The last four weeks of school have been absolutely frustrating, crazy busy, and I can thankfully feel everything beginning to wind down. The seniors have been fairly unproductive and unfocused since right after Prom. I had forgotten this. My friend Shari commented the other day during an instant message chat, "Do you not remember our senior year??" To be honest, I have slept since then.
I specifically remember the stress of wanting to please everyone...teachers, parents, pastors, grandparents, everyone. Feeling such pressure to be successful.
My Drama 1 students have been working on how to write a strong monologue since the beginning of the year. They began with a selection of a photo that "spoke" to them. They filled out a lengthy profile of many different questions. They also filled out numerous free-write journals and were divided into groups to talk through routes their monologues could take. Group feedback was essential. I encouraged them to write in vivid details.
I cannot tell you how frustrated, how repetitive I felt by repeating things over and over and trying to get my students to focus, especially in group activities. There was so much creativity in those nimble hands...all on the cusp of good things. However, it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk in their groups. How do you sign up for a drama class and not think that you are going to be creative and perform at some point?? Are you immune to speaking in front of people?? Ummm no...
So we took a break and went through a thing I call "Group Educate"- an activity that allows students to cover large amounts of textbook information, condense it, and bring it to their cohort for learning. This nine week's Group Educate unit dealt with emotions, motivation, blocking, types of stages, gesture, stage business, power and who as it, all the things they will need to present their monologues for their finals.
Jump ahead to the last few days...
They have been divided into new groups and have been given class time to work through their monologues. They are given feedback, both from myself and their peers, after their performance. Here is where the light bulb came on...
Today...the last day for some seniors...we presented more monologues for group feedback. The exciting moment is this: One of my students gets up, presents their monologue, and I turn to the class and say, "Feedback?" What happened next was so exciting to me...all of my words came out of their mouths and I did not have to say a thing. They were all supportive, said the right things to the young man, he took their feedback, the class remembered his past performance and made comment about certain cuts he had made since then and how disappointed they were that he had cut certain things out. He was open to the things they were telling him.
BLESSINGS ABOUND!
BLESSINGS.
ABOUND!!!!!!!
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