Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
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Live Theatre
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6 thoughts on “Live Theatre”
I think that live theater and performance in general do even more than elevate with their message. My son is also very involved in his HS theater dept (where they just performed the musical, ‘The Producers’ (Mel Brooks).
The delayed gratification of working and reworking the lines, blocking, timing, lights, sound, choreography, etc. brings people together in a common goal and creation. They will each, and as a group, never be the same again. They will each and as a group be transformed by the creation of this artwork.
I often see my son silently and unconsciously rehearsing lines and song fragments (like the din) and smiling to himself – tickled by something that happened during rehearsal.
He is reliving pieces of the artwork over and over. This interior reflection often replaces the dark self doubt, fear of growing up and going to college, wondering what his future holds, anger at our government, sadness for friends and classmates experiencing severe emotional problems…
We uplift our students similarly with the images, stories and scenes we share and create. They are ‘in the moment’ and reality is suspended. The burden and weight of growing up in an imperfect world is a distant echo. It’s a gift to our kids and to ourselves.
“We uplift our students similarly with the images, stories and scenes we share and create. They are ‘in the moment’ and reality is suspended.”
And I’m experiencing how talking TO the students via what I understand StoryListening is about helps us swiftly lift students up out of the burdens of reality more so than circling and comprehension-check questions. I’ll be doing more StoryListening after Spring Break!
And of course another theme besides classroom management next year for the PLC must be SL.
This is wonderful Alisa. Thank you, especially the fourth paragraph and the last two sentences. Those language teachers who would still bring an element of shame to their classrooms, because their students experience that they “can’t do it”, would be welcome targets for “noogies” from my right hand if I could get a hold of their heads with my left arm. My skater son Evan had suffered so much at Columbine HS in a culture that hasn’t changed since the shootings, but in the diverse (95% black and Latino kids from urban settings up in the mountains) he has found a life.
We have more problems in our high schools re: equity than we have any idea, and that is why we are addressing that problem head on this summer in Portland. I will ask Tina to expand on that below. If we can’t address the emotional needs of kids to be able to just focus on class without having to perform, we can’t address the equity issue and we will always have a large part of our classes uninvolved, because there are always a few in any group, once called upon to perform, who will outperform, with “cute answers”, etc. others. Favoring the few white “leaders” (Columbine) while other students languish, is something that we must address. We can only do it if we unpack Beniko’s research.
Our success with CI is all about attacking the equity piece, I am seeing more clearly now thanks to the work of Anna Gilcher and John Cowart. If we can’t address equity as it relates to the “cute answers” thing (made up by a white man) we won’t succeed with CI. And yes, that is not a ramble, but follows perfectly from what Alisa said in her comment above. I’m jumping on the Equity Train, and the Beniko Mason Train, if you haven’t noticed, because they are on the same track.
I love theatre. Theatre saved me. It made me the person I am today. It gave me a voice, and a community, and confidence, and escape, and put me into a high state of flow. I am taking two theatre classes starting in a week – Vocal and Physical Connections and Meisner Technique. Both are so I can learn ways to help teachers learn to be more present in their bodies, to bring the story to life as they direct and illustrate the students’ ideas.
Equity. There will be two conferences this summer where equity will be first and foremost. I just spent two days with Wade Blevins from Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Nation and the entire state of Oklahoma are dealing with deep, generational poverty. The Cherokee are also working hard to preserve their language. So far they have not been seeing a lot of success. We are working to assemble a cadre of trainers and educators to go there and demonstrate, teach, and coach on how to give NT lessons (Story Listening, One Word Images, stories with the One Word Images, Special Chair, Questionnaires, etc.). I think that NT lessons are more equity-focused. They do not try to hammer the poor slow processors with structures and grammar points that they are not ready for. They allow kids to contribute more ideas to how the stories go. And the characters they create are so good for equity. They literally represent the kids. (Of course some rare, hurting kids will try to use the drawings to try dumb kid stuff, even racist stuff. In that case, I would use Mike Peto’s “I thought you guys were the cool generation” trick!)
I also feel like NT work is more interesting so that promotes equity. It is easier for everyone to pay attention.
I also feel like NT work is more success-oriented. Success builds motivation. Kids learn to trust that we are not playing a game of gotcha like the other classes. This is good for kids who are not doing so hot in their other classes. They can have one class (besides, sometimes, art or PE or band or shop) where they can learn in a natural way, the way they were designed to learn. The way ANYONE can learn and be successful.
The Portland Cascadia Conference is the other one where we will be looking directly at the equity piece. Anna Gilcher and John Cowart will be there. ‘Nuff said!