7 TIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOU A STRONGER THEATRE EDUCATOR
In this month of June, Joan Schubin, NJ Junior Thespian State Board Workshop Advisor, gives helpful tips and pieces of advice to make you the strongest
theatre educator around.
theatre educator around.
1) Build a safe classroom environment
It’s difficult to get up in front of your peers and speak publicly. It’s even more difficult to do that when you’re in middle school or high school. In order to students to do their best in a theatre class, they have to be in a safe, supportive environment. At the beginning of the year or semester, I like to get everyone up, moving and laughing as soon as possible. Improv games, silly physical warm ups, and mixing up groups are a great way to do this. Encourage applause for each other for *everything*.
And when it comes to critique, I try this:
And when it comes to critique, I try this:
- When a group, pair or person finishes presenting or performing, we applaud and then I ask the following question to the audience:
What did you enjoy about that?
What worked for you?
What moments were really great? - Then, I ask the performer(s): what would you have done differently? Is there anything you want to try for next time, or things you want to improve?
2) Celebrate mistakes
Thanks to social media, we have a very skewed view of the world. Social media tends to show the pretty, perfect, polished final product- not all the messy and sloppy attempts it took to get to the nice final product. This is what our students are seeing, and more and more I find kids that are afraid to try, out of fear of making a mistake. In some cases, it’s even prevented students from auditioning for the musical, out of fear (legitimate fear) of getting cut.
The more you encourage your students to DO stuff in front of their peers, the more they will learn how to work through nerves, how to collaborate, and how to get back up if things go wrong. As often as you can, use positive language that promotes the idea of “you can try again here.” I like to use the phrase “that’s what rehearsal is for” or “that’s what the classroom is for” if something goes wrong in a scene or presentation. Encourage students to strive for their personal best- not perfection. And remind them that you and the rest of the class will be there to pick them back up when they fall.
The more you encourage your students to DO stuff in front of their peers, the more they will learn how to work through nerves, how to collaborate, and how to get back up if things go wrong. As often as you can, use positive language that promotes the idea of “you can try again here.” I like to use the phrase “that’s what rehearsal is for” or “that’s what the classroom is for” if something goes wrong in a scene or presentation. Encourage students to strive for their personal best- not perfection. And remind them that you and the rest of the class will be there to pick them back up when they fall.
3) Record and share in-class performances
The NJ Junior Festival offers all that and more. A “showcase” opportunity for students to perform something from their latest school production, “individual events” in which they receive written critiques by theatre professionals, workshops in a variety of disciplines in which they move, think on their feet, and create. Think of the NJ Junior Thespian Festival as a professional development opportunity for your middle school students.
You won’t be disappointed!
You won’t be disappointed!
4) Teach the whole world of theatre- not just performance
Not every student in your class will go on to take acting lessons in high school, or even choose to be on stage in any capacity. Use your lessons to explore the tech side of theatre. In my class, we read the script to the 2008 musical “13”, and then use it as a basis for our design unit. Our goal in this unit is to update the costumes to fit into 2018, and we also learn how to build a set model in 1/2 inch scale. The musical theatre kids still get to explore a musical, the math-oriented kids get to flex their math skills, and the artistic kids get to draw, color and cut. It’s a great unit to help everyone shine!
5) Have an emergency kit
Just like any good stage manager, it’s best to be prepared. I keep an emergency kit in my desk drawer filled with the following items: feminine products (for unexpected emergencies), a Tide pen/Shout wipes (if a kid has a stain on their clothes), a sewing kit (for ripped clothing), gummy snacks (for low blood sugar issues) and safety pins (more rips). It may seem small, but if a student is self conscious about a mess on their shirt, the rip in their clothes, or hungry/tired, they’re not in the right mindset to do their best. Having an emergency kit lets them know that you’ve got their back,
and helps them to feel better.
and helps them to feel better.
6) Assign stage managers
Every 2 weeks, I assign 2 stage managers to help start class (2 in case one is absent). They come in, take the roster out of the folder, and take attendance. When things need to be handed out or collected, they take care of those tasks. When there is a substitute, they’re the ones that assist the sub with what they need. Allow your students to take ownership of their classroom!
7) Remind students that’s it’s a “crock-pot” process, not a “microwave” process
Once again, we live in a world of instant gratification. Learning to be a better actor or public speaker is not something that can happen over night. Or 2 nights. Or a week. Encourage your students to notice and be proud of the small improvements that happen from rehearsal to rehearsal, and performance to performance. Take a minute at the end of the year or semester and remind them how new they were to theatre at the beginning of the class, and how proud you are of their progress.
AUTHOR
Joan Schubin
Workshop Coordinator
Workshop Coordinator
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