Blog Post One: Introduction

Dramatic changes opens with a writing from a workshop participant. The participant, a young male teacher at a school, regret not intervening when one of his students was bullied for his sexuality. Unfortunately, this is scenario that happens far too often in various venues, especially public schools. Teachers often use the excuse that they did not know, "how to bring up the topic of sexual orientation or how to respond when homophobia is expressed" (Ressler 2). However, ignorance of a topic or idea can only be used for so long, before it becomes unacceptable. Based on things that I personally see going on in my own life, social media, and in classrooms, I would have to agree that the issues surrounding sexuality, and gender can no longer be treated as "off-limits" or "taboo".

The author refers to high schools as "some of the most damaging environments for young people, particularly for those who appear to be different from the mainstream" (Ressler 3). As a future educator, this sentence is scary, but not necessarily shocking. As I mentioned previously, I myself, have witnessed various incidences in my own life that, thinking back to those moments, makes me cringe. I, like the teacher identified in the opening pages, wish I would have done something, anything, but it is difficult to say what. In part, these feelings are what pushed me to choose this book for my independent book study. I want to be able to create a safe space for my future students so that they feel comfortable coming to my classroom and discussing sensitive issues in a respectful manner. I want everyone to feel welcome, not just the majority.

Drama is an interesting medium to use in the classroom, because it allows people to step outside of themselves. They are no longer Sally or Matthew or Jacob that walked into the room, but instead, they can assume a different role. This role may or may not align with their own personal interests and beliefs, which can be quite fun and challenging for the students. By looking at topics and ideas from a perspective that is not their own, students may grow a newfound appreciation or different point of view. Although you might not completely change someone's attitude toward a subject (in this case, gender and sexuality), any little bit of tolerance helps.

The book talked a lot about language, and its deep connection to learning. This is yet another reason as to why drama would be useful in one's classroom. It is important to teach students ahead of time what is appropriate language and what is not. It is also important to go over the appropriate language's actual meaning. More often than not, students and even teachers, are not using proper terminology when referring to someone who deviates from traditional gender/sexuality beliefs. I think that this is important in all classrooms, but especially important in classrooms that are approaching these issues head-on. Again, I want my own classroom to be a place of safety and acceptance, where people are able to talk about these things without fear of being judged, which is why I believe drama in the classroom is so important.

Before coming to Shippensburg University, I did not have much experience with drama in any sort of classroom. I had taken English classes my entire academic career, many of which dealt with dramatic literature, but not once had I ever actually acted anything out. My first semester at Shippensburg, I took a global literature class that specifically focused on dramatic literature. During this class, we worked a lot with acting out the text itself. We would read scenes from plays and explore different topics from different points of view. We would even be given prompts and write our own scenes to explore different issues through real-life events. I look back and remember the class fondly, and it is these sorts of activities that I wish to re-create in my own classroom.

A year later, I took an introductory course about teaching English/Language Arts in a secondary education setting. Toward the end of the semester, we played around a lot with how to bring dramatic literature into the classroom environment. We used traditional Shakespearean texts, such as Hamlet and Julius Caesar and explored how to get students engaged with these topics. We engaged in exercises that could be re-created in an actual ELA classroom. Believe it or not, these activities were...fun. It made something as dull as reading Shakespeare interesting. As students, we were invited to read, interpret, and re-create these traditional texts. In doing so, we were (consciously and not) bringing our own backgrounds into the text. Even as someone that does not enjoy traditional Shakespeare, I felt that the experience was enjoyable. Bringing drama into the classroom is a social experience. It gets kids working together, especially with people that they might not normally work with. It helps students develop their interpersonal skills, such as empathy. A book by Jeffrey Wilhelm outlined the importance of drama in a classroom environment. He says, "reports of empathy for the main characters were very high throughout the study, both during dramatic activity and in readings of the same story that followed the activity" (Wilhelm 12). Developing strong interpersonal skills is critical for students in order to become successful in their adult lives. Again, this is something I definitely want to focus on in my own classroom.

I'm excited to continue reading the actual content of this book. I think that there are going to be many workshops, methods, and ideas that are going to be practical; as something I'd like to re-create in my own classroom.

Works Cited

Ressler, Paula. Dramatic Changes: Talking About Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity with High School Students Through Drama. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2002. Print.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. "You Gotta BE the Book": Teaching Engaged and Reflective Reading with Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia U, 2016. Print.