Stranger in a Strange Land
In the wonderful documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” the poet likens the initial enslaved Africans --- kidnapped and sent to the American South --- much like humans meeting space aliens. I think the comparison is both brilliant and apt. Imagine those African people, ripped violently from their homeland, shackled, and transported on a vessel like none they had ever seen, by people unlike any they had ever encountered, and then deposited in an environment that was, indeed, “alien.” It conjures all those science fiction stories and urban legends where humans are abducted by space aliens and brought to a mysterious planet. This was, of course, only the first in a long line of traumatic experiences for those Africans. To think those scars haven’t been generationally transmitted would grossly diminish the disruption, the mental and spiritual damage, as well as the societal stigma that we all still live with. I talked about the Nikki Giovanni allusion while teaching this semester --- not only because the class was examining White Privilege and its presence in today’s world --- but also because, on a much smaller scale, I realized I had voluntarily enlisted to join an alien world --- but was slow to recognize it. We are now on Spring Break and I’m here to report on my experience on a mysterious planet --- The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts describes itself as follows: The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts was founded in 2018 by industry creatives with the goal of creating a space that was equal parts training and opportunity. The Conservatory is comprised of a faculty of the greatest artists currently working in theatre and television. Located in Norwalk, Connecticut, our campus is in the backyard of the biggest theatre city in the world. We operate as a space where the artists of today can train, audition for professional work, and grow simultaneously. The conservatory built the LINK Program which developed into the full two-year conservatory that comprises NoCo today. With many alumni working on Broadway and on Television, a faculty of the most pivotal artists, close proximity to New York City, small class sizes, and a curriculum built for today’s industry, The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts is Connecticut’s premiere training program for young artists. (website: www.thenorwalkconservatory.org) In December, 2023 I had seen a posting on Indeed that looked interesting. NoCo was looking for someone to teach English Composition to their freshman class. It was local and piqued my interest. I forwarded my resume and got a call to arrange a Zoom interview with the school’s Provost. That interview went swimmingly and, before I knew it, I had been hired to teach English Composition to college freshmen. But these were not your usual college freshmen because they had signed on to experience “a curriculum built to today’s industry.” And that “industry” was Musical Theater, Musical Theater Dance, and TV/Film Performance --- the school’s three curricular concentrations. What’s missing from that curriculum, of course, is “General Education,” which would include English Composition. It seems the school, in applying for accreditation as a legitimate State of Connecticut two-year, degree-granting college, had been informed late in the fall semester they needed to add “General Education” courses to maintain their accreditation and grant degrees going forward. Hence, the need to offer English Composition. As I write this, I’m not sure anyone else applied for the position. Nonetheless, while you may find it hard to believe someone three-quarters of a century old could be naïve, trust me, they can be --- because here I am. If I have a consistent flaw in my adult life, it is charging ahead without necessarily doing as much homework/research as I should prior to diving headfirst into a situation. This is well-chronicled in my memoir (Right Time, Right Places: One Teacher’s School Reform Journey, Adelaide Books, 2020) --- it’s right there in Chapter 30, The Worst Year of My Life. That story relates how I was so anxious to move back to New York City in 2008 I failed to complete my due diligence regarding where I would work or live --- resulting in not one, but two, disastrous experiences --- all in one academic year! Apparently, my 10 years in retirement didn’t bring any wisdom with it because, as the new academic semester got underway, I discovered that both my students and I had been rather seriously blindsided. Don’t get me wrong --- my students are wonderfully talented (some, I would daresay, are “gifted”) and energetic young people. They come from all over the country (only one in my class is from Connecticut) and bring with them a range of interesting histories and experiences. They all share one characteristic: they love performing and are clearly focused on carving out careers in the arts. Their days are packed with courses related to their goals --- acting, dancing, singing, yoga, etc. --- and they apply themselves to those studies with energy and enthusiasm. English Composition 101 less so. Much less so. And that was where the blindside came in. Most of the students signed on to the Norwalk Conservatory believing they would only be doing Arts-related classes, as well as attending auditions and working with “industry creatives” beyond what goes on at the school. Few, if any, thought they would have to take “General Education” courses, like so many they put up with in high school. I was unaware of this before meeting my first class in January. Blindsided. We started with 25 students (out of the 43 in the freshman class --- 18 “placed out”) in January. Now, in late March and on Spring Break, we’re down to 18. Several have “opted out,” choosing to make up the course at another point in time, while others have said they’re not particularly interested in attaining the A.A. degree but want to continue taking arts courses. The stalwarts who remain are resigned to taking the course, with several even engaging in the material with modest enthusiasm. For the most part, we’ve reached a place where we recognize this is not an ideal situation (for any of us, including the instructor) but it is something that has to transpire --- so why not make the most of it? I’ll spend some of my Spring Break preparing the final six weeks of the course, which includes a research project (I’ve already scheduled a “field trip” to the Norwalk Public Library, just down the street from the school). I’m also hoping to bring in a guest or two before the semester is over. I have several former students who have made careers in the Arts and could offer insights regarding the slings and arrows of the profession. In all, this experience is part of the growing pains of building a new school from the ground up. As “industry creatives” and not professional educators, the founders have rightly focused the school on creating an environment that provides students with maximum Arts preparation and opportunities, particularly given our access to New York City. “General Education is firmly, if uncomfortably, ensconced in the back seat. I’m here as an Alien, dispensing information that appears unrelated to the World my students live in and aspire to. Making English Composition 101 engaging remains the enduring challenge for the Academic Stranger in the “Industry” Strange Land.” Keep your eye out for the Final Report Card sometime in May to see how the students and the instructor co-existed throughout the Spring. Until then . . . . the story continues.
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