Bring Theatre to Class

Ever been in a theatre ?  Ever sat down as an audience in a hall, wondering what to see aside the poster or the word from a friend urging you to come see this enthralling performance?

As you sit there in front of the curtains, you heart begins to beat fast, wondering if it was worth the trip, or the added purchase of a drink and pop corn and not minding the huge hole this has put in your pocket.

As the curtains are drawn and the lead character appears, you begin to assess the first few minutes , hoping that something will stir up a string in your soul, connecting to you somehow and resonating with your spirit , expecting that you’re in for great excitement this time around.  

Well, Many times, we do have real fun and we end up connecting with the cast and performances. At other times, we don’t mind sleeping through or rather switching off totally, enjoying the environment rather than the entertainment. The temptation to relate with fellow rebels is high, when our anger keeps surging and bursting with every error paraded on stage.

This scenario is a replica of our classrooms. Teachers are entertainers; short and simple. You see, Teaching is a soul lifting activity, just like sitting in  a theatre. The window to a child’s world is framed in excitement, colors, music, melody, friendship and magic. Yes, magic. Why that? Well, its not too far fetched. The adult world with its prevailing air of social discontent, economic issues, moral concerns and the long list of dysfunctional realities will never be an appropriate platform to create information for a child. Our world is a bit too dangerous and wild to soothe their innocence and nurture their curiosities.

Magical reality, fables, fairy tales and musical entertainment are pathways into the world of the child. He sees life from the realm of peace, joy and serenity. He is stirred up by melody and captivated by colors and bright lights that showcase life, laughter and freedom. To you, it is unreal. To the children, that is their world view. That is the language they understand. It opens their eyes, raises their curiosity, draws their whole being into a crave for the theatre the teacher wants to bring into the class to deliver an exciting lesson.  

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TEACHER BRINGS A THEATER TO CLASS?

You know the things that happen when a teacher brings a circus or the theatre to class? Let’s drop a few :

When the teacher brings a theater to class the child forgets the dysfunction and all the troubles at home

Secondly when the teacher brings a circus to class, the child sees the endless possibilities of creativity; he sees an  opportunity to engage his five sense organs on everyday objects around him. He gets excited with a world of no limits. He can speak to his favourite animal, fly on a carpet, create robots, think of solutions to problems of tomorrow because, “in my world, I can create what i want and be who I want to be”. A healthy self esteem is a by product of entering in to the mind of a child, making him realize, he can be anything he wants to be.

Then again when a child is entertained, sickness loses grip of that child. He’s not available to be held down. He is bobbling with energy and the synergy in Class with other classmates compels the child  to laugh , sing , play and get excited. Research has proved that a merry heart propels good health. A gloomy environment adds to the frailty of the body further creating opportunities for sickness and disease. Entertainment will lead to a drop in number of children out of school due to illness.

And lastly, a fun and exciting classroom will only create more happy kids, who will replicate same values in school, at home , in the community and everywhere they go. A good spirited lad is an asset to the world.

All begins with a creative teacher with an idea of a theatre carefully packaged for kids to see life as it should be. This extends to excited children being taken through learning with such tailored teaching methods that makes each one’s soul lifted and soaring high enough to create pleasant learning experiences from the early years.

The Teachers are truly the magicians needed to create excitement in our classrooms.

Be that magician; be that entertainer who makes learning fun and makes fun happen while learning.