Learning is a process that is continuously occurring and usually, school facilitates learning pretty well - to a certain point. Once your child crosses the folds of puberty and becomes a teen, that word we come to dread as soon as our child reaches school going age, education becomes crucial and multifold. Plays for highschool are important, even though parents might now always see things that way. 

School Plays for instance, are great learning experiences. And contrary to popular belief, rather than wasting time, they challenge teen’s intellect and teach them learning skills--something that gives them lifelong advantages. Here are just some of the ways your child can benefit through school plays.

• For starters, dramas for teenagers require students to role play. By taking on a character that is different than their real live selves, they get to learn what perspective truly is and how it differs regarding individuals and situations. Diversity in ways of thinking then gets a chance to be fully explored interactively. Even if your teen doesn’t actually perform but helps in making the character come to life or write the script, they have taken a piece of reality and attempted to portray it which is a good practice in realism.
• Plays for highschool are not just about parodying the lunchroom; they provide students with a safeguarded platform to actually highlight real life issues. Writing and acting out scripts that deal with real life teen problems such as teen pregnancy, peer pressure, cyber bullying, and texting while driving allow those watching the plays to receive messages and learn as well. Your child can then learn appropriate ways of bringing core issues to the surface and exploring possible solutions through dramatization at the same time.
• When teens take part in putting on school plays, without knowing it they actually get a taste of what it means to produce work of substance- -something they will be expected to do in their future work and careers. From writing, editing to casting, marketing and putting on the final show, teens will have to deal with a lot of stress, deadlines, team co-ordination issues and so forth. Just like they would in real life. Adopting themselves to situations that require last minute changes will help them learn change as a factor that cannot be sidelined outside of high school.

Some parents end up getting their teen too caught up with academic groups like the Math Squad or sports based learning activities such as Football or Basketball.  They claim that this is what will benefit them in the long run, giving them an edge for College which they would not have otherwise. Of course this is true and sports and academic groups can easily qualify as fun for many students. But what they fail to realize, and often a times the teens themselves do too, is that fun learning can extend way past these groups. After all, not everyone is cut out for sports or science quizzes.

- Image courtesy: Eaglebrook School