Análisis de pruebas físicas finales en la población interna del E.P.M.S.C del

The teacher in the position of production educator who oversees all facets of the school production is undoubtedly in a very powerful position with the students and other staff with whom they work. On the other hand within the school this is seen as a very powerless position, so there is almost an awkward balancing of the power at play. Students on the one hand look up to this teacher as an all-

IMAGE 8 -Poster Design.

knowing adult with answers and on the other hand feel they can rapidly question and disagree with due to the lack of respect for the qualifications this teacher holds. These can be explained by the lack of respect for the production within the school but furthermore by the idea that anyone can act and that knowledge in this area is not necessary as everyone has an affinity with the idea of performance, as we have all seen plays or television or even performed in something, a concert, a recital, a Christmas carol.

The power at play needed to be considered from an ethics view point. My interactions with students could have been affected by the power that I had over them. However I was determined to erode this power and instead infuse it with mutual trust, responsibility and empathy.

The ethical process in which I followed throughout the production was to treat each child with respect and to expect a mutual respect. This included respectful interactions during the making of the school production, inclusive of decision making, dealing with pastoral care and behavioural issues as they arose. Each child’s right to contribute was respected throughout the process. When a teacher takes on a role of production coordinator or production teacher they take on the role of pastoral carer of each child involved. They also take on a leadership role in ensuring the child’s rights are upheld by all other adults who may work on the production, these may include other staff members, community members and parents.

As stated, pastoral care is something that goes hand in hand with any production.

Throughout the process there are always issues that arise with the period just before opening night being one of the busiest times for upset and unease. Following are a few examples throughout the process and opening night: The first for this show was the reluctance to create an original show, everyone was quite invested in this discussion and some students took the idea of an original show as an insult. There were issues with music and students becoming upset with how their singing

rehearsals had gone. Some students were not able to afford things like the camp. Little relationships would flourish and then breakup, which would create working difficulties. There were students who pulled out because the work load became overwhelming, students wanting to join half way through because they heard how much fun it was to be involved in. Injuries occur either outside the production or during dance rehearsals, effecting students’ abilities to perform. Students have little quarrels about what had been said behind each other’s backs. And the final pastoral care comes when the show is over and students feel lost without it.

The production teacher, in this case me, has a position of responsibility in dealing with each issue that

might arise. While each issue deserves the time and attention to ensure each participant is happy in what they are doing, it is worth noting briefly that the participants learnt from these moments. For me the production teacher has a responsibility to keep a sense of calm, organisation within the chaos of

what a school production is and to model professional and caring behaviour. While this may not always be easy amongst the chaotic atmosphere it is paramount in allowing the students a safe and happy place to learn. This is the key here, students in a production are learning. They are not Broadway actors to be shouted at and criticised. An example of this is documented in the Journal chapter. I wanted to ensure students knew this would not happen while working on the authentic modelled school production. I made it very clear that everyone was here to learn and that everyone has varying degrees of ability and physicality that each person brings with them their own unique positive contributions and these contributions would be celebrated. This partially came from my past experience with teacher/directors treating students rather cruelly and my inability to see this as theatrical practice, and to also adhere to the university’s ethics requirements.

An ethics application was approved on 08.05.2012 by Victoria University which enabled me to study the children involved in the school production. This study was supported by the school’s principal and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria including the use of the school’s name in the thesis. Letters were sent home to parents outlining the study and the ethical requirements (See Appendix 5 Permission Letters). The pastoral care involved and the developments that grew out of the social interactions of students involved in the production are outlined in Chapter 7 Student’s Experiences. These provide an insight into the backstage moments that became a part of the process of the school production and the product.