Some folks have asked me why a Theater and Public Speaking Professor would be so interested and invested in the concepts of Process Education. Seven years ago, I had to ask myself why I would I join this board and, more recently, eventually agree to lead it. After all I was contemplating talking early retirement and would be free to explore things I loved that had been left behind. I have to admit that initially I responded to PE as a somewhat interesting intellectual (and somewhat over nuanced) theory of the ways that human beings learn and perhaps how we might leverage that knowledge to enhance how we teach. I was serving as the Director of Faculty Development/CETL for Madison College at the time. Reaching beyond the intellectual concepts, which did and still do intrigue me. I sensed that some kernel of that I understood as a truth in human communication, the arts, and learning was embedded in the principals of PE.
I spent this past week with my wife celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary by visiting New York City which we had explored on our honeymoon all those years ago. Theatre is what had brought us together and has remained a huge part of our lives. While there we attended eight Broadway shows and while doing so (surprisingly) Process Education was also on my mind as I enjoyed the shows and the post show discussions with my wife, I was struck by the fact that aspects of the art of theatre that I had known for most of my life were closely aligned with PE.
In Theatre five elements that I believe are closely connected to PE stand out for me. The Five Rs of the practice of Theatre are Reason, Repetition, Rhyme, Rhythm and Reflection. These five align with tenants we hold true about learning. Consider a show you know, perhaps Funny Girl, & Juliet, Hadestown, the Musical or this year’s Tony Award Winner Kimberly Akimbo. (All of which we saw last week.) In each show the Playwright, Lyricist, Director, Scenographer, Makeup, Costumes, Lighting and Sound Designers, Cast and Crew all collaborated sharing their talents. These efforts combine to create a whole that transcends the individual perspectives and vision into a whole that delights, informs, and heightens our understanding of the world around us. Isn’t that the principal goal of learning? In our teaching are we not doing all these tasks as well? Playing these parts as effectively as we are able? This is the driving idea of Process Education.
Reason , Repetition, Rhyme, Rhythm and Reflection all work together in a theatre piece to offer new perspectives, enhanced understandings, and opportunities to reflect on our own humanity, that of others who share this world with us, our knowledge, and indeed our very way of being. I suggest that Teaching is very much like with working in the Theatre. But as educators we generally play all the parts listed here. Process Education is the milieu that bring us together as a metaphorical theater company. PE provides an opportunity to collaborate as faculty, staff, and administrators to help students reach their full potential. Consider the fantastic resource that has been developed over tine by members of the Academy, The Faculty Guidebook which we all have access to as Academy members. Concepts such as Guided Inquiry Learning, Assessment Methodology, Appreciative Inquiry, Teamwork Methodology, and the Accelerator model are all synonyms for the Repetition, Rhyme, Rhythm and Reflection methodologies used in the Theatre. So as summer ends and the curtain rises make use of the resources offered by OUR Academy and bring your students to a standing ovation.