the show must go on: using principles of dramatic acting to transform us into more intentional...

THE SHOW MUST GO ON USING PRINCIPLES OF DRAMATIC ACTING TO TRANSFORM US INTO MORE INTENTIONAL TEACHERS

WILU 2015

PERFORMANCE WARM-UP 1.  A moment of physical release—shaking your arms, legs…

1.  A moment of physical release—shaking your arms, legs…

2.  A study of your Other—what do you find fascinating/scary about your Other?

PERFORMANCE WARM-UP



3.  What terrifies you about the situation of the scene? What’s the worst that can happen to your character?

PERFORMANCE WARM-UP




4.  What excites you about the situation of the scene? What’s the best that can happen to your character?

PERFORMANCE WARM-UP




4.  What excites you about the situation of the scene? What’s the best that can happen to your character?

5.  Voice your intention: “I’m gonna give a great presentation by engaging, connecting, and having fun with my teaching librarian learners—and I’m gonna do it now!”

PERFORMANCE WARM-UP

LINDSEY RAE TECHNOLOGY & PUBLIC SERVICES LIBRARIAN CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE LIBRARY, BURLINGTON, VT @LIBRARIANLINZ

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

THE SHOW MUST GO ON USING PRINCIPLES OF DRAMATIC ACTING TO TRANSFORM US INTO MORE INTENTIONAL TEACHERS

WILU 2015

HOW AN ACTING CLASS COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND & CHANGED HOW I TEACH

OR…

LET’S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING

WHY ACTING?

SURE,WHY NOT?!

SOUNDS FUN!

I LOVE PUBLIC SPEAKING </sarcasm>

IT WAS SCARY, BUT…

I did it! And I learned more than I ever could’ve anticipated.*

*I highly recommend taking an acting class.

HOW ACTING MADE ME A BETTER TEACHING LIBRARIAN

Theatrical concepts that I’ve applied to my teaching in a meaningful way. Simple (fun!) exercises to be more mindful, intentional teachers.

WHERE TEACHING MEETS ACTING

TEACHING-LIBRARIANS ARE UNIQUE

As teaching-librarians giving one-shot sessions, we have many roles to play in the classroom.

TEACHING-LIBRARIANS ARE UNIQUE

As teaching-librarians, what classroom challenges are unique to us and the roles we’re asked to play?


Teaching is just performing in

front of students.


KEYWORD:


Teaching is just performing in

front of students.

WHERE TEACHING MEETS ACTING capture the attention of an audience

CONNECTION deliver content in a memorable way

COMMUNICATION establish a presence in a room full of people

CONFIDENCE


The most effective actors are those who work to understand their character well and attempt to make genuine connections with the other actors (characters) onstage. These actors allow themselves to experience spontaneous reactions with real emotion; anything other than this pursuit of truth is seen as contrived and distances the audience from the performance. - Barney & Pilmer, What teachers can learn from actors,

Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2012, p. 79

ACTION!

READY?

DIRECTIONS: 1.  Partner up. Each group should have a ‘1’ and a ‘2.’

2.  Carefully read and consider your instructions. 3.  You will have 3 minutes to complete the exercise.

WHAT DID YOU NOTICE? You each had a different set of instructions.

ü  1: Sharer ü  2: Observer

Keeping the instructions secret meant the Sharer could be observed in a more natural state, talking about a comfortable topic that excites them.

WHAT DID YOU NOTICE? In the classroom, we’re aware of being observed. How does this alter our behavior?

PERSONAL INVENTORY

‘KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT’ WITH

PERSONAL INVENTORY

Actors need to take inventory like stores do. They need to know their own merchandise. No matter how similar you may be to others in small ways, the sum total is individual… So your Hamlet, your Blanche DuBois, your Tinker Bell won’t be quite like any other actor’s. As comforting as that is, it helps if you have some idea how yours will be different.

- Robert Barton, Acting On Stage and Off, 2012, p. 62

PERSONAL INVENTORY ‘KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT’

Making an instrument sound its best takes practice. The same can be said for harnessing your own personal potential in the classroom.

We can be our better ‘selves’—inside and outside of the classroom—if we know ourselves.

