By Raghad Shuja’a, Graduate of the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts, and a trainer in Interactive Theatre in Public Schools Project

I don’t have a special story with one of the children, but I’m going to talk about my bigger story with the project itself. I’ve wanted to work with children since I was a student in my first year at the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts. This dream eventually became a reality, and every time I suggest an idea or give advice to the ITPS children I’m proud and happy to hear their positive feedback (Raghad I want my sister to name her baby after you… I love you so much Raghad). I think that we should be proud of these achievements and that we have become role models for the children. On a personal level, I still remember one person that greatly influenced me during my childhood and even affected my future career choices. This person taught me how to read, write and sing….and this is what I’m trying to do now with children.  If I meet one of the children in the future - when I become a grandmother even! -  I know it would feel  great to hear them say “thank you,” in the same way that I would love to say “thank you’’ to my own role model. It would be such a pleasure!

One day, Ali’s mother, one of the former ITPS students, called to ask me if we’ll be back at Ali’s school the following academic year. When I answered that we started working in different schools, she said:  “Ali is dreaming about you guys now.  He told me I wish Raghad would come back because she treats us as equals.”

I believe that we need to evolve traditional methods for teaching and disciplining children, and I think that Ali and many other students, who participated in ITPS, were most happy about the way we treated them with respect.  I used Ali’s example when I was recently arguing with one of my friends (a geography teacher) who didn’t understand our approach of treating students as equals, and the way  we veer from the traditional authoritative student-teacher relationships (she simply didn’t know how to use different tools in her classrooms.)  This makes me think about so many generations that have been raised this way - fearing punishment from teachers and parents, and judgment from peers. My experience with the interactive theatre methods and games introduced to me new tools on how to interact with children in general (not only my students, but also my own children in the future). Undoubtedly, a child feels dignity and substantive emotions…he/she is a person, not just a child.