Day 9/11 - Chaos!

Today I gave my demo lesson - EEK!
But first Kelsey gave her's.

While I have some complaints about the lesson itself, I think she delivered it very well. She calmly yet enthusiastically led the class through an introductory lesson that she had clearly thought a lot about. She had plans for an entire weeks lesson branching off from this broad, yet very contained preview. What I didn't like about her lesson, was how it felt like the dramatic elements were separate from the rest of the lesson, and didn't quite fit. To me it seemed that she had a great lesson, but she thrust in activities to fit the drama requirement. The activities don't need dropped completely, only adjusted and more thoughtfully considered to make them fit better. Had the drama activities supported each other better, they might have supported the lesson better.

Next came my lesson. Biggest problem? I have no sense of time. Add to that the fact that I talk faster when nervous. Within 5 minutes I realized what was going on. My lesson was was careening forward, and there was nothing I could do to slow it down.

Actually, there were probably things I could do. I tried one: Talk a lot. I talked a lot more than I intended to, and I got called out on it.

Hindsight is 20/20 though, and if I do this lesson again, I'll be prepared with more activities, talking points, and a basic understanding of seconds and minutes.

Shortness aside (let's just pretend it was an early out day), I think I gave a great lesson. I was glad to hear that I actually succeeded in teaching a complex scientific and philosophical topic. I've always felt like I've thought about these topics way too much that the only way I can describe a phenomenon only make sense to my extremely introspective brain. Even more exciting was that I can use a tool I love, improv games, to accomplish that goal.

My success in this lesson has sparked an interest in me, and I'm considering taking another two years of classes to get a teaching certificate.

Day 8/11 - A Guest

Today we had a guest, but in general we:

• Review/Preview
• Yoga
• Guest Demo
• Debrief
• Break
• Article
• Assignment Discussion
• Work time

Yoga this time was with music, which I think helped a lot. If I ever incorporate yoga into a lesson or rehearsal, I'll probably use music to eliminate any awkwardness of the situation. Still, I find myself horrible inflexible. It's annoying because I'm fit, I can physically do everything I want to do, but I can't do yoga.

Next Jessica Lawson gave a demo lesson. She took the class with Vershawn in the past, and this was her final lesson. Her appearance was the first thing that interested me. Blue hair, tattoos, ass-kicking boots, not your typical teacher attire. She wasn't hurt by her appearance, however, her confidence and energy showed that she was comfortable leading the class, and that got us to follow her. The other thing that interested me was her genuine interest in literary analysis, a field of study I will never, ever, enter. While her enthusiasm didn't persuade me to reconsider my opinions on literary theory, it did allow me to tolerate, and even enjoy the lesson. I'll agree to take a literary course under the one condition that she teaches it. She's a great teacher, and upon reflection of the lesson it became apparent the intelligence that went into planning the lesson.

The article for today was a little hard to read, but I definately agree that truly great artistic performance doesn't sacrifice art to some educational or intellectual motive, but rather it accomplishes that objective in a purely artistic way.

Day 7/11 - The Children's Museum

Today we went to the Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville. It's a place for kids to have fun and learn interactively. The Museum has several permanent exhibits, and a rotating one. The permanent exhibits were City Works and Kuppet Kingdon, as well as physics, agriculture, and construction exhibits. Their current rotating exhibit is Children Just Like Me, a multicultural exhibit exploring children's lives around the world.
My preferred method of teaching/learning is to be immersed in an environment where everything necessary for learning is made available for discovery. In my opinion, the best way to learn is by making discoveries, therefore the best way to teach is to step back and let that happen, to guide rather than preach. At the Children's Museum, all the tools are there, through role playing kids teach each other, and assessment is easily accomplished by simply observing.

Day 6/11

Today we got the 2nd half of the demo lessons. I think doing so many lessons in two days began to take a toll on the class, especially doing the same activities in many of the lessons. What I did like about doing so many lessons, was amount of feedback we recieved. Each lesson served as an example for learning teaching techniques. I went second on the first day, so the feedback didn't help my lesson, but the things I learned will no doubt come in handy when preparing for my final lesson plan.
I really enjoyed Sara's dance lesson, because it was a glimpse at how you could apply these strategies to another area. I think I'm going to do my final lesson in something other than literature, getting an example was helpful. Not to mention a break from the repetitiveness of the other lessons.

