Recently, I have been hired as a drama teacher at a high school. I have not set foot in a high school in over fifteen years (except for once and that was to sneak my nephew to pizza and a movie). I am now in charge of five classes, many of them filled with students who don't want to be there or don't want me to be there. For the first time I have to view myself as a teacher who also does theatre.
Last week's class helped me realize that there really isn't that much of a gap between the two. A philosophy of education isn't too far different from the mission statement of my theatre company (by the way, Rag and Bone opens in two weeks).
For a theatre company to become such, all of the members have to decide why they do theatre, what they want to get from it, and what kind of theatre they want to do. They then work together to decide how much of each person's viewpoint they want to knead into the dough of the company ( did I mention I was also a baker for ten years?). Most of the time people work together because they have similar ways of doing things or similar ways of thinking about things, but when you form a company you realize that sometimes your reasons for doing them are completely different. A company makes them all jive and puts them together in a mission statement. The mission statement becomes the constitution of the company, it defines every action that the company takes from then on. Sometimes, a company will change the mission statement, if they feel that the needs or aesthetic of the company has changed.
I am not sure why this never occurred to me before. I suppose, because I have never had to. I can't go around wondering how everything is similar to theatre.
Hi Leonard! I enjoyed learning more about you since I’m someone who doesn’t know you :o) I completely understand what you mean about being a theatre person who teaches…I feel like a coach who teaches…I’ve never said it that way but I really like how you wrote it! I also like your concept of a mission statement being like a philosophy of education. I think that is a good way to relate the two of them. For your Mission Statement, how were all of you able to come to an agreement about your mission statement? What values did you have to compromise on…if any? Did you have to compromise any of your driving points?
ReplyDeleteHi Leonard. Being in class for the last two weeks and reading the blogs has surprised to the number of people in the program from different types of backgrounds (ice skating coaching, theater, music, and engineering). I myself am from an unconventional work background. I focused my career in working in museums and with museum education. I feel that museums are an important part of our society. I feel that history, museums and education really go well together. I liked how you compared the mission statement of a theater company with the philosophy of education. A mission statement is also an important part of museums and how they operate as an institution. As a museum beliefs change so does the mission statement and the same may occur while we are teachers to our philosophy of education.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Leonard. Going back to High School for the first time in 15 years? You definitely have your hands full. I never took any theatre but wish I had. I can only imagine the array of students that you have in your class setting.
ReplyDeleteMaking the link to your theatre and its mission statement was interesting. There are definitely parallelisms to the questions “why they do theatre/teaching, what they want to get from it, and what kind of theatre/teaching they want to do. I imagine establishing a mission statement with everyone “kneading” their viewpoint empowers members and drives accountability.
Hi Leonard,
ReplyDeleteLet me just say what an absolute challenge it was to figure out how to respond to a blog!! Oh my gosh! I have not been in a classroom (as a student) since 1996 when I finished my Mater's. To say that I am lacking in the computer field is an understatement!
Anyway, I am glad I figured out how to respond to your blog! I liked your analogies that you used about kneading the dough, and blending a drama group together. It sounds like you have put a lont of thought into how you will manage your drama classes, and are trying to draw on your own personal experiences and love of the theatre. How exciting for your students to actually have a teacher who not only has experience with the theatre, but actually enjoys it. I look forward to getting to know you more during the upcoming classes