At Roundabout, we are in constant conversation about how our teaching artists must bring their artistry to their work. That is what makes them teaching artists and that is what will make their work authentic and successful. I once saw one of our teaching artists, LaTonya Borsay, create “Ms. Jackson” as part of the inciting incident in a workshop. Ms. Jackson was clearly from LaTonya’s experience of having grown up in Texas. I loved the character and I loved that she brought her authentic self to the classroom in that theatrical way.
I too must be authentic to be successful in my role. I must bring my particular sense of humor, my particular set of passions, and my personal artistry as a director to my job. As a theatre artist, I consider my colleagues as a design team, as actors, as stage managers. I have both the privilege and responsibility to be the director of this great production, Education @ Roundabout.
What are these Radical Rules? Read the introduction to Radical Rules.
And so ends this installment of Radical Rules. I have enjoyed having the chance to reflect on this guiding principal: If I apply the dictums that I have learned as a theater director to my practice as director of education and to the efforts of the education program, great arts in education work is not only possible but is probable.
If you would like to share in more of my artistry as a theater director and in my views on arts education as a playwright, please come see A Lesson in Art & The Oral Tradition, February 16-19.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Stephanie // Feb 1, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I just read your post David (right on!), and then I read this from Eric Booth -
“Be the thing
…I believe that 80 percent of what we teach is who we are. That requires us to remain active creative learners with our students because most of what they are going to learn about how to learn will be the way we model it. It is difficult to sustain the dynamic edge of active creative learning in the profession of teaching, and yet is the most important teaching tool we have. Make it your highest priority—to be creatively engaged in your own life, and bring your learners into the rewards and strength of that commitment, even within the squelching environments that schools can be—so your students can learn that, above all else.”
Source: Active Creative Engagement, by Eric Booth. pgs 19-22. Field Notes, Winter 2007 (PDF)
Field Notes is a publication of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at Bard College.
2 Gen Berretta // Feb 6, 2008 at 6:17 am
Stephanie, what a gorgeous quote. I am cutting and pasting and placing in every teacher’s mailbox this morning. Thanks…we needed that.
Model, model, model. Perhaps the greatest thing I model is spirit. Active, psyched to learn, excited and always ready to learn more spirit. The children get “it” and then “it” becomes a part of their life long learning process. This modeling of thought, spirit, and genuine interest in the world around us, is perhaps the greatest gift we can give to our students. Roots and wings…that’s what it is all about. Thank you.
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