Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 14

to learn Shakespeare in a way that will last the rest of their lives." Richard Nackenson, the parent of a first-grader, found the workshop to be "a wonderful event. I was thrilled to take part in the program first hand. The evening was participatory and fun. I realized immediately that we were in for a surprise, when parents were invited on stage to sit in a large circle when the evening began," Nackenson reported. "I thoroughly enjoyed the interactive component, as I never had any formal acting experience. Importantly, we were given a glimpse into how our children are learning about Shakespeare and literature. The program being developed by Horace Mann and the Royal Shakespeare Company is impressive. As a proud Horace Mann parent, I am thrilled to see the implementation of this leadingedge curriculum." photo by Jasmin Ortiz Horace Mann School and England's Royal Shakespeare Company HM Upper Division students put the RSC's "On Your Feet" rehearsal room method of learning Shakespeare into action. Active teaching stimulates active learning After a decade of pursuing its "Stand Up for Shakespeare" manifesto RSC Education has documented numerous positive outcomes, from students' increased interest in Shakespeare, to their increased attentiveness at school. Grades and test scores rose at schools where the RSC has worked, and numerous teacher narratives describe how withdrawn or inattentive students take on classroom leadership roles when the RSC techniques are presented. These findings and more appear on the RSC website at: https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/impact-andresearch/?from=mdd-ed. The results of a 2011-2012 OSU study indicate that for elementary and middle school students, interest in Shakespeare predicted higher outcomes in reading and math-achievement test scores, and a pilot study of reading comprehension and vocabulary development indicated that students of teachers who participated in the Ohio StateRSC program scored significantly higher on a nationallyvalidated test. Across all grades students' improved atti- 14 Horace Mann Magazine Summer 2016 tudes toward school and "school belonging" increased with students' positive attitudes toward Shakespeare. Middle and secondary school students also showed increased interest in reading, reversing a previously-recorded rising trend toward disaffection with reading through the adolescent years. OSU research can be found at https://shakespeare.osu.edu/education/research-teachers-students. As Stand Up for Shakespeare takes root at HM, faculty members from departments other than English are incorporating RSC practices into their teaching. HM Upper Division science teacher and Dean of Student Life Dr. Susan Delanty '79 attended the June 2015 teachers' workshop out of interest in this new HM initiative. She became "not just an observer" but a participant-and a fan. "There was a lot about it that was uncomfortable for me, because we had to perform," said Dr. Delanty. "But I realized that these techniques could be valuable for the subject I teach-tenthgrade chemistry. For many students chemistry is a new language, just as Shakespeare is a new language in English class. A student who comes to chemistry class thinking 'I'm https://shakespeare.osu.edu/education/research-teachers-students https://shakespeare.osu.edu/education/research-teachers-students https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/impact-and-research/?from=mdd-ed https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/impact-and-research/?from=mdd-ed

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Summer 2016