Miss Doneltha Weekes is the deputy head teacher at the Lookout primary school, and she is speeding ahead in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in education. To do this she has invited and has been involving the community to be part of her studies and invited The Montserrat Reporter to witness her at work.
We visited with Miss Weekes on the evening of November 27, at one of the Brades school class rooms and after observing her briefly working with the Rotaractors, Miss Weekes told us that she is seeking to obtain a Bachelors in Education degree. “I am doing my studies and I am conducting a practicum session with a group from the community,” she said.
She explained later: “It is a series of drama sessions I am conducting with a group from the community as part of my bachelors in education studies.”
Miss Weekes said she chose the Rotaract Club having found, “…they are very involved in community activities.”
She said she approached the president, “she signaled her interest and I went, sensitised the group and told them what the session would be like.”
She further explained that the series runs over several weeks and that at the time, “Now we are focusing on team building.”
She said she chose that because the Rotaractors had signaled that (team work) was one of their weak points. “I decided to capitalize on that and every week we do different sessions on team building, she said, pointing out that, “This week’s session is on unity. Last week’s was on conflict resolution. The previous session was on leadership. We do different sessions focusing on team building getting them in that spirit…”
As she worked with a very attentive, involved and enthusiastic group of Rotaractors, she indicated, “These are drama sessions. I am exposing them to what drama is, and that drama is something for them to explore. It comes to everyone’s door.”
Obviously enjoying the work she was engrossed in, she told the group as we listened. “You do not have to be a dramatist to dramatise,” and then to us she said, “I try to get them out of their shell,” concluding proudly, “I have seen a lot improvement from how they came. Some of them are shy, you see them how they are getting on, there’s a lot of change how they start relating to each other. I see a lot of positives coming out of them.”
Doneltha conducted a few different sessions with the obviously animated group, explaining that in one of them they were acting what she titled, “it’s a party”. That began with the group writing out their strengths on paper (no names), and putting them in a bag. Following this they are read, while the group pointed out the individual who they thought noted the particular strength. “… then we are going to discuss all the strengths and then go into a drama to bring out all the strengths,” the tutor-student explained.
Miss Weekes towards the end of several activities, after directing them, “Unity is strength – Team work,” asked the group, “From the first day you came to now, Do you find you are out there, meaning you are more outspoken?”
Some responded eagerly: “I feel more comfortable around – I come out of my comfort zone – I get along easily…”