Day 5/11 - Demo Lesson

Today several of us gave our demo lessons. I went second, after being the cooperating teacher for Amanda's lesson on Character. I was glad to have the opportunity to do the teachbacks for her before I did my own lesson, because it warmed me up to teaching the whole lesson myself. I liked the way Amanda taught her lesson, because she did it calmly, but with energy. When it came time to teach my lesson, I wanted to carry on some of that same energy.
My lesson was on plot. I chose this lesson because of the final activity for the students. I read them a story, but stopped before the end. Then I had them, in groups, come up with alternate endings and perform them for the class. I was a little disappointed with the lack of creativity with the groups, but they're adults, what can you expect? I think that with younger kids, and more students, it would be a lot more fun. In hindsight I could have said something like, "The end of the story isn't something you would expect, so be creative when you try to come up with a resolution."
I'm not much for pedagogy, which is why I doubt I'll ever become a school teacher. There are two kinds of teachers, those who teach required courses, and those who teach elective courses. Most school teachers, especially K-8 school teachers are the first kind. Trying to teach to such a broad demographic as a required course forces you use specific techniques to reach all students. Teachers of elective courses have the luxury of not having to reach all students. My best teachers have been the ones who provided an environment for learning and discover, then stepped back. Rather than walk the class through every step, they would share their knowledge when asked a question. Often in those classes I would hear, "That's a good question. If anybody wants to know , you should come over here."
That's the way I teach my improv troup, because we only cast people who actually care about learning. That's also why I think my demo lesson lacked, because I didn't make myself accessable to 4th graders. Add to that the fact that I'm teaching 20-somethings, and you can see why I had a hard time imagining myself in a true classroom situation.

Day 4/11 - Incorporate

It's the last day of week one, the agenda:

• Read Articles
• Review/Preview
• Yoga
• Journal Sharing
• Stage Directions
• Incorporation Activity
• Incorporation Debrief
• Break
• Article Discussion
• Demo Lesson Discussion

Today read two articles in class and discussed them, and got a good reminder:

Don't get too focused on what and how you're teaching that you forget why you're teaching.

Next we brought together everything we've learned so far in an incorporation activity. We got into two groups and had to do three dramatic presentations of "Where the Wild Things Are". The first was a tableau, three stage pictures telling the story, next a pantomime with limited voice. Finally an improvised version in a different setting.

I was put in the opposite group as Amanda, who I've been performing with for almost a year. Being separate let me see how each of us affected the two groups. She's got a lot of experience in mime, and her group had some beautiful stage pictures and pantomime work. I've had more experience in improv, and I think our group did better in that aspect. We concentrated more on getting the story across in the tableau and mime, and didn't think as much about the visual appeal of the piece. When we prepared for our improv we discussed a few possible settings, as well as covering some basic improv rules. I reminded them that in an improvised scene, whatever anyone says is true, and you have to agree with it, or else the scene will go nowhere. I think that helped our group. Rather than arguing onstage, we were able to progress the story. My group did a great job of setting each other up and not arguing, no one tried to lead the scene and we got through the story.

Day 3/11 - Improv Mostly

Drama in the Classroom, day three, in brief:

• Review/Preview
• Yoga
• Journal Sharing
• Drama Lesson (Improv)
• Break
• Article Discussion
• Drama Lesson (More Improv)

Once again we began the day with Yoga.

>>>>>>>>>> Yoga <<<<<<<<<<

I'm getting more comfortable with beginning class with Yoga. I'm able to do all of the exercises to the best of my ability, and I'm learning more about yoga each day. I still look like a fool next to some people in the class though.

<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

Both of the drama lessons invoved Improv, and I learned several things which I can apply teaching improv. The first lesson was a 1st grade lesson. We learned about a few characters and then improvised in them. I think this is a good way to approach improvisation because a good scene depends heavily on characters. Having the characters given to you makes it easier to know your part, and to know everyone else's role as well. We also had the plot given to us. All we were really improvising were the lines. The lines weren't that complicated, so I focused instead on my characterization, playing my character with my body and voice. I felt like I did a good job with my character, and other people said I did too. The group I performed with helped a lot too, we were really comfortable with each other and that helped a lot.