ü  physicality ü  vocals

ü  ‘learning’ to be authentic


ü  habits

ü  natural tendencies ü  competing motivations


ü  tone and texture

ü  articulation and word choice ü  teaching as oral performance


PERSONAL INVENTORY ‘KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT’ Still Active

standing tempo/rhythm sitting motion expression gestures Adaptations Cultural Binding

public vs. private geography space invasions family mood shifts conditioning

- Robert Barton, Acting On Stage and Off, 2012, pp. 69-70

PERSONAL INVENTORY TEACHING OBSERVATION

!

PERSONAL INVENTORY TEACHING OBSERVATION Has anyone been observed in the past while they were teaching? ü What did you learn?

!

PERSONAL INVENTORY ACTING & NOT-ACTING

What must you do to yourself in order to cross into the life of this imaginary character?

- Al Ruscio, So Therefore... 2012

PERSONAL INVENTORY ACTING & NOT-ACTING

Where does Barbara Gordon end and Bat Girl begin?

PERSONAL INVENTORY NOTICE TO GROW What did/will you notice… ü  about your partner during our exercise? ü  about other presenters at the conference? ü  about how the audience reacts? ü  about me as a presenter?

PERSONAL INVENTORY NOTICE TO GROW

Seeing contrast between ourselves and others can help us identify our own natural tendencies more clearly.

TAKE 5

CUT!

GOTE

DEFINING YOUR TEACHING-CHARACTER WITH

WHAT IS GOTE?

Robert Cohen

Acting One, 1992

SO THEREFORE… “THE SPINE OF THE CHARACTER”

GOTE G IS FOR ‘GOAL’

The objective or intention that drives a character’s actions and propels them forward.


ü specific ü ongoing ü vigorously pursued


‘I WANT ______________________.’


‘I WANT ______________________.’

candy it that way you back you to know to hold your hand it all (& I want it now)


Lord Voldemort

Harry Potter


Lord Voldemort

Harry Potter

I want _____!

YOUR TURN!

GOTE

G IS FOR ‘GOAL’ – YOUR TEACHING SELF


“I want to get my students to engage in meaningful discussion.”

“I want students to be able to find an article in a library database.”

GOTE O IS FOR ‘OBSTACLE’ What stands in the way of what the character wants?

GOTE O IS FOR ‘OBSTACLE’

Hurdles that the character must leap over in order to find success.

YOUR TURN!

GOTE

O IS FOR ‘OBSTACLE’ – YOUR TEACHING SELF

GOTE T IS FOR ‘TACTICS’

Strategies the character employs to navigate around Obstacles and ultimately achieve their Goals.


CHARM THREAT

flatter encourage praise

garner sympathy

scare

intimidate

bully pressure


THREAT

CHARM


THREAT

YOUR TURN!

GOTE

T IS FOR ‘TACTICS’ – YOUR TEACHING SELF


We are negotiating (appropriate!) versions of

these tactics to conduct and manage our classes

all of the time.

GOTE E IS FOR ‘EXPECTATION’

The enduring confidence that the character will achieve their goal.


The truest theatrical energy comes… from an actor’s eager portrayal of the character’s expectations and his or her consequent efforts to bring these expectations to fulfillment. Positive expectation, on the actor’s part, lends his or her portrayal a necessary excitement and energy. Not all characters succeed, of course, but they must be shown to expect success and even to be enthusiastic about their prospects.

- Robert Cohen, Acting One, 1992, p. 49

THIS IS KEY, YOU GUYS!

GOTE

E IS FOR ‘EXPECTATION’


“You see, when dear sweet Lilly Potter gave her life for her only son, it provided him with the ultimate protection. I could not touch him. It was old magic, something I should have foreseen. But no matter, no matter, things have changed.

I CAN TOUCH YOU…NOW!”

YOUR TURN!

GOTE

E IS FOR ‘EXPECTATION’ – YOUR TEACHING SELF

THINK GOTE PREPARE TO PERFORM

Preparation for Performance (Robert Cohen, Acting One) 1.  A moment of physical release—shaking your

arms, legs.. 2.  A study of your Other—what do you find

fascinating/scary about your Other? 3.  What excites you about the situation of the

scene? What’s the best that can happen to your character?


