Questions for Reflection After You See the Play

  1. Schoolhouse is about part of a year in the life of the teacher and students in a one-room schoolhouse in 1938, which is different in many ways from a typical school year in your life. How much did you feel you had in common with the students? What parts of their lives seemed very different from yours?

  2. It's easy to see the disadvantages to being in a one-room schoolhouse. All the grades were mixed together, it was a lot of work just to keep the space warm in the winter, and to bring in the drinking water every day. And outhouses! Enough said. But can you see any advantages to going to school in such an environment?

  3. One of the themes of the play is the way some people are included, and some people are excluded in groups, like Miss Linton’s class. Can you think of an example recently where someone made an effort to include you in a group? How did that work? How did you feel?

  4. Another theme of the play is bullying. Most schools today talk about bullying, and try to educate their students about what bullying is and what to do when they are bullied, or see someone being bullied. How do you think that is working?

  5. Can you think of some ways that students like Milton and Ewart, if they were in the school today, could be better included in groups? Do you think that inclusion and exclusion are bigger problems than they were in 1938? Or is it getting better? Explain why.

  6. From the very beginning of the play, Miss Linton makes many choices about what kind of teacher she's going to be. Even though it's common practice, she decides that she will not strike the children to punish them. She makes a point of encouraging her students at whatever they are good at. She does not allow bullying. And she helps Ewart, even though it will cost her job. What do you think of her choices?

    Small maquet of the set for Schoolhouse.
  7. After watching Schoolhouse, you've seen a student production in which acting, set design, costume design, lighting and sound design, and management have all been done by people just a little older than you. If you could choose a job in a student production what would it be?

  8. After seeing her play Schoolhouse, is there something you would like to ask Leanna Brodie? Or just share with her?

 

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