“Men should be what they seem.”- Spoken by Iago to Othello Honesty….…isn’t just hard to find, as in the Billy Joel song. It is also an essential developmental theme for students ages 9–12. Today’s tip focuses on cultivating honesty in the classroom. Anyone who has spent time with children this age knows they possess a powerful “lie detector.” When they sense dishonesty, they will call it out. When adults are not truthful, it can destabilize children’s sense of the world and create insecurity. Trust, by contrast, flourishes when students engage in experiential learning—such as staging a play or scene—where honesty is a guiding principle. How can teachers reinforce this idea? Adults can model honesty in everyday interactions with both students and colleagues. When another adult enters the classroom, use the moment to demonstrate frankness, sincerity, and truthfulness in ways students can see and hear. Encourage questions about lying, cheating, and telling the truth. Honesty can also be explored as a literary theme. In the four Stage It plays, honesty and deception appear in powerful ways: Henry V walks among his soldiers in disguise on the eve of Agincourt. Why would a king who presents himself as devout and transparent pretend to be an ordinary soldier? He seeks to understand the morale of his outnumbered army—and how the soldiers truly see him. In Othello, Iago—the archetypal liar—is repeatedly described as “honest.” The word appears 15 times in the Stage It edition. Why does Othello trust him so completely? Iago’s long military reputation for honesty blinds Othello to his deception. In Hamlet, the prince “puts an antic disposition on,” pretending to be mad while planning revenge against King Claudius. Students often ask: Is it ever morally justified to lie? In Julius Caesar, conspiracy drives the plot. Cassius plants fake letters from “concerned citizens,” and the conspirators reassure Caesar of their loyalty even as they prepare to kill him. Why do so many participate in the deception? Why does Caesar fail to see it?
To be honest or dishonest—that is the question. In these plays, honesty and deception often lead to life-and-death consequences, opening rich conversations about how truth and lies shape the choices we make on stage and off. Warm regards,
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