5.  Final GOTE check: “I’m gonna (EXPECTATION!) win this (GOAL!) by doing this and this (TACTICS) to him/her (OTHER). And I’m gonna win it now!”

THINK GOTE Your teaching self. ü  Goals: What do you want?

ü  Obstacles: What’s in your way?

ü  Tactics: What are some strategies you can use to overcome your Obstacles?

ü  Expectation: Set your sights on having a good class, whatever that may look like to you.

THINK GOTE It doesn’t just apply to teaching—the possibilities are endless!

TAKE 10

CUT!

ACTING ‘AS IF’

COMMITTING TO YOUR TEACHING-CHARACTER BY

ACTING ‘AS IF’ EMBODYING YOUR CHARACTER

Constantin Stanislavski is arguably one of the most influential figures in theater.

MORE INTENSITY!

[The actor] will not give himself up wholly to his part unless it carries him away. When it does so, he becomes completely identified with it and is transformed. But the moment he becomes distracted and falls under the sway of his own personal life, he will be transported across the footlights into the audience or beyond the walls of the theatre, wherever the object is that maintains a bond of relationship with him.

- Stanislavski, The Actor Prepares, 1989, p. 196 (Original work published 1936)


What thoughts distract you while you’re in the classroom?


ACTING ‘AS IF’ MY FEAR OF FLYING

ACTING ‘AS IF’ MY FEAR OF FLYING

Are there times when you’ve played pretend? When might this be useful inside and outside of the classroom?

ONE TRUTH, ONE LIE DIRECTIONS: 1.  Find a partner. You will have two, 6-minute rounds–one

as the Story-teller and one as the Listener. 2.  Story-teller, pick two different topics to talk about: one

that is true for you and one that is not. Don’t tell your partner which is which!

3.  Story-teller, convince the Listener that both of these things are truths for you. Employ any tactics or subterfuge needed in order to sway them.

4.  Listener, make a private guess about which was the real truth and which was the lie. ?

ONE TRUTH, ONE LIE RESULTS: ü  Listener, which was the truth and which was the lie?

What clues did you use when informing your guess? ü  Story-teller, are they right?

What were you thinking about while you were speaking? What tactics of deception did you employ?

?

From: “How do I convince this person that this is true?” To: “In the moment, this is true for me.” ü  Stanislavski’s ‘Magic If’

ONE TRUTH, ONE LIE COMMIT!

ACTING ‘AS IF’ WHY IT WORKS

Expansive, open postures.

Contracted, closed postures.

ACTING ‘AS IF’ WHY IT WORKS Our results show that posing in high-power displays (as opposed to low-power displays) causes physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes consistent with the literature on the effects of power on power holders—elevation of the dominance hormone testosterone, reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, and increases in behaviorally demonstrated risk tolerance and feelings of power.

- Carney, Cuddy, & Yap, 2010


Facial feedback

hypothesis

‘Subjects read and rated each cartoon with the pen held in the original position (i.e. lips, teeth, or nondominant hand). The four cartoons were taken from Gary Larson’s series The Far Side and had been prerated as being moderately funny (M = 6.61).’

- Strack, Martin, & Stepper, 1988


‘Taken together, these findings suggest that inhibiting the muscular activity associated with smiling dampened subjects’ experience of humor, whereas facilitating this activity intensified their experience. Although the size of the effect was small, it proved to be quite consistent over the series of stimuli.’

- Strack, Martin, & Stepper, 1988


In other words…


TAKE 10

CUT!

IMPROV

ENHANCING YOUR PERFORMANCE WITH

IMPROV Although we come to class ready with a “script,” the classroom is an unpredictable performance venue.

IMPROV In improv, it’s important to think on your feet and respond quickly while also staying true to the scene.

IMPROV ‘YES, AND…!’ ü  accept new

information ü  consider how to

add to the scene

IMPROV ‘YES, AND…!’ ü  accept new

information ü  consider how to

add to the scene

Keep the conversation going in the classroom.

IMPROV READ YOUR AUDIENCE ü  judge what sticks ü  change your tactics ü  let them support you!

IMPROV OTHERS AS BRILLIANT!

ü  accept what students bring to class as brilliant and inspired

ü  give more to get more

ü  decide that your students are awesome!

IMPROV EVERYTHING WORKS! Helpful classroom mantra when things don’t go as planned.

