This fall, a Millsaps arts education class is taking a dramatic turn, moving from the classroom to the community.
Millsaps students in Stacy DeZutter’s course have spent each Tuesday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club in Jackson helping 35 eight and nine year olds develop drama skills and team building exercises.
“It is understood that there is a correlation between academic and social success through drama education. Members who participate in drama obtain stronger reading and writing skills, increased self respect and self esteem and a greater ability to express emotion,” said Randal Gray, project intervention director and volunteer coordinator for the Jackson metro-area Boys & Girls Clubs. “This is a new program for most of the participants and is their first exposure to these life enhancing skills.”
The class benefits both the Boys & Girls Club participants and the Millsaps students who are developing valuable teaching skills. DeZutter said she felt students would learn more by actually teaching drama education than solely listening to lectures or reading from texts.
For Millsaps junior Mary Paige Francis of Amory, the course has opened her eyes to the importance of arts education and has given her an outlet to express creativity and develop leadership skills.
“As a math major, I have not had much experience with the arts (especially theater) in my curriculum. This class has truly opened my eyes to how important the role of arts enrichment is in education. The children we work with are extremely creative and jump at the chance to lead a drama game or create an improv scenario. This class has changed my opinion from ‘arts enrichment should be offered’ to ‘arts enrichment should be required’ in children's education,” Francis said.
In preparation for the hour-long drama class, students study various methods of teaching drama and then develop lesson plans. By seeing their plans in action, students also learn how to make adjustments based on the students and can evaluate the success of plans.
These are all keys in helping Millsaps students establish their professional identities as teachers, DeZutter said.
“There is a very personal kind of learning that is happening in this class. The participants have to discover who they are as teachers and how they can successfully interact with young people, many from completely different backgrounds, in order to teach them effectively,” DeZutter said.
For sophomore Lindsay Webre of Mandeville, La. the experience has made her realize that she would one day like to use the theater techniques utilized at the club to teach reading, English and spelling to third and fourth graders.
“It is very a powerful moment to witness a child learn a new skill or have a better understanding of a storyline because of a lesson I have designed,” Webre said. “I enjoy sharing my knowledge of the theatre with these kids. I have seen a huge difference from when we first went to the Boys & Girls Club to now. They have all really opened up and developed as young actors.”
The semester-long service project has been a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for Francis as well.
“Not only is our class able to serve the community, we are able to execute the skills and techniques we learn during class in a practical environment,” Francis said. “What we are doing is so special because our program is beneficial to both our class and the Boys & Girls Club. I look forward to the smiles on the children's faces each week, seeing how they improve in the arts and how we improve in our teaching.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi serves about 3,500 youths, ages 6 to 18, through six metro-area clubs. As a youth development organization, the Boys & Girls Clubs offer children a safe, positive place to go after school, during school holidays and summer. The mission is to enable all young people, especially those in the most need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
