Sage to Stage Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday’s Wisdom from EdTA Sage Emeritus are members who are retired and/or moved to another facet of teaching and advising. For example, after 34 years of teaching high school theatre, I am now employed to advise some pre-service theatre ed students as a Field Supervisor, plus I teach Drama grades 2-6 at 2 elementary schools, along with teaching Drama and directing a musical for the 6th graders at another school. I also direct 2 full productions at the local Community Theatre: one with youth ages 6-17; the other is intergenerational with ages 6 through much, much older. I also offer to judge local festival productions, plus Thespys for various chapters either in person or virtually. I travel to teach workshops to teachers and/or students in Ensemble Building and Audition Techniques. I am in charge of locating and training festival judges for a So. CA association. I have organized senior citizens in my community to perform Readers Theatre of elementary school books. We tour local school and get fan letters. I work with SAG-AFTRA LA Radio Plays. We record for the Motion Picture Home retirees. I am also in the process of updating my book RAISING THE CURTAIN, so that it reflects the world of Theatre ed of today. Along with my colleague Krista Carson Elhai we offer Theatre Teacher Bootcamp, 2 ½ Zoom days in the Summer in which we give you over 4 years of curriculum, tips, and wisdom. I continue to meet friends for coffee, take my dog for walks, go to the theater and first run movies with my husband, sit and look at the mountains surrounding Ojai, CA, and still feel like I am skipping school when I do a vacation during school days.
There are many opportunities after full-time teaching.
Wednesday’s Wisdom by Sage EdTA Emeritus Members are approximately 12 Emeriti who have volunteered to post some wisdom on Wednesdays on the Open Community. Collectively we have over We hope that something we offer will be some nugget that speaks to you.
You can also check the last 2 years of Wednesday’s Wisdoms in the Library of Open Community.
For my post today, I would like to reflect on and offer an experience that might speak to you.
It seems that Theatre educators need assistance in the following areas:
A search for a play that fits the students who are willing to commit to a production schedule:
Finding the right festival cutting for festival adjudication:
Dealing with students and their parents who don’t get cast in the role they thought they or their student should have:
Keeping your integrity in choosing scripts and festival scenes for public performances:
Dealing with the pervasively growing intrusions of what administrators and school boards want to censor:
Self-Care for the Theatre educator:
I am curious what else comes to your mind as a challenge for Theatre educators today?
I invite you to post some topics.
I hope that you have EdTA’s Click to , On-Demand Webinar, Toolkit, Lesson Plans plus lectures/lessons that EdTA offers on “speed dial.” The EdTA Education Department has extensive outreach to professionals in the field.
A Fun and Serious Experience for your students Which can be Repeated Periodically as Needed/Requested
Objective: To build an ensemble by celebrating joys
Title-“Toss the Joy/a Proud Moment”
Ask the students to be truthful about their responses. It could be a recent joy or past joy.
Hopefully you have an open space without desks. Students sit in a circle.
1.Each student receives a small square of paper on which they write one joy in their life or proud moment and date it. They do not sign it. Mention that what you write might be read out loud. If they do not want theirs read out loud to indicate that on their note.
2. Each student wads up the paper into a loose ball.
3. On the teacher’s signal to “Toss the Joy/a Proud Moment,” A student picks up one that falls close to them and continues to toss and pick up until Teacher calls “Time.”
4. Each student opens one tossed joy and on the teacher’s direction they are invited to read the joy.
5. Direct the students to respond silently with an affirmation that the Joy was heard. The response could be Jazz Hands, Sign Language, a simple nod of their hand/head. Laughter is certainly a positive response and is welcomed.
6. After all joys are read, teacher can ask if anyone wishes to acknowledge their joy. Students may pass on identifying their tossed Joy.
7. Direct the students to return the Joy/Proud Moment to you, the teacher to keep in a file.
8. An invitation from you, the teacher to any student who might want to talk privately about what they wrote might be a good way for closure.
9. A group hug at the end is great.
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Gai Laing Jones
Past President of Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), National Board Member of Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF), Past CETA Executive Board Vice President Membership, DTASC Advocacy Director, DTA Curriculum Writer, Ojai Art Center Theatre Director Youth Theatre, OACT Executive Board, AACT member, SAG-AFTRA Member
gaijones2013@gmail.com
http://www.gaijones.com
RAISING THE CURTAIN
http://www.perfectionlearning.com;
BREAK A LEG, A LOVE LETTER TO THEATRE EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS
http://www.gaijones.com;
THE STUDENT ACTOR PREPARES: ACTING FOR LIFE
http://www.intellectbooks.com e-Book on Amazon;
CURTAIN GOIN' UP...TRUISMS AND TIPS FOR COMMUNITY THEATER ACTORS, DIRECTORS, TECHNICIANS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS http://www.gaijones.com https://www.facebook.com/GaiJonesTheatreEducator
Experience teaching elementary, middle/high school, college university, senior citizens
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