ü  give up control ü  go with your

instincts ü  be organic

JUST DO IT!

IMPROV EXERCISE PICK YOUR POISON

SAFE VULNERABLE

One word story

1-10 game Infomercial

Freeze Questions only

NOT-ACTING ACTING

IMPROV EXERCISE FREEZE

FREEZE!

1.  In two large groups, select two members of your group to start acting out a scene. ü  Scenario: You are at a grocery store. Decide, what is your relationship to

the Other in your scene? ü  Remember “Yes, and..!” and the rules of good improv!

2.  During the action, another group member taps one of the actors on the shoulder, saying “Freeze!”

3.  Group member assumes the position of the actor they tapped out—e.g. if the actor’s hands were on their hips and they were looking over their right shoulder, this is the group member’s starting position.

4.  The group member becomes the actor and takes over, acting out a brand new scenario from this position. Your acting partner will follow your lead!

TRY THIS AT HOME: ACTION RESEARCH & REFLECTIVE PRACTICE Action research as a framework for debriefing after class. ü  Start by noticing. ü  Unpack your session: what worked

and what didn’t? ü  Any “interesting turn of events”?

How did you handle them? ü  What made students respond? Is

there a pattern?

FINAL THOUGHTS

TAKE-AWAYS &

FINAL THOUGHTS These examples from theater demonstrate how learning to be better performers can help us be better teachers, no matter which part we’ve been asked to play.

To be, or not to be…

You don’t have to be theatrical in the classroom to be a better classroom performer, but being mindful and intentional about actions in the classroom can strengthen your connection to your student audience.


KEYWORD:

BREAK A LEG!

THANK YOU

REFERENCES ü  Barney, D. & Pilmer, D. (2012). What teachers can learn from actors. Journal of

Multidisciplinary Research, 4(1), 79-89. ü  Barton, R. (2012). Acting onstage and off, 6th ed., Boston: Wadsworth. ü  Baruch, Y. (2006). Role-play teaching: Acting in the classroom. Management

Learning, 37(1), 43-61. ü  Buck, R. (1980). Nonverbal behavior and the theory of emotion: The facial

feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38(5), 811-824.

ü  Burgess, D. (2012). Teach like a pirate. San Diego: Dave Burgess Consulting. ü  Carney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Yap, A. J. (2010). Power posing: Brief

nonverbal displays affect neuroendocrine levels and risk tolerance. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1363-1368.

ü  Cohen, R. (1992). Acting one, 2nd ed., Mountain View: Mayfield. ü  Donovan, C. (2009). Sense of self: Embracing your teacher identity. In the

Library with the Lead Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2009/sense-of-self-embracing-your-teacher-identity/

REFERENCES ü  Gregory, M. (2006). From Shakespeare on the Page to Shakespeare on the

Stage: What I learned about teaching in acting class. Pedagogy, 6(2), 309-325.

ü  Kirby, M. (1972). On acting and not-acting. The Drama Review: TDR, 16(1), 3-15.

ü  Morgan-Fleming, B. (1999). Teaching as performance: Connections between folklore and education. Curriculum Inquiry, 29(3), 273-291.

ü  Palmer, P. J. (2007). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life, 10th anniversary ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

ü  Pagowsky, N. & DeFrain, E. (2014). Ice ice baby: Are librarian stereotypes freezing us out of instruction? In the Library with the Lead Pipe. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2014/ice-ice-baby-2/

ü  Polkinghorne, S. (2012). Caught in the act: An autoethnographic analysis of the performance of information literacy instruction. Extended abstract from 2012 Canadian Association for Information Science. Retrieved from http://caisacsi.ca/proceedings/2012/caisacsi2012_111_polkinghorne.pdf

REFERENCES ü  Rae, L. (2014). Owning the stage: Using dramatic theory to improve teaching.

LOEX Quarterly, 40(4), 4-6. Presented at LOEX 2014.

ü  Ruscio, Al. (2012). So therefore… A practical guide for actors. Oxford: Routledge.

ü  Stanislavski, C. (1989). An actor prepares. New York: Routledge. (Original work published 1936).

ü  Strack, F., Martin, L. L., & Stepper, S. (1988). Inhibiting and facilitating conditions of the human smile: A nonobtrusive test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 768-777.

