Week 7 Recap

Things to celebrate: 

Our grade nines and tens have now had lots of practice not only exploring the different actor's tools we learned about throughout our second unit (stage image, physicalization, and vocalization), but also gathering feedback as they learn to layer different elements and techniques into their performance work. As they began to work through the early stages of the creative process this week in preparation for their final performance (and assessment of learning task) for this unit, they have demonstrated increasing proficiency and skill not only in each of their actors' tools but also in the process of developing work from a source.

Meanwhile, our grade elevens and twelves have showcased a variety of production skills via their differentiated assessment of learning performances this week. Their scene studies explored perspectives on themes related to our earlier activities, such as identity, family, and independence. Performances continue into Monday for some of our production teams, but so far we have seen some very compelling variations on scripts, themes, and characters.

Things to look forward to:

The juniors will continue working on their Vocal Collage assignments this week, gearing up for next week's final performance on Thursday, October 25th (just a couple days before our fall break!), layering text onto the image and movement work they developed last week. They will be using technology to collaborate with one another, research different text sources, and document their process work throughout the week.

The seniors will be working on their Unit 1 Portfolio entries (another assessment of learning task) both independently at home and collaboratively in class. The four questions assigned for this week's unit portfolio will be the basis of ongoing discussion and exploration in class within their new ensembles. They have also been designed specifically to transition us from the first unit, in which we generated a lot of material from a variety of sources and explored or experimented with a variety of performance techniques, into developing more refined work that can be put towards more structured collective pieces and eventually incorporated into the whole class's final one-act production of the semester. 

Things to work on at home:

A couple of questions came up during parents' night that I thought might be helpful to address here. One common question was about improvement, specifically improving marks. While I know that marks still occupy a fairly prominent place in our society, I do want to address two things: one, that Drama is about process work just as much as the final product, and the learning process is just as valuable as the outcome or mark; two, that I try to teach and structure my classes in a way that encourages mastery. Students may notice that they are getting a lot of constructive feedback and may even be seeing marks that are lower than they are used to in different subject areas, like Math and Science. What they may also notice as the year progresses, however, is that the feedback they are receiving now, if applied to future work, will allow them to continually improve their marks over the course of the semester, as students will be using (and be assessed on) the same skills many times, giving them multiple opportunities to practice and demonstrate increased proficiency in those skills.

Another common question was about participation, especially for more introverted or quiet students. While most students are becoming increasingly comfortable with one another as they work with a variety of peers and get used to performing for the class, some students may find it difficult to be heard in what can be a very loud, dynamic, collaborative environment. While each student's needs are unique, some general strategies that might support these students include encouraging them to take more think time in the early stages of the creative process, perhaps by offering to take notes for the group or recording their own ideas on paper during and after their group discussions, and then making a plan to share their own insights or ideas later in the process. For example, they may be more comfortable stepping up into a leadership role when it comes to the planning and focussing or revising and refining stages of the creative process, when their abilities to quietly listen, observe, and reflect might complement their peers' abilities to brainstorm out loud or generate multiple ideas at once.

A little personal note on both of the topics above: while my suggestions come mainly from ten years of working with Drama students in high schools and university, I am also speaking as someone who identifies as an introvert, and has used some of these strategies themselves in various contexts, from school to work. And one final point on the topic of mastery and growth mindset: while I started doing plays in grade seven, I didn't take Drama class until grade ten, where I finished the year with a mark of 68%. Six years later, I graduated at the top of my class with an honours degree in Theatre. Part of that journey was about uncovering my passion for Drama, but most of that journey was about uncovering who I was, how I worked best, what I had to contribute, and how I could improve upon each of my weaknesses. That's the journey I hope to help your students on, when and how I can.