Kerri Twigg
My middle school record included three in-school detentions, five temporary suspensions and finally an expulsion from the entire school division due to violent behavior. Flash forward sixteen years and now I have a B.A in Drama in Education and 10 years drama teaching experience. I am a proud mother, playwright and humane educator in training. I believe that my questionable past has made me a better teacher -- one who aims to keep education interesting, relevant and meaningful. My father is a great storyteller, and he is the reason I chose to work in theatre. To me the world of theatre and drama is a place we can share and celebrate each others' stories. I have worked as a drama instructor and playwright for the past 10 years. I was teaching drama to children and teens at a private theatre school, and at various schools, community centres and hospitals. I was not setting out to make my students actors; I was aiming to provide a learning environment where students are encouraged to use their own ideas, and to be confident expressing those ideas. My classes were about the process and not the product.
I used to play a game at the beginning of each term called, "You're Smart, I'm Smart, We're all Smarties." I would pass around a box of Smarties. (Just a note: Smarties in Canada are candy-covered chocolate, made by Nestle. They are different from the U.S. version of Smarties, which we call "Rockets.") Each student was instructed to take up to three Smarties. After the box was passed they were asked to share one thing about themselves for every Smartie they had. One of my students refused to play. I asked her why and she explained her concern about Nestle marketing its infant formula as superior to breast milk, especially to disadvantaged mothers. This sparked a debate with the students which eventually resulted in a role-play drama on the situation. For two hours I explored issues I had never thought about with my teen students, and it was one of the most powerful learning and teaching experiences of my life. After the class I reflected on the experience and wondered how I could learn more about this stuff. I heard about The Institute for Humane Education and immediately applied for the M.Ed. program.
I am currently employed as the Youth Programs Coordinator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, where my official job is to engage youth in the visual arts. The entire time we are looking at and referring to the art, but it is leading us to discuss issues that I am learning about in the M.Ed. program. Inuit art exhibits are full of sculptures made of stone and animal bones and skins; it is a wonderful place to explore animal rights. Landscape paintings from previous eras are a great place to start a discussion about changing landscapes and environmental concerns. This year we added a tour called "On Sustainability" for middle years students.
Since starting the M.Ed. program I have been looking for ways to combine my two passions: drama and humane education. This past spring I entered a 90 minute playwriting contest as part of Prairie Theatre Exchange's Carol Shields Festival. We sat in the middle of a shopping mall and had 90 minutes to complete an original play. As I began writing, all of the issues I had been exposed to during my studies came to light, and I started weaving them into the play. I tackled consumerism, animal rights and the environment, and inserted it into the play without making it an "issues” play. I won first place in the professional division. The play was read as part of the festival, with professional actors and an audience, and I won a cash prize and season tickets to various production companies. I am writing an original play and the accompanying drama workshop for my M.Ed. Independent Learning Project (ILP). I am enthusiastic about creating work with meaning and sharing it with others. I am so excited about where this is all leading.
Most Good & Least Harm Talk by Zoe Weil - Orono, Maine
March 16, 2010 - 2:00 pm | Location: University of Maine - Orono (100 Neville Hall)
Please join us for an inspiring talk with Zoe Weil at the University of Maine in Orono. Co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Sociology departments. Learn about the ways in which your everyday choices, your work, your activism, and your volunteerism can do the most ...
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March 16, 2010 - 2:00 pm | Location: University of Maine - Orono (100 Neville Hall)
Please join us for an inspiring talk with Zoe Weil at the University of Maine in Orono. Co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Sociology departments. Learn about the ways in which your everyday choices, your work, your activism, and your volunteerism can do the most ...
Read More