OVERALL REFLECTION: Living Literature Project Fall 2011 This project clearly had its ups and its

downs. What stuck out to you as a particularly bad down? What can we do to fix it? There were definitely scheduling errors. Also, we should have established a much stronger line of communication with Angie earlier in the project. I didnt see any really bad downs to this project. We had a few hiccups but that was mainly due to a lack of planning out every lesson before we actually got into the classroom. We could fix this by making sure we had all the lessons planned and the materials ready before we ever got into the classroom so that we could help each other find the weak points of the lesson. The lesson plans; although we had brilliant ideas the execution was not always there. It was not that the concepts were bad, we just poorly judged out time within the classroom. Moreover, once we learned how our students learned, we still held them to a certain schedule that was not necessarily conducive to their ability to engage in the matter. IN short, we rushed through a lot of stuff without letting students process. I think one of the big disadvantages of the project is that there were so many of us in the classroom so often, especially when we had no jobs. I think it was a little overwhelming for the students. Also, some of the students did not connect so much with the art aspect, so I think having so much of that alienated some students.

The overall goal of the project is to increase appreciation for dramatic literature in students by using theatrical tools to present content in new, exciting ways. In what instances did we achieve this? In which did we fall short? I believe we achieved this goal on a primary level, but we could have gone further if it had been more thoroughly planned out. I don't think we were able to really spend some time focusing on the language like we wanted to. However, we did cover some other great subjects that made it worthwhile for specific students, so I think that change was worth it. I think that a lot of the students realized how much more interesting the literature was once it was actually performed for them. When we actualized the performance for them they began to make more sense of the text. I think we definitely cultivated an appreciation for the performance of dramatic literature. Our students engaged with the performance material more than the reading. I think the way we presented the material piqued interest, however I feel like the appreciation of literature was not cultivated. The students, even at the end of the project still strongly despised the reading of the plays and most indicated they would not read any work of their own free will and choice. The students really responded to our performances, and especially when they were able to perform themselves. It gave them the responsibility of understanding the words they were saying. However, much of the actual play got rushed and we didnt spend as much time as we would have liked on Shakespeares actual language.

Were there any particular subjects we presented that seemed trivial or tangential to our larger goal? Which lessons could have been slimmed down and which should have been enlarged? I believe the work with the historical context could have been more carefully sculpted to fit where we were in the play. It seemed extraneous at times, even though the content is important. For instance, the Halloween lesson was very well-received, but I believe it would have been more powerful if we had established the Elizabethan zeitgeist earlier in the lessons so we could simply refer back, rather than teaching new subjects. This would have given us more time for the students to explore the era in their own ways. I think all of our lessons were good and contributed towards the goal. But we should have made the final performance more of an overall goal at the beginning rather than springing it on them in the end. I think we could have focused more on the language. The conspiracy theories and the history and all of that fascinating stuff was good, but detracted from the overall goal of the project. However, this has to be taken with a grain of salt; for we catered to what our host teacher wanted. While the Halloween day was a lot of fun and I think the students enjoyed it, it didnt really have much importance in our overall goal. Also, Im not sure the students really got much out of our discussion of Shakespeares contemporaries. I think in the future it will be important to focus on the illusions and references made in whatever actual text we are reading, and about Shakespeares language and how the plays were performed then. The final performance thingy turned out a little bit differently than we originally expected it to. Your thoughts? It was a bit short, but I think it was really what the class needed. I was pleased that we had such a big audience. It would have been nice to spend a little more time talking about performance things like stage fright, which I know a few students expressed concern about. However, I think the performance achieved what we wanted it to. I liked how a lot of the students were very excited by the thought of the final performance. I helped them translate the text better and ultimately worked. But I should have been brought before the class much sooner. I loved it for a lot of reasons. The students were so excited to express their work, they loved having THEIR voices heard. Whether or not it is what we wanted is irrelevant. It demonstrated the students understanding of the play and showed what they wanted to do with it. It was definitely different, but I dont think it was any less successful. The students showed that they understood the relationships between the characters and were able to have fun relating it to their culture and time. Ideally it would be a little longer, but I think it was received extremely well by both the audience and the students themselves. You could see that they really took pride in their

work and their ownership, which is one of the greatest rewards and outcomes we could ask for, especially with that group of students.

Overall, do you think this was a worthwhile project for the students involved? Absolutely! There were definitely students whose opinions about Shakespeare and theater in general changed for the better, and I think even students who still have an avid animosity towards either of the aforementioned have gotten over their aversion and developed at least mild tolerance, which is definitely an improvement. I think so. They seemed excited. Absolutely. Students were engaged in the work we did and they were excited to incorporate their own ideas. Students became engaged in the process through performance much more than if they had to read the play. Absolutely. The evaluations we received from them shows that. Personally, I think if we were able to reach just one student then it was a success. Luckily, I believe we were able to effect many of them, and I think we were successful in engaging them in ways that they have never experienced before. Sadly, your tangible rewards aren't anything near the value of your contribution in return for your hard work. Was it worth your time and effort in the end? I suppose the correct answer is If one student developed an appreciation for Shakespeare, it was worth it! I'm not inclined toward such sentimental selflessness, although it is satisfying to see that we've achieved at least part of our purpose. Most Certainly. I would not give it up for anything. I was so incredibly proud of each and every one of them. It was an incredible experience for me, and really reaffirmed why I love what I do. The students work and their reaction was the greatest reward I could ask for. I think we really affected a lot of them, and opened up a whole new way of learning of something that they might never have considered interesting or important beforehand. Working with those kids is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this.