Spring Awakening
It’s finally here. At least I think it is finally here. Spring that is, the rebirth of color, warmth, nature and new ideas that annually inspires us to rethink and retool. We northerners seem to have been hoping for it a little longer than usual this year. It is also the time when many have packed the last boxes and taken down the last drop from a rewarding yet exhausting show with kids.
I just had the opportunity to speak with principals from all over the country at the National Elementary School Principals Conference in Tampa. Many were sporting more serious looks during these less than pleasant budget times. Jesse Johnson from MTI who was with me at the Broadway JR booth, watched these leaders relax their shoulders a little, smile, relate anecdotes from their schools and basically say that musicals seem to be a comforting constant in their schools. It includes all kids, shows off combined creative thinking of kids, staff and community, and is cheap compared to many of the invoices they sign. The kicker is the ones that direct the shows in their school and then retire or switch schools and continue directing or being involved. Yes, principals. The ones whose life is never their own and who spend much more time with negative than positive in their schools. Find time to include them in your process if you don’t already. Once they feel the warmth of the spotlight, they are your best supporter.
Sir Ken Robinson delivered the message that was the highlight for me in a keynote address. I couldn’t have been happier in these times when I feel my mission in life is to help nay sayers comprehend what arts do for our kids and our culture. I have to give you a quick synopsis, as it substantiates all we do.
Presenting a theater/education analogy, Robinson proposed that each is solely about a relationship: Theater is the relationship between an actor on a stage and someone watching, while the heart of education is the relationship between a learner and a teacher. Anything else is an addition, he said, explaining that education has become encrusted with such additions as national policies, union rights, building codes, interests of publishing companies, the testing industry, international comparisons, and reforms attempting to standardize education. The result is that education is being made “teacher proof.” Through relationships, educators need to help students find their “element”—find the thing for which they have natural aptitude and that they love to do, and then help them bring that into their lives, Robinson explained. We can’t put our children’s lives on hold while we figure education out.
Thank you Sir Ken. We know it; we just have to be the eternal ambassadors. As you clean out for spring, plant your seeds of creativity carefully and include some seasoned folks that need to be part of the garden!
CR
