3 Notes to Start:
- Strange, slightly uncomfortable title, yes. Please read anyway (I promise nothing bad will come!)
- The craziness of the title makes it catchy! (Thanks for the tip Sue Waters!)
- I am seeming to be on a roll tonight… 🙂
I am an avid Broadway fan (you should see my iPod..). Tonight is the biggest night in Broadway…the Tony Awards! I had a wonderful evening watching some fantastic musical numbers (including lots with kids…it was the year of the child and I was shocked and amazed by the remarkable young talent!), amazing Broadway stars, both new and old, and of course, the host, the fabulous Neil Patrick Harris! (I could go on for days about him!) However, I will get to the meat of this post, not go on and on about everything, because I definitely could!
This year’s winner for the Best Musical was Kinky Boots, music and lyrics by Cindi Lauper (Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Time After Time, True Colours); libretto (or book, or script) by Harvey Fierstein (who I love…he originated the role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway!); and directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell (who won Best Choreography for this show as well). It was destined for greatness with a group like that. Now, you may be wondering, what exactly is Kinky Boots (because it doesn’t sound like anything really good..). It is the story of a young man who inherits a shoe making shop from his father. He makes boots, but doesn’t like it, until he meets Lola (who is played by a man…Harvey Fierstein loves the cross dressers!) who shows him it is okay to be yourself and do what you want, not what is expected of you. Then, they make pink, shiny, 2.5′ high heeled boots. (What can I say, it is a musical…good old fashioned cheesy fun!)
What I love most about this is the message (although the songs and dances are catchy fun). Be who you want to be. Do what you want to do. You are your own person, not who someone else expects you to be. Kinky Boots isn’t the only show that has this message. I can think of two more, very well known musicals that tell us the exact same thing: Hairspray and High School Musical. Yes, they are cheesy. They do have great dance numbers and catchy tunes. But most importantly, they have a fantastic message.
Maybe Broadway has overplayed the message a bit (not surprising…those stages are filled with people who have been ridiculed and pushed away from their dreams), but I think this is so important for us as teachers to emphasize, because our classrooms are growing increasingly diverse. We have the responsibility to show our students that it is okay for them to be whoever they want, that they will still be accepted and loved by those who matter most. It is a tough job, especially fighting against the rest of the world who isn’t quite as open to differences, who influence their children.
What are ways that we can help students feel comfortable in their own skin? How can we show them it is alright to be someone just a little bit different?
Musings 
I believe in order to encourage students to be comfortable with who they are we need to be vulnerable with them. Show them that is it okay to make mistakes, be silly, try new things, and be ourselves. Creating meaningful relationships with students is key. How can we expect them to be themselves if we do not know who they really are? It is our job to make the classroom as inclusive and as safe as possible. This means we need to create a place where students can explore and figure out who they are and want to be (In their own way and pace). That is how we learn and grow. I don’t think this is an issue that has one answer or can be solved in one lesson. This needs to be an ongoing process throughout the year. Great post!
Thanks for reading! I definitely agree with you that it is something that teachers need to constantly review and adjust to make their students feel free to be themselves. I also appreciate you bringing up the point about us being vulnerable with them-it’s okay for them to see our differences. We are role models for our students, and if we show that we are cool with being different, then they will get the message that they can be okay with it as well.
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