Shakespeare in the Classroom

I am extremely lucky for the timing of my placement. Three of the classes I am working with are reading Shakespeare: Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was actually surprised to learn that they read Shakespeare throughout their middle and high school years. Watching them act out the parts has been surprising. I incorrectly assumed that tenth graders would be too cool to act out Shakespeare. In all three classes, (honors, on level, and challenged) the students raise their hands and actually want to go up in front of the class to act out the parts (they're in competition with each other to read and perform). I was also surprised to find out how much they knew about Shakespeare and his life.

Their final project is great; they get to choose whether to write about the architecture, clothing, recipes, music, medicine, or sports from the Elizabethan era. This assessment uses images, writing, technology, and lots of creativity. On Friday, the students were busy in the library looking up sources for their projects. I got the chance to help several students find materials and cite their sources; it felt great to be helpful.

So far, the field work has been amazing; I think student teaching will be the place where everything comes together. We will finally get the sustained opportunity to practice what we've been studying. I'm nervous, but I'm also looking forward to it.