Alley Theatre Play Makers Camp (2017)
After being an intern last year, I was asked back as a teaching artist for The Alley's Summer Play Makers Camp. I wrote my own lesson plans and taught them. I got to see what it's like when I'm in the classroom and constantly teaching lesson after lesson. What a fantastic experience!
Things I've learned:
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Be patient with every student. Don't take misbehaviors personally because you don't know what is going on in their lives.
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Learn each student's name in the first couple of days.
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Collaboration with your fellow teaching artists is crucial
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Having an idea of what the final performance will look like will help tremendously when rehearsals begin.
Things to improve:
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Make sure all games are interactive and fun.
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Have enrichment sections of each game/ activity to make sure they're learning more than just the basics.
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Reiterate and expand rules and expectations for each classroom, including arts and crafts.
An effective classroom management strategy I discovered this year was that having a visual reminder of the expectations helps with behavior management. The system I developed was a basic checklist and formative assessment tool that was transparent for me and the students. If they were doing poorly in one area, they'd get an X, if they were doing okay in an area, it'd be a squiggly mark, and if they were doing well, they'd get a check mark. By dividing the categories, they could see what areas they had to work on as a group, and it helped them understand that they're held accountable as an ensemble, not just as individuals. So they all had to be a team player in order for the group to succeed.
The important thing was that these could change at a moment's notice, and it's fascinating to see how students react and zoom in on you when you take the marker and go to the board. Most of the time, I asked them to rate themselves as an ensemble, and as individuals at the end of the day. I would weigh in my opinions and we would come to a consensus as to what they should receive in each category.
It's important to note that this strategy is only affective if it's done in each class. It would be great if every teacher had this system because it would be a continuous and consistent check for behavior throughout the day.