Today was a rite of passage for thousands of UBC students, including the graduating MFA and BFA candidates from the School of Creative Writing, where I have been the Assistant Professor (Playwriting) for the past year.
I was there to honour my students, of course, and I was delighted that I got to offer most of them a quick word of congratulation as they went by. They all smiled or clasped my hand in return, justly beaming with pride in their own accomplishment. I had been offered a chance to gown up and join the faculty procession, but with my one-year interim appointment now drawing to a close, that just didn’t feel right to me: I was happier to cheer them all on from afar, including colleagues Annabel Lyon and Stephen Heatley who have been so kind and helpful to me.
As the students hit the designated photo spots, I was amused by all the heavy-metal finger gestures and tongue-out posing, and delighted by those who managed to memorably express their individuality in a sea of black robes (a head of brilliant orange-and-white cornrows; a gown topped by a vibrant ribbon of flowers). I was also deeply moved by the teen sitting at the back who shouted “Go, Mom!” and, later, the student who carried her toddler on her hip, all the way across the stage.
It felt in a way as if I were graduating, too. This year, I pushed myself to do endless numbers of things I have never done before. I redesigned and taught 3 university courses, including 2 with a mix of graduate and undergraduate students: this involved developing, scheduling, weighting, explaining, and grading assignments as well as developing dozens of workshops/lectures/craft talks. I redesigned and co-led a new play festival, with the help of some of the most brilliant and generous artists in the Vancouver theatre community and the incredible support of the Arts Club Theatre and Playwrights Theatre Centre, as well as a hard-working team of student producers who pulled out all the stops. I learned new software, AV systems, academic and human resources policies, pedagogies, decolonising and anti-racist strategies, resources for students in distress… and unfortunately, what to do when a student tries (in a few cases very, very hard) to manipulate you. Hell, I even taught a class on data storytelling to 200 people!
I soon learned that, in my first year, I was never going to do all of it perfectly (or even particularly well), but that I had to keep doing what actors must do whenever we make a mistake: own it, learn from it, forgive ourselves for it, and move on. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I sweated blood and worked my ass off to make this year a positive and meaningful experience for these students. I truly gave it everything I had.
I’m a better teacher because of everyone I taught and worked with this year. I am also a much stronger person! Still, it was gratifying that the grumpiest customers were more than balanced by those bright sparks who let me know that my classes left them feeling inspired by theatre, emboldened to tackle new media, invigorated by meaningful exchanges with senior artists, more confident and competent within their own voice. Honest criticism is crucial in learning to do better: appreciation, connection, and growth remind us why we try at all.
Congratulations, UBC School of Creative Writing Class of ‘23. May you go out and enrich your world as you have already enriched mine.