I sit here in a faculty meeting – – someone has worked dilgently to create a series of statistics of educational challenges and accomplishments (some at 94% some at 17% some at 4% – – some paint the PowerPoint red – – some paint the PowerPoint blue.) I think the bigger numbers in the orange bars look the most impressive. As I listen to the almost deafening grazing on table-provided chips and snacks, I am wondering what kind of a “data story” my acting class has to provide.
This year, more then most, I am relying less and less on tests and more and more on the EXPERIENCE for the class. I am convinced that theatre has an inherint PRODUCT, the production, but what needs tending to is the PROCESS. I feel that we need less showings and more process. Showings can be good or bad. Processes simply are! I know that it is difficult to judge the process and the actual learning without some kind of an evaluation tool. But, sooner or later you just have to trust me. I am the professional in the room. I know when they are getting it and when I need to change or up my game. A test may be helpful here and there – – but far more likely there and not here. Truly the class that does not find joy in its daily block of time is not a learning class and no amount of testing is going to change that tide!
Just yesterday, I handed out a vocabulary list of words that are integral to Viewpoints work. I was so tempted to tell my Company that they need to look this over and, god forbid, I was planning a quiz the next day. But then I stopped and put myself in thier shoes. Would a quiz help me? Would it give me more ownership of the language? Could I be bullied into this learning? No. What I set out to do was to LEAD them to this learning. If I was going to be a successful teacher, I was going to set up the class so that everyone went home, pulled out their Google (if “pull it out” is the correct term for getting on your cell phone) and WANTED to know the words. If they didn’t WANT it and were merely doing it for a quiz – – then I shouldn’t have handed out the bloody list in the first place. Tests are a tool to move the class forward, but I do find them the most limited and shallow. Don’t threaten learning, inspire it.
Another day in theatre class and “nothing to show for it.” I know the class “got it.” I’m the professional you hired. Trust me.