When a student says "no, I won't perform" what should I, as a teacher, do?
Normally, I give them a warning, telling them if they don't, they'll get an F on their test grade (as all performances are test grades in my class) and a call home letting their parents know they decided to take an F on a test.
Is there something else I should be doing? Some compromise?
I know there are kids who are truly frightened to get up on stage, but that's what we DO in theatre arts!
Aren't I supposed to hold every child to the same standards?
Well, I have to run...have some parents to call...
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This is a very tough situation. I am much more familiar with dealing with elementary kids but I think maybe you should build up some alternatives. Perhaps you are right when you ask yourself if you should compromise. It's difficult to force kids to create if they are uncomfortable. In my classroom I run into similar issues every once in a while, specially with my 5th graders. Some are really embarrassed about their drawings and refuse to draw. I have the alternative of abstract art for them. Do you have similar alternatives for theatre?
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to set some in place...I will give kids an opportunity to do their first piece on their own with me (as they ARE alone on stage, reading their speech), but future performances (with other folks) they need to try. It's so funny, I discovered today one of the kids who wouldn't do it also has stopped reading aloud in ELA. It is an issue that is being "addressed." I tell them, how can you succeed if you don't even try?
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