An interactive and hands-on class being introduced to Oakton, Shakespeare Studies is for any sophomore, junior, or senior with a love for Shakespeare, a passion for public speaking and acting, or simply anyone who wants a fun, enriching new elective. This class was introduced by Mrs. Margaret Moran, English 9 HN teacher for the past several years. Teaching Shakespeare has always been a passion of hers throughout her career, and even more so in the past few years while attending various workshops at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA and continuing to teach plays to her freshmen students (specifically “Romeo and Juliet”). “Seeing kids enjoy and have fun with things that they can actually relate to, that they thought they might dislike originally, has just been so inspiring for me,” said Moran. “Everyone has this feeling that Shakespeare is stuffy, inaccessible, or not relatable, but in its essence, it is the most pure and raw experiences of being a human,” she added.

Mr. Colin O’ Grady, a friend who teaches at West Potomac High School, created the class and is working with Moran to bring it to Oakton and eventually around more of FCPS. He inspired her and had the confidence in her that she needed as a driving force to start this class at Oakton, reinforcing the fact that this was clearly who she was as a teacher. This “call to adventure” inspired Moran to observe O’Grady’s class at West Potomac, as well as present it to the Instructional Leadership Council, which was very receptive and encouraging.

What will the class look like next year? A typical class day will have students up and out of their chairs, acting out various works of Shakespeare. The goal is not to have students taking extensive notes or writing essays, but interpreting the plays kinesthetically and using literary analysis. Moran’s hope is for all students to be fully engaged and a part of all activities and discussions. This could include reading a few lines or scenes of a play, then responding to them by writing a poem, creating a visual, making a soundtrack/playlist, etc. This class should not be a source of stress, but a source of stress-relief, so there is no homework anticipated for a typical day. Moran will challenge students to stretch beyond their comfort zones by acting in front of peers and improving their public speaking and literary analysis skills. It can be expected that the class will cover famous Shakespeare works “Much Ado About Nothing”, “Henry IV: Part One”, and sections of “Hamlet”, all of Moran’s favorites. Additionally, Shakespeare Studies will be motivated by what the students want to cover, so they will have the opportunity to suggest particular works of interest.

About 160 students attended the sessions for Shakespeare Studies at the Curriculum Fair last week, and out of 118 survey responses recorded, about 40 students said they are definitely or probably going to take the class next year. “My biggest hope is that the class will actually run this year, and I will get a group of students who are along for the ride. My second biggest dream is that Shakespeare Studies becomes an established class, and the word gets out that what we’re doing is just so special and fun,” said Moran. “I am actively seeking out professional development to continue to grow in my ability to teach Shakespeare and make it fun for all my students,” she added.

Shakespeare is accessible to everyone, and an important aspect of this class is to study what we can all relate to as humans.