Putting the Hands up Project's work into the school curriculum in Mexico
In this blog, Miss Clara Vázquez shares her experience implementing The Hands Up Project in Mexico and bringing its stories, activities, and values into the entire education system of her school.
“Learning English as a subject in school must be used in real contexts,” the experts say.
The active methodologies support this idea … However, when we, as teachers, have the “correct” book, the “correct” curriculum, the “correct” certification process, and the availability of the students to accomplish this, and yet they still are not able to speak or write… Something is not happening properly.
Connections!
Learning English can be the way to become a better human being. To enhance human dignity! And this only happens when we connect by using our communication. Communication is how we convey our feelings with our immediate environment, and then our global one.
It was 2020 when I first met Mr. Nick Bilbrough in an online conference, sharing his project with kids in Gaza. Children who learn English as a way to feel less isolated during a time of crisis. [ see online talk below]
He said that anyone with access to a device with internet and the willingness to participate in Remote Theater could be part of it. He explained that through theater, kids could not only express their feelings but also do it using English. Also, he explained about the linkups kids used to have with other kids around the world, and there… it was when my mind started blowing up. I thought: “This is what my children need in the school!” not only a “pen friend” but a conversation with a sympathetic and human goal, not just for “practicing” speaking …
I jumped on the website of The Hands Up Project and I saw it crystal clear: I definitely was going to include these activities in my curriculum; I was going to insert Theater and Linkups as part of my yearly academic plan!
Then it had to start from me, so I attended the Remote Theatre training session [ see below].
At 50:54 minutes, Mr. Nick asked if anyone would like to share an idea to get the chosen story converted to a suitable piece of Remote Theater for the kids. Then, Miss Luzan Mattar said that the chosen story first needed to be discussed. So, I decided to turn it into a simple story I could tell (So, the first step was to know how to tell stories. I signed up for a Story Telling Workshop because I needed to be professional for my project to be taken seriously) Afterwards, decisions on how to approach it with my kids needed to be made, realize what tools, me as a teacher and my children themselves had, to develop the character.
In sum, creating a plan before the drama project starts.
Next, I studied the techniques I had been given, practiced on my own with my family (so at least it looked like I knew what I was doing!) and then with my students. I talked to my Principal, the parents, and my children, bought the book Welcome to Earth on the website, found a Palestinian partner to work with… finally, I was ready for my first competition with my children and Miss Lina Abu Libda [You can see the 12 finalists of the 2021 intercultural remote theatre competition below ].
We didn’t win the first place, but we did make it to the final. What we did win, which was much more important, was the experience and the adventure that came from that moment on…
Now, in 2026, my children have participated in a different competition within The Hands Up Project. The Poetry Competition. A new Poetry Book with poems from children around the world titled “One for my Brother” has been launched.
Eight of my children’s poems are in this book. One of my children, while getting ready for the competition, asked out loud: “Miss Clarita: What happens if we don’t win?” I was going to answer as an encouraging teacher would do, but another of my children got there first!
Angel said: “Nothing! Only that you will have become a poet.”
