Gulgong High School teacher Ben Bennett is one of 30 Australian teachers who will be mentored by Bell Shakespeare this year to better teach the works of William Shakespeare.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Bell Shakespeare has launched a new Regional Teacher Mentorship program, giving 30 teachers from regional, rural and remote Australian schools a fully-funded, year-long mentorship with the company.
Mr Bennett said he hoped the mentorship would show him new ways of engaging students with Shakespeare’s plays.
“Choosing to be an English teacher, it’s something I’m passionate about,” he said.
Having taught English in Gulgong for the last four years, Mr Bennett said it was difficult to take country students to see productions of Shakespeare’s work for themselves, adding an extra level of difficulty to teaching the plays.
The Regional Teacher Mentorship program will give him alternative ways of bringing Shakespeare to life, which he will also be able to share with other teachers at the school.
Mr Bennett said the language of Shakespeare was always an initial obstacle for students, which was a shame, because the stories were spectacular once they could be understood.
He said Shakespeare’s masterful control of language and interesting stories made him “one of England’s greats in terms of literature”.
Mr Bennett’s mentorship will begin with four days of workshops at Bell Shakespeare HQ in Sydney during March, including an excursion to see Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the Opera House.
The teachers will receive specialist training in practical and innovative strategies for teaching Shakespeare and design a Shakespeare unit plan, as well as meeting other teachers from around regional Australia.
Mr Bennett will receive ongoing support from Bell Shakespeare artists and staff after he returns to Gulgong.
Peter Evans, Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare said, “We are committed to sharing Shakespeare with all Australians. “Our goal is that all audiences, regardless of age or location, are given the opportunity to experience the imagination and range of human emotions that are still relevant to students 400 years after the stories were written. Empowering teachers with creative and innovative ways to teach Shakespeare will have ongoing effects on countless young people.”
