"Look down at your feet!"

The students in Room 503 heard me say I don't-know-how-many-times in the past couple of days. By "look down at your feet" I am reminding (and re-reminding) the students to stay present - as in here. As in BE HERE NOW.

It's actually absolutely silly to expect a Sixth Grader to stay present, and even sillier to expect a Sixth Grader to stay present for an entire school day. Let's face it: I've been an adult for quite some time now, and I certainly can't stay present most of the time - even when I try. There's grocery lists to make, and thoughts about this, that and the other and all other ideas that flow like a stream of conciousness through that wild world of mine, most people call a brain.

But I am determined to put the idea in the students' heads - the idea of staying present. I do believe that just having that reminder come into play, it offers the students the opportunity to practice coming back to the moment and being present once again - even if it's only to be reminded again and again.

This morning, during our drama class, we created a circle story. The rules of this particular circle story were that we had to go around the circle, from one person to the next, say one sentence to continue the story, and each new sentence had to begin with the next letter of the alphabet. Everyone had to speak loudly and clearly, and though the story could be silly, it had to connect and make some kind of sense.

In order to make this story work, everyone had to remain present throughout its creation. Students needed to listen - no matter where they were in the circle - so that they could keep the story going and make it flow. They also had to make sure they were in keeping with the alphabetical order, according to the rules.

Theatre - at least good theatre - regardless whether it's comedy, drama, improvisation, a staged reading or a film, requires its actors to stay present. The stage of life (and its schools) requires its participants to do the same.

As I explained to the students earlier today (quoting whoever once said this anonymously):

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift -
That's why they call it the present.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman