I raised an eyebrow and said, "But I'm an English teacher, you guys. I teach English."
That confused them. "English teacher? What do you mean, you're an English teacher?"
Drama/theater/public speaking... that's the curriculum I'm teaching this year. I've sung Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 with them every single solitary day for the past three weeks in order memorize it. And yet, they don't connect that my class is merely a concentrated aspect of the language arts curriculum. Weird... and what? I guess they've just never been introduced to William Shakespeare yet. They don't have a context in which to refer in order to understand my pedagogy.
Another confusing scenario from this week... I zig left. They zag right. When I have the kids up on their feet doing interactive, engaging activities (kinesthetic learning)... they act like fools. So, this afternoon (in exhaustion, I must confess)... I decided my last two classes would do silent seat work. Their task? After I taught the parts of a stage, I gave them a blank template and colored pencils to create and draw their own set designs. Absolute silence. Concentrated energy. After about ten minutes of just staring at them (I was too tired to even go to my computer to work. I just sat at the front table and stared into space)... I got up to walk around to check their progress.
Kids who can barely read and write... were drawing the most beautiful set designs. Creative. Inventive. Beautifully executed. I was blown away. Absolutely stunned.
Maybe I should switch gears and become an art teacher.
However, I feel blessed... I can use phys ed and art and music and literature within the Speech and Drama classroom. Not a bad gig at all.
You would make a fantastic art teacher!
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