The next exercise the main thing we did were short improvised scenes. These didn't go as well as the previous exercise. Most of the scenes descended into arguments, and lasted a lot longer than they should have. Being in the round didn't help, but I think if we had spend more time enforcing the idea of a beginning, middle, and end, then we woud have had better scenes. We didn't talk about Yes-anding, which was on the board. In my scene I was happy to have been given the low-status character. When I'm performing with less experienced actors I like to be in a lower status. If the other person doesn't take control, then I can take over while still keeping them in the spotlight. Our scene went a little long, I was trying to get her to arrest me without completely giving in, but eventually had to lead her off stage.

I'll probably be doing my drama lesson on improvisations, for 4th or 5th grade.

Day 2/11 - Triptychs and Mimes

Drama in the Classroom, day two, in brief:

1. Review/Preview
2. Yoga
3. Journal Sharing
4. Drama Lesson (Pantomime)
   
5. Break
6. Article Discussion
7. Drama Lesson (Tableau)

Today we did two full lessons, the first on Pantomime, and the second on Tableau, but we started everything with Yoga.

>>>>>>>>>> Yoga <<<<<<<<<<

For a class this early and this long, any sort of physical activity is sure to be of help. I have yet to fall asleep in class, let's see how well Yoga works. I'm not that flexible, I quit track my senior year of high school, and only run once a year, mostly to prove that I still can. I'll try to do the stretches the best I can, but I can't help but look foolish next to the girl who can sit on the floor with her legs open 180° (I can't even go 90°). Nevertheless I feel refreshed, and ready to stay awake for three more hours.

>>>>>>>>>> Pantomime <<<<<<<<<<

The first lesson was on Pantomime, but before that we were asked to leave the room and line up outside the door. Here we were assuming the role of 1st graders. Leaving the room served both to form a separation in our mind between past and future, and as an example of having a ritual for starting class. Vershawn's ritual for us was to enter the class in character. Having the first thing we do be something ridiculous makes it a lot more comfortable to do ridiculous things later. Our choices were frog or toad, I chose toad and lumbered into the room, others followed, loudly ribbiting and hopping.

Next we did several Pantomime exercises. As an Improv actor, I use pantomime all the time. I cringe when people walk through imaginary objects. I might even be obsessive compulsive when it comes to imaginary objects. Once I handed a fellow improvisor an invisible cup, after a moment he "dropped" it, he ceased to acknowledge it's existence by relaxing his hand. I felt such a wave of discomfort and compulsion come over me that I demanded to have my cup back. Simply recreating it in my hand was not enough, I needed to have that cup back. Everyone else looked at me funny, probably because this all happened offstage. Long story short, I've done a lot of pantomime. I've taught it too, as captian of Paperback Rhino. As a teacher I've seen people at all levels of mime skill. Some carry all objects with a closed fist, some use their pinky and thum as a telephone, others commit murder with their index fingers extended. After some time I'll see them lightly carrying a baby on stage, gently setting it in it's crib, the next improvisor will come up, walk directly to the crib, accurate to inches, and close the gate. I saw several levels of skill today, I have to admit I was paying more attention to others than myself. One thing I know I did poorly was the second object I pulled from our imaginary box. It took a little longer than I'd hoped for someone to realize it was a goldfish bowl.

We ended the lesson with partner Pantomime of a story. All the groups performed at the same time, which had the benifit of allowing instant comparison as well as eliminating the anxiety that can come with performing for an audience. Of course, then there's the question, why am I performing if no one is watching?

>>>>>>>>>> Tableau <<<<<<<<<<

Next we did a drama lesson on Tableau. I enjoyed this a lot, especially because it was more interactive than Pantomime. Tableau is very similar to the Improv games Slidshow or Stage Picture. This is a form I'd like to see a lot more in my Improv, so I was excited to do it. We did several warming up excercises where we were told to become a certain object, a tree or shape for example. We were then instructed to create "Complementary Pair Statues".

Complentary Pair Statues: An excercise for two people (can be done in several pairs). The actors stand back to back, they are given a general situation, then a countdown. Both actors are to then turn around and assume complementary poses. This is to be done as fast as possible, silently, and then held for at least five seconds.
Examples:
-Doctor's Office: A doctor with a syringe and a nervous patient.
-Baseball: A pitcher and a batter.

