Student Development Profile

In the Level 2 middle school theatre class I have been observing I see a lot of Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories at play.  Cognitively speaking, Piaget's Concrete and Formal operational stages are most prevalent at this age.  In theatre I see students using inductive and deductive reasoning as they try to make choices about how a character would act.  I see them really start to use hypothetical reasoning as they make sense of the deeper meaning of the plays they are studying.  I also see Vygotsky represented as students work to cooperate and collaborate on scene work.  They rely heavily on the teacher as the More Knowledgeable Other to answer questions and get feedback.  They are also becoming more aware of their own understanding of the Zone of Proximal Development, meaning they know how far to push themselves when creating scenes together.  Both theories agree that this class needs a chance to try new tasks, develop their own opinions about ideas, and chances to look to others to help them cognitively develop.

Physically this age group is up and down and all around.  Some are still pre-pubescent while others have fully entered puberty.  This is a tricky time for meeting the physical development needs of a theatre class.  Luckily, theatre lends itself to many avenues for kids to have their physical needs met.  This is an active class and every day starts with a class warm up.  The teacher is very aware of giving the students a chance to stand and stretch when they have been sitting for a while.  It is also common for the students to have daily work time where they get up and move or even create their own blocking.  Theatre is very aware of the physical differences in people but happily celebrates it.  A tell person can use their height to their advantage while a "tom boy" can find ways to have her personality come across in the right context.  Physicality is a big part of acting and students can really use their outward appearance to their advantage, hopefully creating confidence.

Identity Development is becoming the central focus at this time.  A lot of students are in need of a teacher who is practiced at differentiation.  In this class the teacher always has options for her students who may need to go a different route to accomplish the daily goals, and I have seen all of them succeed at this.  Bronfenbrenner's meso and macro systems are his most prevalent theories in this class.  Acting is centered on connecting with your fellow actors but most importantly, the audience.  So much of theatre is based on the social and cultural values we share as a society.  Erikson is represented in both industry and identity stages as the students slip from the former into the latter.  Both are supported by allowing students to create and find validation in their own work as well as gaining praise and confidence from a performance they really made an effort toward.  I see the students in Marcia's Identity Foreclosure and Moratorium stages.  Mostly, I think foreclosure is the dominant stage at this time as students are just beginning to test their limits and try new things.  This is a time of self experimentation and the desire to commit is not quite strong enough yet.

I actually see students in Pre convention, Conventional, and Post Conventional moral stages as explained by Kohlberg, depending on the context.  It's fair to say that all of the kids are in the Post Conventional Stage when it comes to major wrongs such as hurting other people for the sake of hurting.  I think some are in the Conventional stage, especially the good boy-nice girl orientation.  This stage is developing along with their identity.  I think this stage is fine to tap into to get students focused on making good choices but it needs to be followed up by conversations about how they feel and what happens in the world when they make good choices.  Finally, in some respects I think that all of the students are in the Pre conventional stage when it comes to certain issues.  This stage is probably the strongest at this age as students are constantly reminded of the punishment and reward for making choices about school rules, class work, and social interactions.  Theatre class can rely heavily on this stage as being in front of an audience can stoke the personal reward fire.  On the opposite end it can also be crushing when you try your best but don't get the part you wanted in a play.  I think teachers can help students toward Post Conventional moral stage by having open and safe conversations about the student's motivations and identity.