The survival skill of speaking!

Over the 14 years of the life of this website, well over 100,000 people (I assume teachers, because they are all I ever marketed to) downloaded from SOL. I have interacted with hundreds of drama and English Teachers over the years, and while some were obviously gifted encouragers, not one displayed any kind of refined acting talent with Shakespeare. Often, their students were more naturally gifted. Teachers might talk about something, but only a rare few actually dared prove it through performance. They might even start a unit by reminding the students that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be performed, but then very, very few could actually encourage their students to try scenes or speeches, OR WHOLE PLAYS, out loud. In their defence, they did not have an appropriate resource like SOL. So, I just continued to add to this website knowing many would catch up in time.

In those 14 years I have received 4 thank-you emails and one donation. China visits daily, and never one peep. While I consider SOL the perfect resource for those Chinese needing to speak English well, I have lost all respect for the population as a whole. Yes, I am truly Canadian; I give away all sorts of things in my life. Generosity-of-spirit seems a familiar trait among my fellow countrymen, certainly unlike our southern neighbours, at present, certainly unlike China.

So, if you cannot realize the value of the series, or don’t actually have the courage or talent to experience the plays with those you are supposed to be instructing, or just don’t care if your students remain inarticulate zombies, hypnotized by their phones, go to a translation-website where no talent or courage is required. If you want to succeed with Shakespeare Out Loud however, I would suggest you start PRACTICING. Your students are going to want to hear you risk yourself before they struggle in front of their classmates. Most of you are going to be talent-challenged, certainly compared to me, and that is fine, but you are asking your students to exhibit courage, so you better lead.

While you are at it, you might thank your lucky stars that someone has actually created texts
and methods, that allow, nay encourage, out loud exploration of William Shakespeare.
It ain’t the same as pontificating about old Will; SOL teaches something far more valuable.
SOL practices and refines the survival skill of speaking!