I decided to write this post on "Connecting School and Home Experiences."
I remember being in love with performing since I was very young. I still remember an adaptation of "Billy Goats Gruff" that I was a part of in pre-school. I remember talking to my mom about how excited I was to be in it, although I don't remember which character I was. Ever since then, I have been hooked on the feeling of performing in front of an audience. There is something about it that nothing else can match. My parents, throughout my schooling, were very supportive of my being involved in theatre.
Starting when I was very young, second or third grade, my parents would take me to plays put on by community and professional companies. I remember being enthralled in plays for as long as I can remember. I guess the inherent theatre major in me was always intrigued by the lighting, costumes, and set of the play as much as the actual acting. Something about being able to create a completely different world on stage has always been exciting to me.
Another thing from my childhood that contributes to my love for theatre was growing up with five older sisters. We did a lot of dressing up and creating stories and other worlds together. Although this is something that all children do, I feel that between my sisters and the friends I had in Elementary School, I was involved in this type of play for much longer than most other children. Also, as soon as the imagination play started to wind down with friends, I joined my first community theatre class.
One other thing, that I guess kind of oppositely affected my choice to be involved with theatre was that I was outnumbered by my sisters at home and had become content with being the one that just hid in the background. When I got involved in theatre it gave me a chance to truly be myself. Not only did I get to perform and speak out in front of people but I also got to explore the ideas and beliefs of others which taught me what I truly believed for myself, rather than simply following the ideas of my family.
As for how I can use this to teach my students, I think it can be a great tool. I want to make it a goal to know about the backgrounds of my students because I know not everyone will go on to be a theatre major after high school but there are many things that theatre can teach students. I also think using a students background is a great way to figure out what aspects of theatre they may be interested in. Someone who has worked on carpentry projects with their parent growing up may be interested in set design or building. Likewise, someone who has grown up sewing with a parent may be interested in costume design or construction. There are many ways to utilize a student's backgrounds to personalize and amplify their education and I hope that I will be able to recognize these things in my students when I am teaching.
