I love the kids at Jordan. Within our two classes, we have very different groups of kids. The first period acting class is outspoken, funny, and full of personality. But it's difficult to keep them focused, and I have to admit I'm unsure if they are taking the material very seriously. It feels like some of them are in acting class because they thought it would be easy, and a handful of them really don't like getting up in front of the class. Some of them really don't want to participate, and I'm not sure how to get them involved. I could be wrong, but I feel that in an art class, it's easier to engage with students one on one on a project, but acting requires them to interact with others. In a limited class period, it's hard to give attention to everyone.
Our 10th graders are very different. There are definitely a few talkers, but the majority of them are typical, well-behaved students. They follow directions and ask lots of questions – probably because they are used to coming into their English class when we are there, so they know it's time to work. Both groups provide interesting challenges and environments for us to teach in.
Today, I think the success of our lesson could be attributed to having them work in groups. It enabled them to create a scene without having to do it totally spontaneously (like the last session) and they had each other to create dialogue with. It also gave Iliana and I an opportunity to talk with them more personally, as we went around the room to each group to see how they were working together. The acting class especially were much more open to sharing their ideas with me when I was talking to their group, but when I asked them to share what we had talked about with the class, they were more hesitant to voice their opinion. I want to be put more pressure on them to speak up and volunteer to talk, but it's difficult when kids keep responding with "I don't know…" I'd like to know what tactics other people have utilized to enable their students to make connections with their lessons and ideas.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Journal 4: Jordan at UCLA!
Today, we got to spend time with our friends at Jordan on our own turf: UCLA! We met up with them at the Fowler Museum and walked through the Condom Couture Exhibit, then saw the performance "Flesh and Blood," put on my Kevin Kane, and danced/acted by WAC Alumni and friends. Iliana and I mostly documented the day, taking video and photos while the kids participated in the activities that the Museum Educators had planned for the students.
From what I could tell: the kids loved the performance. It was put together in a way that was extremely accessible to high schoolers; it didn't talk down to them, and it didn't make them uncomfortable. The production was a perfect example about how the performing arts can raise awareness about serious issues, without alienating the audience. In other words, the kids gained a sense of how important the issue of HIV/ STDs is, and rather than being bombarded with statistics or lectures, they had a glimpse into the personal stories behind these diseases, and were left with the sense that they were in control of their own bodies and health. The kids really enjoyed the Condom Couture Exhibit as well. They were impressed with the aesthetic appeal of the dresses, and I heard many of the girls say they would wear a dress just like the dresses featured (though they probably wouldn't wear one that was actually made out of condoms). They understood that the purpose of the exhibit was to make it acceptable and more commonplace to talk about condoms and that it doesn't always have to be in a medical or negative context.
I think overall the day was very successful-- in that the kids were able to walk away with some information, and (hopefully) were inspired by the examples of what they can take part in when they go to college. It's so important for them to see that college is not just a continuation of high school – that college can provide a new world for them to explore certain issues and artistic endeavors that interest them. I realized that that's probably one of the most important pieces of information that I can impart to them: College is what you make of it, and any college you end up at has so much potential to expand your world and improve your life. Seriously! That's what college has done for me…
From what I could tell: the kids loved the performance. It was put together in a way that was extremely accessible to high schoolers; it didn't talk down to them, and it didn't make them uncomfortable. The production was a perfect example about how the performing arts can raise awareness about serious issues, without alienating the audience. In other words, the kids gained a sense of how important the issue of HIV/ STDs is, and rather than being bombarded with statistics or lectures, they had a glimpse into the personal stories behind these diseases, and were left with the sense that they were in control of their own bodies and health. The kids really enjoyed the Condom Couture Exhibit as well. They were impressed with the aesthetic appeal of the dresses, and I heard many of the girls say they would wear a dress just like the dresses featured (though they probably wouldn't wear one that was actually made out of condoms). They understood that the purpose of the exhibit was to make it acceptable and more commonplace to talk about condoms and that it doesn't always have to be in a medical or negative context.
I think overall the day was very successful-- in that the kids were able to walk away with some information, and (hopefully) were inspired by the examples of what they can take part in when they go to college. It's so important for them to see that college is not just a continuation of high school – that college can provide a new world for them to explore certain issues and artistic endeavors that interest them. I realized that that's probably one of the most important pieces of information that I can impart to them: College is what you make of it, and any college you end up at has so much potential to expand your world and improve your life. Seriously! That's what college has done for me…
Friday, February 9, 2007
Journal 3 - February 8, 2007
Today, Iliana (or should I say Ms. Phirippidis?) and I experienced our first day teaching our own class at Jordan High School.We officially started our residency! I have to say, overall, I thought it went very well. Most of the kids that were in Kori's theater class last semster are in one of (or both) our classes for this semester. It made me very grateful that we had the experience of observing and getting to the students before we started teaching. Seeing familiar faces made me feel much more at ease. the ones we knew seemed noticeably more comfortable interacting with us. Though it's hard to say if they were more outgoing because they knew us, or whether it is just in their nature; some of the kids have a natural knack for making jokes and performing in front of people. Also, it is clear that the kids who had Kori's class last semester are more confident.
