Center Stage Youth Theatre

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http://www.teachfind.com/teachers-tv/ks1-drama-maths-drama-learning

Do you think these techniques will translate into “real learning”?  Why or why not?  Please be specific with examples from the video.

I think that not only will these techniques translate into “real learning” but that they will go far towards the goal of helping children learn to relax and enjoy math as well.  The excellent teacher in the video said it best I think when she told us that when they do Math without the drama component, the children seem to race through their work and are only happy when they announce, “I’m finished!” but that when they are working in a Math drama activity they want the lesson to go on and on.

I also thought it interesting the way the Drama Specialist pointed out that instead of just doing math work, the children were – in the way that all drama activities are connected to the human experience – helping a fellow person out with a problem.  This will also, I believe, go far towards reinforcing what they were leaning.  The enjoyment of the experience as well as their pride in helping solve the mess that chef Jeff was in will help anchor the skills in their minds.

The teacher in role was doing such a great job.  And it was obvious she had everything planned down to the most minute detail.  And the assessment at the end of the lesson was again quite impressive and had obviously been  planned for.

I was really interested to hear more about the DforLC program.  I was surprised, though I donlt know why I should have been, that the schools had to approach the program and to come up with the projects they wished to use the drama lessons for on their own.  And that the program was so successful for teachers who had had no previous drama training.

Inspiring.

And so it begins!  I had exactly two classes Thursday and came home completely exhausted, overwhelmed and scared.  Such a big place!  Everybody is even younger than they used to be when I was in college and they were really young then!  And the technology the professors talk about – crazy! And one of my classes is an online class…what is that about?!  No face to face?

And so those were my worries when I got home Thursday.  And what I really needed to do was to simply start on the work, which I did, and to remember to take things one step at a time, which I am trying to do, and to remember it is as if the grad program is a full time, 9-5ish job and to to treat it as such.  Let it go at the end of the day.

The other grad students (lol – younger, more energetic grad students ) tell me to remember it is all about time management.  Unfortunately I have no time management skills, so when they said this it was far from comforting.  But I know, I know, it is time for me to learn this too.  And in my Developmental Psych text book – this is the online class which I am finding quite fascinating now that I have bravely begun to work on it – it says that even as older people we can develop new skills and new pathways in the brain and even new synapses!  New Synapses!

I’m going for it!  I’m gonna need a lotta new synapses…

Our little night of Theatre and Music was a big hit!  The children shone as always, and were so proud of themselves, with very good reason.  They were so excited and so happy – and SM Shelby was great with them and everything ran smoothly.  A couple of weeks ago I found myself stressing that “this will never work.”  I know that this is never the case, in the end – for heaven’s sake I wrote a BOOK about  that very thing!   I sometimes wonder if the worrying is part of the creative process itself.  Not may favorite part for sure, and almost always unnecessary.

The kids and their families ahd a great time, and our experiment – I had always wanted to try something like this – was a great success. The hard work and dedication of the children and their families paid off so well.  I was impressed with them all and loved the experience of watching them with their families afterwords.

I love my job.

Right before we closed for winter break the kids and I spent the last 2 weeks playing more new games, but also working on things for the set and props and costumes for the show.  I was unsure how they would respond to these tasks, but as usual they showed themselves to be eager and quick learners – I think my favorite day was when I had them all working in pairs to construct the three new rolling clothes racks and the room was absolutely a-bustle with team work; I was so grateful to them!  I never could have gotten these things together in such a short time.  And watching and listening to them getting organized and down to work was interesting and informative for me,  and I think I was able to learn more about their different learning styles by observing them in action this way.  And I think they really liked being included in the show preparations; I was happy and proud to include them in the program.

Only 4 kids from Glenforest were onstage in the show  – every one of them did a wonderful job and I was terribly proud of them – but so many other people from Glenforest helped out.  The show truly did  feel like a school function in so many ways.  Thanks everybody.

Welcome to the portion of my life where it begins to imitate art.  As we move along in the production of TBCPE I find myself feeling more and more like Grace Bradley as we move from blocking and repeated attempts to keep everybody quiet backstage to actual acting skills, set construction, props gathering and…well,  more repeated attempts to ask for quiet backstage.

My world begins to revolve now around these 28 shiny young faces in a very real way, as they begin to get a clue about the magic that lies in wait for them on December 17th.  My job now goes beyond teaching them and encouraging them and costuming them and reassuring parents and begging for help from the same parents to actually beginning to let the kids themselves take control over the show with the very important backstage guidance of the stage manager.

It never fails, and while we have our work cut out for us:  new space, new program, no budget, almost no contacts, almost no lights, and a cast of exuberant, dedicated but largely inexperienced young actors – it doesn’t matter.  Because what really matters is the way they will all feel when the curtain goes up and they realize that they are ready.  And the way they will feel when it is over and success has been had by all.

There is nothing like it.  And I love being part of this process with them.

I’ve spent two days this week with Camp Talk at Glenforest School.  Camp Talk is a camp for autistic kids ages 8 – 18.  I have been strictly volunteering and my job is to fill in wherever I am needed, so it has not been a theatre experience.  Still, I have learned a good bit about some of the issues that the children at Glenforest will be dealing with, and through my observations of the good people who are in charge at Camp Talk, I am learning some great strategies for  handling difficult situations that might come up.

What strikes me the most is the incredible and consistent good humor the staff shows, even when dealing with the most outrageous behavior.  The director of the Camp told me the most important thing is to be positive, and I am happy to oblige.

We visited a gymnastics gym Thursday and it was amazing to see the changes that came over some of our quietest guys.  One teen-aged boy who had barely said a word on Tuesday and had spent much of the day either staring at the floor or with his nose in a video game, showed everybody up on the trampoline and actually talked about how his cousin had taught him the flips he was doing.   He also, while jumping in the bounce house, reached his hand out to help a fellow camper who had fallen and was unable to get up. This was a sight I won’t soon forget.

Is it possible that there is often a key to unlock the personalities of children with autism, and we must locate the key for each child?  This is pure speculation, but I wonder, and very much hope that for some, theatre arts activities will be the key.

I have been thinking for a while of another kind of project I’d like to do.  I am not sure where to begin, but I know it is a project I want to work on with my mom, who would be perfect for the job.

I’ve been thinking for while that elderly people might get a lot out of  writing, rehearsing and performing an original creation based on significant events in their lives.  I want to help them write monologues – a la Quilters or Spoon River Anthology – and have them tell…oh goodness i am not sure what – the single defining moment in their lives?  (I don’t ask for much, do I?)  But I do know that everyone’s story is interesting and we can learn from the perspective of what older folks have seen and done and survived and processed.  And it seems to me that the experience of creating and performing might fill a real need in the lives of many elderly people for a creative outlet.  For some of them it might be a completely new experience in so many ways.

I remember reading (listening to) May Sarton’s last book and it made such an impression on me when she said she was hoping for one thing at the end of her life:  another good poem.  “That’s the thing that still might happen, you see” she said.  Her statement  has really stayed with me – that at the end of her life when so much was over for her, she still had that ideal in her mind, that she might possibly create another satisfying, beautiful poem.

My mom, with her background in teaching writing, would be a great asset to the entire project.  I have got to get going on this.  I can’t think of any way it could fail, as every part of the project – from the writing through the editing and rehearsing and performing – would be as rewarding and useful for the participants as any other part.