Sharla Arnold Ed Psych

I decided what I want to be when I grow up at age 40.  I have always loved theatre and even got my degree in it but after that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with that degree.  I found myself in love and starting a family and that degree in theatre faded into the background.  Fast forward 15 years and three kids later and suddenly I see the impact theatre classes can have on kids transitioning from Erikson's Industry stage into Identity.  This really became clear to me when my own son, diagnosed with ADHD and high functioning Autism, found joy and self esteem as he started his theatre classes in 6th grade.  I was shocked at the positive impact this class had on him.  Now he is in 8th grade and I am able to observe his class and it is clear how much these students benefit from this type of class as they struggle to move from childhood Industry stage into puberty and adolescent Identity stage. My son's theatre class is a Level 2 intermediate theatre clas...

The theatre world loves a bit of drama....ok, quite a bit of drama.  We like things to be interesting, emotional, and relevant.  The bigger the interest, the more emotional and the more relevant, the better.  So, the debate between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theory of development really peaked my interest.  There are parts of Piaget that I relate to and make sense to me, particularly his theories on how we classify the information we receive into schemas by assimilation or accommodation.  I also love the idea of introducing new material by relating it to an existing schema, that makes perfect sense.  The problem with Piaget is that Vygotsky said some stuff, and it's super good!  Vygotsky really makes sense in how theatre is performed and taught, so Vygotsky gets my vote and here is why... The three main components of Vygotsky's theory are that a student needs 1) a More Knowledgeable Other (someone who knows more than you that will guide you), 2) a Zone ...

If growth mindset was a religion, I would be a true follower.  If it was a YouTube channel, I would subscribe.  If it was a food, it would be a big beautiful cake with frosting on every side and 100 candles on top and I would eat it by myself!  I lean toward being an optimist but must admit, I have had habits of a fixed mindset for most of my life.  Recognizing those tendencies in myself has opened my eyes to the true power of being positive and being optimistic.   On a general level, the theatre class I observe has a teacher who infuses growth mindset into everything I have seen her teach.  The main topics she has covered this year are acting using the "view points" method, acting with an internal purpose, and student presentations on musicals.  In every unit they have studied I never once heard a students express a fixed mindset toward the task at hand.  I never heard the teacher use fixed mindset language such as, "some of you may not be...

Quick, name five musicals off the top of your head...go!  Ok, that's not fair, you're not a theatre kid so that might be really hard.  Well, the truth is, it's hard for me too.  I have a degree in theatre and have been involved in many, many productions in a variety of ways, but I would have a hard time name five musicals quickly.  Honestly, I don't love them.  That's not to say I think poorly of them, I was just never the kid that listened to musical sound tracks in the car and if there were auditions for one, I generally passed.  Here's the problem with that as I prepare to have my own theatre class/program, Utah loves musicals!  The big school wide productions in most of the northern Utah districts are musicals, which is what I'm going to have to choose and direct one day.  This could be a problem.... I love the idea the theatre teacher I am observing came up with for teaching her kids about musicals (largely because I have learned a lot abo...

Ah, the theatre (read that line in you best pretentious English accent)!  I actually never believed I would go to college until I learned that I could get a degree in theatre.  This news changed my life.  I liked school ok but nothing really interested me like theatre did.  As a teen I just viewed acting as a fun, exciting, and frankly, an easy class.  Having some years of experience behind me and a few classes in Educational Phycology, I can see how the way that I learn really lends itself to the stage.  Seriously, this is a revelation.  I'm ok at taking notes, understanding text books, and jumping through the hoops, but you ask me to get up and try something new and I'm in it to win it!  Come to find out, this understanding of how I learn is called metacognition.  Everyone can do it!  Metacognition is just learning how you learn, thinking about thinking (I feel super smart saying that). My first two service field hours were spent in ...