From Belfast Elementary school in Calgary to the third oldest University in existence, Oxford University (in … Oxford, England of course), Shawn has been teaching in schools of every size, age range, and location. He offers many subjects in a variety of fields from movement to exercises in the mental arena; lessons for individuals and groups.
.
In the past, many schools have brought Shawn in to teach subjects in the arts and how they apply to ‘curriculum’. Many scools bring him back to work with classes on creating better learning environments.
Educators should view “the Arts” as more than filler activities. .
Drama, art, music, dance and other ‘options’ are often the first to be cut. Teach a student empathy, co-operative skills and awareness and teachers will have an easier time with the “core” subjects. Students who learn subjects in the arts are more adaptible and cope better with a world that changes faster than it has in the history of our species.
Useful skills taught in innovative ways develop young minds for a future where the jobs that they will one day hold don’t even exist as they go through school. Numbers and words are great. Learning how to master them is linked to the creative fields.
Creativity is human nature. If creativity is confident self expression of possibilities that don’t presently exist in the environment then children are experts. We are taught out of this thing that is inate in us all. Children who are asked, “Are you creative”, don’t blink before saying yes, of course. Adults almost always say “no”.
Art’s training needs to change to become better aware of it’s potential. Artist in all fields must recognize that creating a great actor or supreme ballerina is not the point. Education has to change and teach people and not just teaching the curriculum to a future building block of society.
The most important of all callings is Teaching – by far. I believe that the moment information is concretely shared between teacher and student is something exciting and of great important. It’s not just a moment of growth for the individual but a moment of growth for the society. Create a better person and the world is improved.
I believe that the core of learning is in improvisation. Risk, Awareness, Understanding, Sensitivity, Growth, Play. The elements of formal improvisation continually prove themselves in the classroom. For example, Failure.
Oh YES, FAILURE. We’ve been teaching ourselves that failure is the thing we need to avoid. That lesson implicitly teaches the student to avoid risk and growth. Defense mechanisms are reinforced – if I sit back with my mouth shut, I cannot fail.
Now sit in on a class where the students have learned to fail in a healthy way and you will see people who are more honest, less stressed, more expressive and joyful. I have seen it proved time and time again. I have seen the reverse prove itself as damaging in the long term. Remove, ignore and avoid failure at all cost and you are setting the student up for great damage and ultimate failure in life.
Whether it’s a class in: -Mime, -Improvisation, -Stage fighting -or any other field of theatre,
.
Whether it will be used as
.
- “Arts training” in the drama room, or
- Narrative understanding in the language arts curriculum, or
- Neurology exploration in a psychology class.
. .
Feel free to contact Shawn for more information about what he can offer in your school.
.
.
PREVIOUS CLASSES and RESIDENCES SHAWN HAS LEAD in SCHOOLS:
.
- Cultural development and social understanding in a 5 – 10 day residence for social studies and awareness “COMMUNITY”
.
- Religious exploration for teens in Jr. High School
.
- Armed Combat for stage work in a High School
.
- Multi-discipline Artist Residence in elementary, Jr. High and High School
.
- International Culture and English integration for University students
.
- International Improvisation intensive courses for 10 days to two weeks for established improvisers
.
Interested in more examples? Take a look at previous history in the workshop section.
The workshop I’m most interested in is the one I haven’t done yet.
