Quoting The Bard

Mendham Township, NEW JERSEY (June 05, 2023) – Eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) is the perfect time in a student’s linguistic and reading development horizon to start tackling complex works. At Mendham Township Middle School (MTMS), the curriculum for their students’ last year at the school includes a dedicated ELA unit which includes reading, analyzing, and writing about complicated works such as those written by The Bard himself. Becoming comfortable with reading and comprehending material in an unfamiliar and more formal writing style is critical for preparing students for the advanced and complicated reading assignments they will undertake in high school and college.

Performance-based teaching is a great way for students to extend their reading skills and demonstrate their comprehension of the written material. This year, MTMS students focused on large excerpts from two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet. Classroom discussions and rehearsals introduced students to the universal appeal of Shakespeare and inspired confidence in these students as they first read, then analyzed, and eventually began to even speak in the voice of the characters first penned by Shakespeare.

In class, the MTMS ELA teacher read the text aloud so that students were able to appreciate both the content and context of each drama. While the text may have seemed stilted or oddly structured, students were surprised and happy to find some everyday phrases such as, “Neither a borrower, nor a lender be,” as quoted in the play, Hamlet. An interesting time juxtaposition of both the familiar and an older time period that can intrigue and engage students in understanding the written material.

To stage the students’ performance of the two plays, the school hosted a Shakespeare Festival on the evening of May 30, 2023. Every single student in the eighth grade had a speaking role and an opportunity to be on stage. To complete the experience, the students wore appropriate period costumes. The event capped-off a rich learning experience that student performers will always remember and audience members thoroughly enjoyed.

To further add to the educational experience, Mrs. Melanie Smith - MTMS Media Specialist, provided a high-level overview of medieval heraldry and symbolism. Each student prepared a “coat-of-arms” that was designed to symbolize the student and/or their family. The shields were then displayed in the hallways of the school for the Shakespeare Festival, making the evening very special.

“I am so impressed by the journey these students have made,” said Nick Angrisani, MTMS Assistant Principal. “As they come to the end of their middle school years, they have demonstrated with confidence their ability to read, comprehend, discuss, and even perform some very complex texts. I especially want to congratulate our ELA faculty members, Mrs. Christine Yawger, Mrs. Carol Hueston, and Ms. Sara Cyr, for their excellent work. I also want to thank the extended school members: staff, faculty, and students, who contributed so much and made the Shakespeare Festival such a wonderful experience for everyone. This is one of my favorite MTMS traditions!”