Reading for Treasure: The Arts are Critical

Unless you are completely unplugged, you know that the Writers Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are on strike. The people who write, perform, and create our on-screen entertainment are asking for a reasonable, sustainable, and appropriate share of the profits from their creations. Their artistry is critical to the well-being of our nation. I fully support their efforts and strike. 

Similarly, there is plenty of evidence to show that students engaged in art activities in school receive unique benefits. However, not enough students get these experiences. Arts Education is essential to our schools! 

Here are a few articles that prove this point: 

KQED: “How arts education builds better brains and better lives”

“Students with access to arts education are five times less likely to drop out of school and four times more likely to be recognized for high achievement. They score higher on the SAT, and on proficiency tests of literacy, writing, and English skills. They are also less likely to have disciplinary infractions. And when arts education is equitable so that all kids have equal access, the learning gap between low- and high-income students begins to shrink.” 

The New York Amsterdam News: “The Case for Arts Education” 

“Research also shows that children who participate in arts education are more curious, seek out different viewpoints and experiences, and are more socially engaged, says Jamie Kasper, director of the Arts Education Partnership. This means they are more likely to vote, run for office, and volunteer, and they have better life skills, like time management and prioritization.” 

The Washington Post: “How Theatre can teach our kids to be empathetic” 

“Several studies show communication skills are the most essential skills for navigating American adult life — better communicators are hired more often, enjoy happier relationships and marriages, ascend to leadership positions, and possess higher self-esteem. The ability to manage personal emotions and to recognize them in others — also known as emotional intelligence — is a predictor of academic and professional success. These skills are often taught through Social Emotional Learning programs, offered in K-12 schools in 27 states. But they are also a by-product of theater class, according to a recent study from George Mason University and the Commonwealth Theatre Center.” 

Buzz Feed: “14 Ways Being A Drama Kid Can Help You As An Adult”

Public speaking, teamwork, empathy, confidence, humility, reading,  and memorization are some of the skills that kids involved in theatre performance develop! 

Science Daily: “Major benefits for students who attend live theater, study finds”

“Field trips to live theater enhance literary knowledge, tolerance, and empathy among students, according to a study. The research team found that reading and watching movies of Hamlet and A Christmas Carol could not account for the increase in knowledge experienced by students who attended live performances of the plays. Students who attended live performances of the play also scored higher on the study's tolerance measure than the control group by a moderately large margin and were better able to recognize and appreciate what other people think and feel.” 

I am currently reading The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

Play, Joy, Laughter, and Trust

During the two weeks before Thanksgiving last year, my homeroom ran a charity fundraising game called balloon stomp. In this game, two homeroom teams face off against each other. Each one has balloons tied to their ankles and the goal is to pop the balloons of the other team. My homeroom partner and I became obsessed with inflating, counting, and tying balloons to make this game happen.

In addition to getting the kids organized and acting as referee at the matches, I took pictures as the kids played. Since our homeroom period is only eleven minutes long, I found that I was so focused on getting the balloons distributed and getting the game started that I didn’t get a chance to see what was going on with the kids who were playing.

When I looked at my photos I was filled with one emotion that was so clear on all the kids’ faces: joy! Teenagers can be moody, secretive, and hard to read. However, in these photos, the smiles were so sincere and the expressions were wildly free. Kids are leaping, balancing, responding so naturally and innocently, that it reminds me of children’s play at recess. The joy jumps off the screen!

In my freshman theatre class, we played lots of games. At the end of the year, we have a unit on improvisation. The games are silly and quick. In this context, the joy on kids’ faces is accompanied by laughter. My theatre class was the very last period of the day. Kids were tired and had been sitting for hours. As they got up and participated, their pent up energy was tapped and a transformation took place. Although kids experienced the self-consciousness of performing, they also showed a freedom of expression that I only occasionally saw in my English classroom – or for that matter when kids were socializing in the cafeteria or library. Like my balloon stompers, they were free and joyful in a way that is childlike and open. It was wonderful to watch!

There is a reason we call it play! They were enthusiastic and expressive players, either when playing a theatre game or stomping balloons!

One assignment in Senior English is to give a graduation address. After studying a wide variety of commencement speeches, viewing some, and brainstorming our own ideas, my students wrote and delivered their own speeches. Last year, it was beautiful.

My students opened up to each other. They held each other gently and they supported each other. Some students waxed nostalgic about high school, others gave advice or told stories. Several students felt safe enough to take a more personal and dangerous choice: they shared private struggles and were candid with their classmates in a way that was raw and startling. To say I was proud of my speakers and listeners is an understatement.

They shared highly personal and difficult moments from high school. They candidly reflected on how their choices shaped them. They laughed together at embarrassing and painful moments that could only be funny in retrospect. They discussed humility, gratitude, mortality, mental health, and many other complex and sensitive topics and not only did they do it with aplomb and thoughtfulness, but they listened to each other with great respect – and joy.

Let’s celebrate and cultivate these joyful, powerful, and honest moments – in the classroom and everywhere else. Let’s honor our children’s need for play, laughter, and the freedom to vigorously express themselves. Let’s make more spaces for them to cast the self-conscious and premeditated curtain aside and simply be their more raw and exuberant selves.

We could all use more joy!