That excercise was a lot of fun, and I'll probably use it for PbR. Finally we got with groups and created a Triptych Tableau of a Fairy Tale of our choice. We chose Cinderella. I, as the only male, became Prince Charming. We were instructed to create three stage pictures. Unlike the pantomime exercise, this one had an audience. It was difficult not to be affected by the audience's reactions. I think our group did very well. Nearly everyone in our group was completely confidant and comfortable, and that helped our performance a lot.

Day 1/11 - The Journal Begins

Well, here we are, the first 'fun class' I've taken in a while. I only need 18 credits to graduate, 9 in Cinema, 6 in Computer Science, and 3 in Theatre. I guess this class will finish my minor, but I'll be taking another Theatre class in the fall, so this class is truly an elective for me.

My first day of Drama in the Classroom was great. The instructor, Dr. Vershawn Young (Vershawn or Dr. V) began with, and sustained, an enthusiastic attitude and tangible interest in teaching the material that was only exceeded by the quality of his resume. I was hesitant going into the course, as I had been told that the other DitC instructor was really good. I'm very glad I'm taking the course now, and glad to have Dr. V as my instructor.

I'll be journaling once a day, about the day's lessons and assigned readings. Tonight I'll be writing by laptop and candlelight about Day 1 of 11.

I feel like I'm coming at this course from a different perspective than most in the class. For starters, I'm the only male save Dr. V, I'm neither an Education nor a Theatre major, and I have no intentions of teaching in a classroom setting, theatre or otherwise. Seeing those as negatives, the positive influences on my perspective are that I've performed educational and entertaining pieces for children of all ages, I'm a judge for the Iowa High School Speech Association, and I'm a director and teacher of an Improv Comedy troupe. Throughout my college career I've had to shape courses to fit my own goals and needs, and I'll have to do the same with this course, however, I dont' believe for a moment that I'll be learning 'useless knowledge' here.

One of the first things we did today was the beginnings of a KWL chart. KWL stands for:

K What do you already Know?
W What do you Want to know?
L What have you Learned?

Now, I've never heard of KWL before, but apparently it's some sort of aphrodisiac for education majors (for some reason, none of my teachers ever felt like using corny prescribed teaching methods, that only served to make me, and others, wary of them, hence my criticism). We stood in two circles, a member of the inner circle telling a member of the outer circle what they know, and a member of the outer circle telling what they want to know. In doing this I am once again reminded of one of my greatest weaknesses:

I am the shyest improv actor you will ever meet.

Fortunately this exercise had a structure I could fall back on. Hi, my name's Darin, here's what I know:

• Drama in the Classroom builds confidence in students, both in themselves as a performer, and in their interactions with classmates.

Hmm, now is that hypocricy, or self-medication? Irony is my favorite form of comedy.

Next we learned about the Actor's Tools:

• Body
• Voice
• Imagination

We did some yoga-ish warmups, here's where I think my confidence caught up. It's funny how many people believe things like this are ridiculous and stupid. A few people in the class seemed to think that. They go at it with an attitude like "I'm too cool for this. I'm only doing this because I have to, and I'm not going to enjoy it. See, look at me, I don't enjoy this". Improv has built up a lot of trust inside me, so in situations like this, I try not to make my classmates earn it for themselves. The body and voice warmups we did were familliar and unifying, though the imagination excercise reminded me again how silly a person can look as they try not to look silly.

The next thing we did was a Name Performance. We would come up with 2 adjectives to go with our name, and we'd perform them with gesture and vocality. The hardest part for me was coming up with my adjectives. I finally settled on Exploring Creating Darin, and determined my actions moments before going onstage. Allowing time to rehearse would have been nice, but I think I did alright. In watching others perform, I could see that people were becoming more and more comfortable, despite this activity's one-on-many nature. After the performances we offered an Aesthetic Valuing. Aesthetic Valuing is:

Evaluating the artistic elements of a performance.
Aestetic Valuing specifically responds to:

• What does the performance mean? Personally? Socially?
• Were the objectives achieved? In what manner? How well?

We offered two stars and a wish to each group, essentially an open-faced compliment sandwich.