Open Forum

I caught myself wondering what some of you might be doing in your own classrooms in a specific situation, so here goes...

Background: Three years ago, I was happily retired from a forty-odd-year career in architecture and entertainment design. One day I received an invite from a local film school to teach production design, so I checked it out. Turned out it was a program for high-performing adults on the autism spectrum who want to get jobs in the film industry. Over the years, it has placed several students in film and TV jobs, including Paramount+ and Disney+, so it works.  

One of the things that the staff is really serious about is supporting the students. The term "support" makes its way into meetings and water-cooler conversations all the time. But here's where it gets interesting. Some students clearly show no interest in learning or doing any of the work (which includes acting, screenwriting, editing, camera/lighting, design, and other subjects), or in participating in the twice-yearly student films. For them, it seems more like a day-care program. Yet "we have to support them" keeps coming up.

I've asked several times how you're supposed to "support" someone into doing something they don't want to do. To me, that would seem like coercion, but I've never heard a clear answer. Due to the nature of the program, it's hard and complicated to "boot" someone out of it, so we're generally stuck with them.

So I'm curious: what are you folks doing in your own classrooms about students who show no interest in any areas of theatre?

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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net
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Hi George,
I understand your frustration about working with students who don't want to be there.  I work in a middle school where theatre is a required course for everyone.  Students rotate through one quarter of theatre each year, along with art, music, and STEM.  I get many students in my class who have no interest in the subject, are terrified of performance, or who just don't care about theatre.  
It is difficult to work with students who don't want to participate.  It is even more difficult when they purposely cause disruptions, or ruin class activities with their behavior.  However, I can't remove a student from class, so I do the best I can to work with these students.  I give them as much choice in class projects as I can.  I work with them to find their comfort level in an activity.  For instance, if we are doing scene work, they choose their own groups, the scene, their roles, etc.  Each grade level has three projects throughout the quarter, one in performance, one in design, and one in writing.  This way, there is usually at least one project they enjoy.  The 8th graders have dug in their heels this year about performing, so we had a class problem-solving discussion about it, and decided to film short movies instead of doing live performance.  They were more comfortable with this project, liked that they chose it, and have make some quasi-entertaining short films.  I had to learn how to edit video very quickly (and then teach them how to do it), but the performance piece is going much more smoothly now because of it. 
Yes, it's hard to engage every student, but as teachers, we do whatever we can to support our students through the difficult time they may be having in our classes with our content.  Someone once said teachers need to teach the students they have, not the students they want.  I think about that a lot, and do my best with the students I have. 
Keep fighting the good fight,
Pam

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[Pam] [Podolner]
[Speech/Drama Teacher]
[Lincoln Middle School]
[Berwyn] [IL]
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If there are no other options for these students and participation is mandatory in some way, then I would put some focus on building relationships with them as much as possible.  Get to know them as people, their likes/dislikes, their other interests...and then see if there is some overlap.  Do you know what movies/shows they like?  Give them choices whenever possible/appropriate so that they don't feel coerced or "managed".  People are more likely to enjoy things that they feel like they chose.

When teaching theatre to students who aren't interested, I've found that I've been able to get them to participate that way...building relationships with them and helping them feel comfortable in the class environment.  You may not turn them all into career film people, but you may succeed in getting them to lower their resistance.

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Blake Wilson
Theatre Arts Director
Orange High School
NC
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George, 

Love that you accepted the position and have helped many students gain exposure to the film industry. Congratulations on the students who have been placed at those various difference studios, too! "Supporting" students can definitely feel like a water cooler topic or buzz word that's thrown out there. Thanks for seeking to work it out practically. 

I echo what Pamela and Blake said. As much as possible, continue building relationships and learning about likes/dislikes. Build choice making in as much as possible to increase engagement and student buy-in (ex. Can they pick the topic for the short film?). There are lots of different ways to support the student through differentiating the activities. When you think about an assignment, consider whether you can change the content, process, product, or environment to increase engagement amongst the students who are currently disinterested. Attaching a chart that I find really helpful!

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Kirsti Lewis
PeopleLikeUsDoc.com
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We help theatre educators create more effective learning environments for students with developmental disabilities.
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Thanks for all your comments. Lots to think about there.

Kirsti- I sent you a note via your web site.

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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2023 11:26
From: Kirsti Lewis
Subject: A little help with a teaching situation, please

George, 

Love that you accepted the position and have helped many students gain exposure to the film industry. Congratulations on the students who have been placed at those various difference studios, too! "Supporting" students can definitely feel like a water cooler topic or buzz word that's thrown out there. Thanks for seeking to work it out practically. 

I echo what Pamela and Blake said. As much as possible, continue building relationships and learning about likes/dislikes. Build choice making in as much as possible to increase engagement and student buy-in (ex. Can they pick the topic for the short film?). There are lots of different ways to support the student through differentiating the activities. When you think about an assignment, consider whether you can change the content, process, product, or environment to increase engagement amongst the students who are currently disinterested. Attaching a chart that I find really helpful!

------------------------------
Kirsti Lewis
PeopleLikeUsDoc.com
------------------------------
We help theatre educators create more effective learning environments for students with developmental disabilities.
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