ü  Schwartz, K. (2013). Why teachers should be trained like actors. Mindshift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/teaching-as-acting-a-performance-profession/

ü  Tewell, E. C. (2014). What stand-up comedians teach us about library instruction. C&RL News, 75(1), 28-30.

IMAGES 11. Screen Shot at PM by EA. CC0. Edited. 12, 83. Scared emoticon square face by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 13-14, 18. Student with idea on mind rising her arm to share it by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. 16-17. The Many Faces of Julia Roberts by Nostra. 19-20, 112. Teacher Clip Art by OCAL. CC0. Mashed-up. 19, 81, 105, 111. Beret black shape by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 19-20. Stage Curtains Png Clipart by clipartcotttage. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 19-20, 112. People watching new movie illustration by Talisalex. RF. Edited. 22, 76. Lectern with microphone by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. 22, 76. Female black hair shape by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited, Mashed-up. 22, 76. Cat eye glasses by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 25, 103. Conversation bubbles by Amit Jakhu. CC BY 3.0. 26-27, 39-40. Searcher by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 30. Trumpet music by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 30. Jazz Saxophone by Egor Rumyantsev. CC BY 3.0. 30. Piano top view by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 30. Spanish guitar by Freepik. CC BY 3.0.

IMAGES 31-34, 91-93. Hands on hips silhouette by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 31-34. Mirror oval shape by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 35-36. Group of female students and their teacher by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 43-78. Billy Goat by OCAL. CC0. Edited. 45. Archery by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 46. Time planning by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 53. Students talking by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 53, 84. Student on computer by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 53. Note by SimpleIcon. CC BY 3.0. 54, 56. Street signal barrier with stripes by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 54. Constructor with hard hat and stop hexagonal sign by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 55, 75. Man jumping an obstacle by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 61, 83. Student sleeping in class by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 61, 91. Comfortable office worker with his legs lying on the desk by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 61. WIFI by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 61. PC computer with monitor by SimpleIcon. CC BY 3.0. 61. Projector by Freepik. CC BY 3.0.

IMAGES 62, 64. Strategy hand drawn sketch by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 68. Business man thinking of several options by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 69. Winner jump by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 54. Person running by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 55. Medal of honor by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 75. Red confetti explosion by johnny olivares. CC0. 75. Winner cutting the finish line ribbon by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 76. Stretching male silhouette by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 77-78, 91. Student thinking by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 81. Megaphone by Icons8. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 81. Cinema director chair by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. Mashed-up. 81. Stanislavski as Vershinin by Unknown photographer. Contributed by Virtual Threat. CC BY – SA 3.0. Edited. Mashed-up. 83-85. Teacher talking to a group by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 83. Cooking stove with heat by OCHA. CC BY 3.0. 83. Send symbol by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 83. Smiling emoticon square face by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 86-87. Airplane seat by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited.

IMAGES 88-89. Friends talking by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 88-89. Ice cream cone melting by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 90. Brain and head by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 91. Male staying up by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 93. Carnival mask silhouette by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 94. Chicken by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 94. Egg with a crack by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 97. Full test tube by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 104. Cap’n Jazz by Incase 2010 CC BY 2.0. 105. Male by SimpleIcon. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 105, 111. Poetry symbol of a feather in ink container by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 105, 111. Write by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. 108. Teacher showing on whiteboard by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. Mashed-up. 108. Rabbit shape by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Mashed-up. 108. Hat and magic wand by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. Mashed-up. 111. Man standing holding a bill in his raised right hand by Freepik. CC BY 3.0. Edited. Mashed-up. 111. Human skull side view by Freepik. CC BY 3.0 Edited. Mashed-up.

SPECIAL THANKS TO…

CHAMPLAIN LIBRARIANS: supportive, encouraging colleagues. KIM JORDAN: actor, educator, activist, inspirer. CINSE BONINO: creativity expert, instruction guru. MIKE LANGE: anthropologist, professor, technique explorer. JOLEE MAIN: brainstormer, guinea pig, kid-sister extraordinaire. KYLE OZOLIN: random idea generator, perspective-bringer.

the show must go on: using principles of dramatic acting to transform us into more intentional...

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