It occurred to me the other day, that it’s getting to be “graduation/commencement season on high school and university campuses all over the world, or at least the country! That is, of course, a time which is looked forward to by both students AND faculty, as a time of considerable joy, as well as some sadness. Then, it occurred to me that the reason for part of that confusion might just lie in the name of the occasion. After all, “Graduation” implies COMPLETION, as in finishing something; getting to the end of something; usually thought of in an academic context. On the other hand, “Commencement” seems to suggest STARTING something; moving on; a new beginning; something potentially scary; or at least different. While these ideas are not really incompatible, it’s not surprising (at least to me) that they tend to lead to some conflicting emotions and reactions all around.
I had a good deal of experience with the ceremonies which accompany this sort of occasion at Western. Faculty were expected/required to attend at least once a year and, while I was Chair of the Faculty for four years, I had to attend every Commencement ceremony during my tenure in that position. While I rarely found these to be especially exciting, personally, I confess that I, generally, found them mostly enjoyable, in spite of many of them following the pattern of having essentially identical, elderly, white men providing the graduating class with the identical advice that the road to success was to “dare to be different!” Still, Western was probably no worse than many schools and I do think fondly of the many students on whom I would like to think I may have had some (modest) influence which was of some benefit to them. I know they had a significant influence on me. The leading characters in Wicked say it best, perhaps: “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But, because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” Like them, my experiences trying to be an educator have, definitely, changed my life.
But enough of such “weepy” stuff. I had a lot of good times and would like to think that I still have a few pieces of advice which might be worth passing along. No, I’m not going to suggest that you “dare to be different.” Most of my students, at least to my way of thinking, had little problem with that. But there are a couple of things which MIGHT be worth thinking about.
For example; “Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.” That’s a quote from Pete Seeger, probably one of the most important influences on the American Folk Music scene from sometime in the 1940s until into the 2000s. Much of what little I know (knew) about performance came from studying his performances, as did at least some of my understanding of American history. Studs Terkel is supposed to have called him “America’s tuning fork.” Well, he was mine for a long time.
In thinking about teaching and graduation stuff, I am also reminded of the wisdom of Yoda, the Jedi Master. He understood the nature of a teacher’s existence better than many when he said: “We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.” I think the fondest moments of my teaching career occurred on those occasions when one of my students, in a paper; or a question in class; or in discussing a design idea; or a solution to a construction or painting problem in the shop, said something, did something, accomplished something, thought something which made me stop and think, “I wish I’d thought of that!” I’ve always felt that was what education was really all about and I’m glad I have had some of those moments.
For much of my later career, of course, my major educational foci were theatre history and dramatic literature. As I hope I made clear to all of my students, while one CAN deal, primarily, with the historical facts related to theatrical endeavors (including at least some major emphasis on the literature [drama] which is the backbone of the bulk of theatrical work), it is ALMOST impossible to actually separate developments in a society’s theatre from developments in virtually everything else in that society. That means that virtually EVERYTHING that goes on in a society can (and probably does) have some impact on that society’s theatre. Therefore, one really must spend SOME time, examining what’s going on in the society, generally (socially, politically, religiously, etc.) if one is really going to have much insight into that society’s theatre.
Somewhat related to that, a while ago, I ran across a piece online entitled “Why Americans are NUTS!” It made me stop and think a bit about how one MIGHT explain some things about American theatre and drama, if not a lot of aspects of American society. It says, “The USA is made up of people who wanted to go somewhere else, to be with other people and do new things in new ways without leaving their culture, family, jobs, and habits behind. No wonder we’re a bit mental.” I don’t know that this explains everything about American theatre (or American culture, generally), but it does seem to offer an idea which just might be worth considering. I don’t know, have we discovered a new “Lesson from History?” Perhaps, I suppose, but that’s enough “teaching” for today.
Now I should probably admit that, like students everywhere, teachers (at ALL school levels) do tend to look forward to the end of the school year and to the changes that school being OUT of session will bring during the summer. The best expression of that feeling that I could find comes from an elementary school, but I can assure anyone that it applies to ALL teachers from pre-K through Graduate school.
Everything good has a price to pay, however, so teachers can never quite completely forget that their students are enjoying being out of school at least as much as they are. And, while it doesn’t happen immediately; before the summer’s out, at least some students, like Non Sequitur’s Danae, will achieve their goal for the summer.
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