The fifth graders with whom I've been working the past three weeks will perform for their peers and parents this Thursday. In one class, they journal after each rehearsal. Today I bring you excerpts from one kid's writings (formatting and spelling as sic as possible):
Week One, after learning roles:
This is the worst day of my frigin life! I never
get to be anything I want in class! I really,
really, really wanted to be big Tom, be Noooo
oooooooo, instead, I got to be the stupid
kettle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is even worst than
being on tv restriction. This is even worst
than me dying and going to hell! I think this
is stupid being the stupid kettle and reading
it's stupid lines. I was even crying in [class]
because I was so dang upset. I might just
want to pretend that I'm sick and miss the whole
damn [play] thing!!!!!!!!!!!
Week Three:
This is so exiting, only two more pages left until we do
[play]! I can't wait to do the really play.
Today was okay, and it was really painful. N. hit
me in the arm, G. whamed me into the stomack, and
C. stomped right through my arms. It was
so painful that I couldn't move my own arm!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!! We are getting
so good at
[the play]!!
We are getting really good at this.
I'm still thinking what my costume
would look like! [The play] is getting really exiting
now. I wonder If I'm going to get a costum
that is black and has feathers on it.
Yep, totally worth all that pre- and post- class drinking I've been doing. (Don't worry, I'm still taking a sabbatical.)
Posted by Ida at February 12, 2007 04:44 PMYep, early symptoms of catching "the bug". First happened to me in 3rd grade - I wanted to play the prince-turned-into-a-bear, but instead was cast as the spell-weilding, mischevious-but-ultimately-good-hearted gnome - and it's been character acting for me ever since.
Posted by: COMTE at February 13, 2007 04:53 PMHmmm. While I enjoy that this post reminded you of bug-catching, I wasn't even thinking that at all.
It's the same kind of lesson, but really I just hope that my students are learning to be patient and enjoy their choices beyond the immediate. Drama-infused curriculum has a way of allowing that reflection.
This one happened to be linked to a performance, but that's really just a neat little side benefit.
Posted by: ida at February 16, 2007 04:46 PMThis was great. It made me almost forget about my pants. Huzzah.
Posted by: ian at February 16, 2007 05:48 PM