2015-644-E Arts - Susie Wilde Arts Grant

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268 2007 VOLUME 5,NUMBER 4 Fun and Creativity In both Wales and America,my most magical teaching element is fun!It is the element most appreciated by students.When I teach I play hard,and this unexpected teaching practice disarms and charms most children and adults. In the United States,I've seen schools become ever more serious since the advent of test-based curriculum,and I see fewer creative activities going on in classrooms.During my last session at Haw River, in response to the children's request, I did a costumed per- formance of the children's book I'd published.During that performance,one of the Haw River teachers worked with a child on homework It was as painful to see that child twist around to try and catch my performance as it was to hear the teacher plodding on in a normal tone of voice as if the performance wasn't happening. The Welsh teachers participated in the work They voted with the rhildren when a decision had to be made and voiced their opinions when they questioned a story ele- ment.They also asked me to provide them with more information and asked specific questions about the process after my sessions.They were enthralled,involved,excited, and open at every stage of work They were eager to bring more creativity into their class- rooms. Americans seem to me to take themselves pretty seriously,while the Welsh seem more playful in approach,more relaxed in manner.Has testing has robbed teachers of creative expression and crowded out fun?American school and classroom environments can feel depressing.In Wales,the general tone of the school seemed happy,hopeful,and full of life.The Welsh teachers were fully involved in the process,asked thoughtful questions after our sessions,and were eager to implement what they'd seen.In these times of seri- ousness,it might be up to teaching artists to remind teachers and students how play can enliven and enlighten learning!Schools need the arts more than ever! o I have finally unpacked my suitcase and the last of my European chocolates are gone, N but ten days of learning in a Welsh school has made its mark on my teaching.This is easi- l• y evidenced when I reflect on current projects.I turned down a job at a school that w wanted me to teach curriculum-based writing.I am now modeling writing for Duke • Co University education majors and giving them a chance to try playful reading and writing 'I w experiences for themselves.In a month,I will spend two weeks in a school that's eager m to embark on a fiction-writing adventure because they want their children to experience othe joy of writing.I am working on a grant that will take fiction writing into development a' of a Story Quilt,song writing,and dance,all of which will be revealed in an annual festi- • w val.I am going to work in a high school for the first time,helping teens see how the sto- •.`,•' ories they read can help them tell their own stories.No,it's not the fiction I love,it's • meaning and depth,and I'm ready to take a risk! ' co m co j Q Susie Wilde, MEd,is a teaching artist who has published thousands of articles as well as a o Write-A-Thon! a book for teachers. Her Web site[http://wildewritingworks.com)offers m reviews on 150 subjects for children.Susie has spent the last fifteen years teaching parents, • teachers,and students to think and write like writers, U 7 O 0 y:• iS•