“Sometimes I feel I enable the
transformation of students to
a newer form of themselves.
At other times, I feel I enable
their transformation to their
original self…”
of these skills can be overrated, especially in today’s
world. They will be useful through their years in university, and will come in handy professionally and personally. Sometimes I think I am re-teaching students
the importance of human connections because they
only understand eye contact with their mobile devices.
They have to recognize and understand that human
interaction is part of life, that being believable is part of
life,” she asserts.
EMPOWERING TO TRANSFORM
These life skills are taught and honed through a
well-structured and planned IB curriculum in middle
and high schools. For instance, grade 6 focuses on the
foundations of play writing and character development,
while grade 7 employs global traditions of oral history
as stimulus for exploring process drama techniques
and strategies. Meanwhile, grade 8 deepens their
knowledge and understanding of theater skills and
processes, grade 9 delves into texts from bards such as
Shakespeare, and grade 10 works on texts from ancient
Greece to modern realism. So, Ms. Keller’s lessons are
embedded in history, literature and theory, making it
cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and multifaceted.
Ms. Keller believes that drama is more than a subject,
it is more than art; it is life itself! It is a subject that
presents many teachable moments, which creates
moments of transformation in students. “This is the
alchemy of acting. Sometimes I feel I enable the transformation of students to a newer form of themselves.
At other times, I feel I enable their transformation to
their original self – a rediscovery of their pure self.
People often believe acting to be a form of lying, but it
is just the opposite. I teach students to be truthful and
honest. Without these, you cannot be believable as an
actor,” she reflected.
Yes, one could describe Chloe Keller as one of Keystone’s founding alchemists. She not only reveals life in
its many manifestations and transformations when on
stage or writing for stage, but also helps students make
their own transformations in life. These transformations
are not always individual; they are collective too. Ms.
Keller hopes there will be a myriad of opportunities for
Keystone to grow and evolve as a community. Whether
seeking the best of oneself, or the becoming of a whole,
the alchemy of it all lies in recognizing and revealing
what already exists. And if anyone can find and enable
such a transformation, it would be Chloe Keller.
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