For the first class, we went over the most basic skills and concept in theater/drama and introduced them to a couple improvisation games. Though I had high expectations that they would be creative with their character choices, most of the kids had a really hard time thinking on their feet and being able to stay engaged in the scene. We had some very good laughs though, and it gave us a good sense of who our class-clowns are, who we can count on to participate, and who needs a little gentle coaxing to get involved. I'd say the most successful part of the activity for them was getting more comfortable in the group, since it's their first week in their classes, and for us, it was an opportunity to get to know the students as much as possible in the first meeting.
Expanding on their character choices, etc -- I noticed one thing that was really interesting. We instructed them in the game "freeze" to start a new scene when they took the place of another actor in the scene. However, most of the scenes ended up being about similar topics: a drug deal, gambling/making a bet, spittin' game/hollerin', breaking up with a cheating boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. And it was hard to influence them to try a different setting and characters. Then after I thought about it, I realized that part of the game is thinking on your toes, and extrapolating scenes from your consciousness in order to use them for acting/improvising in the scene. It made me realize that the reality they were drawing from is much different than the one I would draw from when I played improv in high school. It was a good reminder for me as to where these kids are coming from, and what they've been subjected to in their environment. And it makes me so happy to see that so many of them have really good hearts and really want to learn.
Today, Iliana (or should I say Ms. Phirippidis?) and I experienced our first day teaching our own class at Jordan High School.We officially started our residency! I have to say, overall, I thought it went very well. Most of the kids that were in Kori's theater class last semster are in one of (or both) our classes for this semester. It made me very grateful that we had the experience of observing and getting to the students before we started teaching. Seeing familiar faces made me feel much more at ease. the ones we knew seemed noticeably more comfortable interacting with us. Though it's hard to say if they were more outgoing because they knew us, or whether it is just in their nature; some of the kids have a natural knack for making jokes and performing in front of people. Also, it is clear that the kids who had Kori's class last semester are more confident.
For the first class, we went over the most basic skills and concept in theater/drama and introduced them to a couple improvisation games. Though I had high expectations that they would be creative with their character choices, most of the kids had a really hard time thinking on their feet and being able to stay engaged in the scene. We had some very good laughs though, and it gave us a good sense of who our class-clowns are, who we can count on to participate, and who needs a little gentle coaxing to get involved. I'd say the most successful part of the activity for them was getting more comfortable in the group, since it's their first week in their classes, and for us, it was an opportunity to get to know the students as much as possible in the first meeting.
Expanding on their character choices, etc -- I noticed one thing that was really interesting. We instructed them in the game "freeze" to start a new scene when they took the place of another actor in the scene. However, most of the scenes ended up being about similar topics: a drug deal, gambling/making a bet, spittin' game/hollerin', breaking up with a cheating boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. And it was hard to influence them to try a different setting and characters. Then after I thought about it, I realized that part of the game is thinking on your toes, and extrapolating scenes from your consciousness in order to use them for acting/improvising in the scene. It made me realize that the reality they were drawing from is much different than the one I would draw from when I played improv in high school. It was a good reminder for me as to where these kids are coming from, and what they've been subjected to in their environment. And it makes me so happy to see that so many of them have really good hearts and really want to learn.
Journal 2 - February 2, 2007
This week we didn't have a chance to go out to Jordan High. We are in the midst of mapping out our curriculum. We found out that we are NOT going to have two English classes like we initially hoped; instead, we'll be teaching advanced acting first period and tenth grade English second period. It's somewhat disappointing because we were really looking forward to teaching a more mature age group and discussing "The Coldest Winter Ever" with the juniors. Luckily, I think that our drama lessons will be successful, without incorporating and leaning on their reading material. On the same token, Iliana and I would still like to incorporate some broader historical theme within our lessons with the advanced acting class. It has been a little frustrating that the plans for our classroom assignment have changed so many times, but I assume it's a good experience to learn how to be flexible – since I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll have to roll with a few punches!
In planning our curriculum, it's difficult for me to reconcile two different ideas/priorities as we approach our residency. On one hand, I want to be able to develop my own lessons to prepare for acting as a guest artist/teacher, and be able to bring something meaningful into a classroom during just one visit. One the other hand, I imagine that I will be a full-time classroom teacher someday, and I can already anticipate wanting to thread each class into the next class, so every day feels relevant and the students can follow themes and criteria more easily. I feel like since we have to break-up our activities into lesson plans based on the standards, it seems redundant to keep mentioning our themes and skills we're working on in each plan (thus making me feel like we should working on a different mini-project every week). However, the reality is that we'll probably spend a significant amount of time reinforcing the same terms and skills over and over, to make sure the students are keeping up with everything we're bringing into the class. Anyway, I'm sure it's just an issue we'll confront in the classroom, and we'll just have to readjust and fine-tune our lessons as we move along in the quarter.
