Things to celebrate...
This week, the juniors completed what may have been the most challenging unit so far: improvisation. Ms. Wilson and I decided to extend this unit by a week to allow students more time to develop the comfort and readiness needed to prepare students for an evaluated improv performance, and we also gave them a performance task that did allow for a level of preparation while still focusing on some of the key concepts of the unit (see photo below). Students should be very proud of themselves for continuing to persevere through what may have been a difficult unit for them and for their continued efforts to develop important transferable skills such as listening to and building on others' ideas, thinking on the spot to creatively solve problems, and trying new things without fear of failure. These also correspond with the IB Learner Profile of being a communicator, inquirer, and risk-taker, respectively.
The seniors made their final push towards presenting work that they developed in two smaller ensembles based on the class's chosen theme of family dynamics. It has been a five-week process from selecting a focus to developing material to share with the class, and along the way students have made some really tough choices and faced some very real challenges when it comes to working collaboratively and creatively (see "Things to do at home..." for more details). Again, perseverance in the face of these challenges is the key thing to celebrate this week, as students prepare to share their work for evaluation and feedback with myself and a member of the YRDSB Arts team on Tuesday.
Things to look forward to...
Based on some of the needs that emerged in the improvisation unit, Ms. Wilson and I have made some revisions to the next unit and the exam performance for the junior group. We noticed that most students in our junior classes benefit from having theories and concepts explicitly taught before beginning an inquiry or exploration task, as this seems to provide our IB, gifted, and academic learners with a sense of greater safety and readiness. We will therefore be delivering mini-lessons on the background information outlining different approaches to character creation before each exploration activity to help provide students with the theoretical context many of our learners need. We are hoping this will help boost confidence and understanding. We will continue to use guided inquiry through drama games, activities, and explorations to help those who benefit most from hands-on exploration, as well. Lessons will also be kept short, and be directly related to each inquiry activity.
Our senior group will share their work from this unit, developed in two ensembles, with each other, myself, and Mr. Geronikolos (former Maple Drama department head and current YRDSB Arts Consultant) with the goal of looking for material that we can continue to use as we move towards our final production of the course--a whole-class one-act play. This is a time of excitement, nerves, and sometimes doubts as we move into this final stage of our production work for the semester, and as most of the class prepares to take the work we will create to the NTS Ontario Drama Festival in February with Ms. Wilson and Mr. Monteith. This is a crucial point for our students, requiring lots of optimism and creativity in order to help us create work that we can all be proud of and that showcases the skills developed over the past 3-4 years.
Things to do at home...
Today the senior class had a very open and honest discussion about the challenges they have faced throughout this latest unit as they try to develop mini collective creations that showcase their ideas and visions for a piece on their chosen theme of "family dynamics". I wanted to share the following message, posted on Google Classroom for students, with you because I think the key points below are ones that can be reinforced in all areas of life requiring communication, commitment, and compromise--from our home/social lives to our school/professional lives.
"Key points from today's discussion...
Thank you everyone for participating honestly and openly in today's class discussion. After reflecting on some of the key points, I realized that a lot of the issues we're encountering could be similar to the ones faced by the characters in our plays. Even though they're about families, both pieces tap into the problems that arise when we all have different perspectives on a shared experience, when communication breaks down, when people don't fulfill their responsibilities, etc. These are issues that come up whenever a group shares space, time, or a goal. They're natural and sometimes inevitable, but, much like our characters, it's how we respond to these issues that determines our fate. That being said, here are the issues we all committed to trying to avoid, learn from, or deal with in a more productive and helpful manner in the future:
"1) Communication. Whether it's being honest, open, and direct with your group members when you encounter a conflict, or it's keeping your directors, stage managers, or teachers informed about upcoming absences, nothing much can get done in a group without clear lines of communication.
"2) Commitment. We are working as ensembles and will be working as one whole class. While you're each marked individually, it's also true that your work will impact the success of the group. Showing up on time every day and putting in consistent effort (from executing your production role to asking what you can do to support an ensemble member, regardless of your individual roles) will help ensure your own and the group's success, and help minimize conflicts and tensions that arise when some people are doing more than their fair share and others are doing less.
"3) Compromise. When we are working collaboratively and creatively, we are not always all going to agree. After saying your piece and demonstrating your commitment to the success of the entire group, the most important thing you can do is accept the group's decisions and move on, even if you do not agree with them. Sometimes decisions need to be made for practical reasons, like time, and by being a team player and supporting those decisions, even if they would not be your personal preference, you're ensuring everyone's success while demonstrating maturity and collaboration skills.
"If you think I've missed any big points, or you have something to add to the main points above, please post a response here. Again, remember, communication, commitment, and compromise are needed even to address these issues. Meaning that you might have personal issues related to preferences or past encounters with your group members, but that's not what we want to focus on here. We want to focus on what we can learn from our work throughout this unit and how we can move on to become a stronger ensemble for the remainder of the semester."
Thank you everyone for participating honestly and openly in today's class discussion. After reflecting on some of the key points, I realized that a lot of the issues we're encountering could be similar to the ones faced by the characters in our plays. Even though they're about families, both pieces tap into the problems that arise when we all have different perspectives on a shared experience, when communication breaks down, when people don't fulfill their responsibilities, etc. These are issues that come up whenever a group shares space, time, or a goal. They're natural and sometimes inevitable, but, much like our characters, it's how we respond to these issues that determines our fate. That being said, here are the issues we all committed to trying to avoid, learn from, or deal with in a more productive and helpful manner in the future:
"1) Communication. Whether it's being honest, open, and direct with your group members when you encounter a conflict, or it's keeping your directors, stage managers, or teachers informed about upcoming absences, nothing much can get done in a group without clear lines of communication.
"2) Commitment. We are working as ensembles and will be working as one whole class. While you're each marked individually, it's also true that your work will impact the success of the group. Showing up on time every day and putting in consistent effort (from executing your production role to asking what you can do to support an ensemble member, regardless of your individual roles) will help ensure your own and the group's success, and help minimize conflicts and tensions that arise when some people are doing more than their fair share and others are doing less.
"3) Compromise. When we are working collaboratively and creatively, we are not always all going to agree. After saying your piece and demonstrating your commitment to the success of the entire group, the most important thing you can do is accept the group's decisions and move on, even if you do not agree with them. Sometimes decisions need to be made for practical reasons, like time, and by being a team player and supporting those decisions, even if they would not be your personal preference, you're ensuring everyone's success while demonstrating maturity and collaboration skills.
"If you think I've missed any big points, or you have something to add to the main points above, please post a response here. Again, remember, communication, commitment, and compromise are needed even to address these issues. Meaning that you might have personal issues related to preferences or past encounters with your group members, but that's not what we want to focus on here. We want to focus on what we can learn from our work throughout this unit and how we can move on to become a stronger ensemble for the remainder of the semester."
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