I KNOW THINGS NOW
In this month of February, Holli Van Albanese, NJ Junior Thespian State Board Chartering Advisor, gives helpful tips and pieces of teaching lessons she learned the hard way.
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!
AUTHOR
Holli Van Albanese
Chartering Advisor
Chartering Advisor
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