Well, how long did you think I could go before using a Hamlet allusion in the title of a blog? Today I assigned the parts for our production of Hamlet. I was touched by how excited the students were for one another. We're hoping to be "off book" by next Monday and we spent some time talking about how to memorize lines most effectively. I love doing theater with children. They are so serious about their work and that seriousness and sense of authenticity make them hungry for critique in a very natural way. They want badly to be their best and seek out ideas on how to improve. After working on a play, many students carry the habit of reflection and the eagerness for constructive criticism into their other academic areas.
One prong of our culmination will be the play's production, the other will be transforming the gym into London in 1602. Yesterday we brainstormed everything we wanted to accomplish and teach at our culminating event. Then we clustered the ideas into groups and created committees to tackle each area. For many students, this is a first opportunity to learn how to take leadership on a large project. It's exciting to see them realize that they are in charge of making things happen. Prioritizing tasks is one of the most valuable skills students develop — many have a tendency to focus on small details, forgetting about the larger things that must be done first. To help students delineate and focus their time, we talk about things that are "must dos" and things that are "sparkle." One group even made a "sparkle" card to keep track of what they want to do if they have time.
Learning about culture in Elizabethan England was one purpose of our work this past month, asking questions and digging more deeply as we made new discoveries. The other part of project work is what we are engaged in now — managing time, planning an event, thinking about how to teach others, communicating with others, delegating tasks, using resources, assessing feasibility, making estimations. I fade to the background of the work now, and the class sees what they are able to accomplish. With a tight deadline, they see the need for everyone to work together for success. No one can hang back because there is simply too much to do. And, by the end, they are amazed with what they have wrought. (which sounds like a Hamlet quote, but isn't).
Mark your calendars, call your neighbors. The evening of December 17th is the "Heron's Shakespearean Dinner Theater" (the communications team chose the name today.)
The Rookery 
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