To support student achievement and teacher professional development, Cal Shakes brings Teaching Artists into the schools to teach with the aim of developing students' creative and academic minds and voices.
Arts Integration Collaborations
Supports the Teaching of Required Academic Curriculum
Arts Integration collaborations partner classroom teachers with Cal Shakes Teaching Artists to integrate arts-based strategies into core curriculum subjects such as English and History. We partner our professional Teaching Artists with classroom teachers to deliver customized, arts-based instruction to their students during a series of 8-10 sessions. Using a team-teaching approach, Residencies allow students to tap into the artistic experience and their own creativity in the context of meeting specific curriculum objectives. Theater arts-based activities include performance, playwriting, character analysis and puppetry, infusing more fun into the learning process, and helping students improve a range of academic, creative, and critical thinking skills. Students are more engaged and successful in school, develop their own artistic voices, and enlarge their capacity for community participation.
This approach has yielded proven results, with literacy scores increasing dramatically in just weeks. Appropriate for 4th-12th graders.
For more information or to schedule a residency please call Emily Morrison, Program Manager of Artistic Learning, at emorrison@calshakes.org or 510.548.3422 x127.
Feedback regarding past residencies
“Cal Shakes artists have helped me understand how to make Shakespeare come alive for the students. From warm-ups to get energy and community flowing to discussions and acting exercises around character motivation, the teaching artist has given me wonderful tools to work with as I teach the plays each year. This year, for the first time, I as a teacher felt confident enough to implement some of the teaching methods used by Elizabeth [Carter, Teaching Artist] in the classes she did not conduct a residency in. For example, I used vocal warm-ups I learned from our artist, and it was great to feel like I could do Julius Caesar scene work with kids because I had learned from Cal Shakes teaching artists. My English Language Learners (ELL) kids really responded with enthusiasm to the residency. A few had not really participated much in the class, and what was interesting to see was that some students gained confidence to read aloud even when our artist was not there.”
-Jennifer Dannenberg, classroom teacher at Skyline High School (Oakland)
“This is my fourth year and it just keeps getting better. The program runs smoothly and the students love it. The parents came to see their students perform "King Lear" last week and they are still raving about what a great experience it was for their children. They do not have as great a fear of speaking up in class and are much more willing to participate in class discussions. I love the program and wouldn't change a thing.”
-Linda Roshay, classroom teacher at Charlotte Wood Middle School (San Ramon)
“I am writing in support of the terrific educational programs that Cal Shakes provides for young people. Having had their team work with our students over the past three years, I am convinced that their efforts have had tremendous, positive, and important benefits to our students. We continue to seek every opportunity to work with Cal Shakes and will continue to do so in the future.”
- Bruce Holaday, Superintendent of Oakland Military Institute
“Exceptional learning and teaching experience. Tremendous growth and interest in Shakespeare and acting by students inspired by Ms. Tillman [Teaching Artist]…Overall - an inspiration and breathtaking experience to see students handily perform so well! The parents who came were so very appreciative. I just wish we could have shared it with the entire school population. We are in the school paper - The Herald! February 2008.”
- Anne Ferrell, classroom teacher at Claremont Middle School (Oakland)