mus. Author of multiple peer-reviewed studies and international education resources, including UNESCO’s “Arts for Transformative Education” guide. Teaching experience at OISE/University of Toronto and Queen’s University in music education, curriculum theory, and professional practice. Former teaching artist at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Former Program Manager and Teaching Artist for Sistema Kingston.
Why Sean? Why Brain Power?
My research has shown me that creativity and community are not soft additions to rigorous education — they are the conditions that make rigorous education sustainable. Brain Power’s emphasis on genuine engagement alongside high academic standards is exactly the combination my research supports.