Wenger | J.R. Clancy: For Theatre in Our School’s Month, we have explored the different elements of theatre
education and the importance of theatre education advocacy. This week, we are focusing
on the psychological and mental benefits of theatre education on students.
2 comments:
My primary and secondary theatre schooling was super critical to who I have become today. In New York I went to a public art school that had all sorts of different arts. From kindergarten I was doing dance, art, pottery, cooking, theatre, and music. I had a lot of exposure to the arts and specifically theatre. I think having this kind of exposure from such a young age allowed me to think more creatively and made it possible for me to think that I could actively pursue theatre. In middle and high school I did more theatre and was able to explore the interest through productions and classes taken. Because I had these opportunities I think I had the confidence to pursue theatre as career and allowed myself to choose the arts over something that would be seen as more pragmatic. I agree with a lot of what the article discusses about the importance of collaborative art and theatre for the developmental process. I hope that we can continue to advocate for good arts education so that students will continue to develop strong communication and collaborative skills.
This article talked about the benefits of theatre education for children and students, but I believe a lot of what it is talking about can be more broadly applied to humanity as a whole. I do not think that we as a species ever truly stop learning and growing, and part of the reason I love theatre so much is because it can reach people in ways that very few other techniques can accomplish. It was interesting to read about the point about higher test scores as well. Although I do believe that there are far more types of intelligence that are not measured by test scores, I can’t say I would have guessed that people in theatre would get higher scores. I’d be interested in doing a deeper dive into that point specifically, as I’m not sure what skill theatre would create that would facilitate higher scores. Maybe it’s the confidence in who you are? Once you have a more settled sense of self, you might be able to do your work better, or connect with it more.
Post a Comment