This week we didn't have a chance to go out to Jordan High. We are in the midst of mapping out our curriculum. We found out that we are NOT going to have two English classes like we initially hoped; instead, we'll be teaching advanced acting first period and tenth grade English second period. It's somewhat disappointing because we were really looking forward to teaching a more mature age group and discussing "The Coldest Winter Ever" with the juniors. Luckily, I think that our drama lessons will be successful, without incorporating and leaning on their reading material. On the same token, Iliana and I would still like to incorporate some broader historical theme within our lessons with the advanced acting class. It has been a little frustrating that the plans for our classroom assignment have changed so many times, but I assume it's a good experience to learn how to be flexible – since I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll have to roll with a few punches!
In planning our curriculum, it's difficult for me to reconcile two different ideas/priorities as we approach our residency. On one hand, I want to be able to develop my own lessons to prepare for acting as a guest artist/teacher, and be able to bring something meaningful into a classroom during just one visit. One the other hand, I imagine that I will be a full-time classroom teacher someday, and I can already anticipate wanting to thread each class into the next class, so every day feels relevant and the students can follow themes and criteria more easily. I feel like since we have to break-up our activities into lesson plans based on the standards, it seems redundant to keep mentioning our themes and skills we're working on in each plan (thus making me feel like we should working on a different mini-project every week). However, the reality is that we'll probably spend a significant amount of time reinforcing the same terms and skills over and over, to make sure the students are keeping up with everything we're bringing into the class. Anyway, I'm sure it's just an issue we'll confront in the classroom, and we'll just have to readjust and fine-tune our lessons as we move along in the quarter.
Journal 1 - January 26, 2007
This week made me feel so much more excited and confident about starting our residency at Jordan High School. Iliana and I visited Kori Hamilton's first period class on Tuesday and Thursday. We had observed the same class last quarter. Back in December, we just met the students and stood back while Kori taught. This week, we actually interacted directly with the students and helped them on the scenes they are working on for the theater class. The scenes are from a collection Kori had called, "Multicultural Scenes for Young People." The students had chosen the scenes from the book that they wanted to perform.It was really satisfying to engage in a conversation with them about their characters and the content of their scene. A few of them were eager to show me their scenes and asked for my input. It was actually very cute - I was talking to Kori in the back of the classroom and one of the students, Trey Shaun (I'm not sure how you spell it) turned around and said, "Ms. Hamilton, can SHE help me?" He wanted me to reiterate a suggestion I made about a very complex scene he is working on with another girl in the class. There are two girls who were ahead of everyone else in their memorizing, so I came over and directed their scene a bit since they were having a hard time figuring out how to block/stage the scene. We also had a few laughs over silly, cute moments in their script, since they are performing a somewhat sweet, romantic scene between a man and a woman.
We also had a chance to do some date planning with Kori. We decided on coming in Thursdays and working with her second and third period. When I talked to Kori today (Thursday) she said she was unsure if those classes would both be English or if one would be Theater. I told her we can work with either group. It would be a shame not to work with the Junior english class though, because they are reading a great book ("The Coldest Winter Ever"). It would be a great book to work with. I'm sure the students would love to create some of their own scenes using the characters, or transcribing and acting out scenes from the book. Kori also suggested that our first day in the class, February 8th, could be used not only for teaching, but helping the students with applications for the CSA Summer Program. I think this would be a great way to encourage the students to have confidence in their art form - whether it's acting or dance, etc. We'll also be teaching the following Tuesday since they're coming to UCLA on a field trip that Thursday. With every Thursday after that, continuing through finals week and Tuesday of Spring Break, we will surely fulfill our teaching-hours requirement as well as do some great work with Kori and her classes. YAY!
This week made me feel so much more excited and confident about starting our residency at Jordan High School. Iliana and I visited Kori Hamilton's first period class on Tuesday and Thursday. We had observed the same class last quarter. Back in December, we just met the students and stood back while Kori taught. This week, we actually interacted directly with the students and helped them on the scenes they are working on for the theater class. The scenes are from a collection Kori had called, "Multicultural Scenes for Young People." The students had chosen the scenes from the book that they wanted to perform.It was really satisfying to engage in a conversation with them about their characters and the content of their scene. A few of them were eager to show me their scenes and asked for my input. It was actually very cute - I was talking to Kori in the back of the classroom and one of the students, Trey Shaun (I'm not sure how you spell it) turned around and said, "Ms. Hamilton, can SHE help me?" He wanted me to reiterate a suggestion I made about a very complex scene he is working on with another girl in the class. There are two girls who were ahead of everyone else in their memorizing, so I came over and directed their scene a bit since they were having a hard time figuring out how to block/stage the scene. We also had a few laughs over silly, cute moments in their script, since they are performing a somewhat sweet, romantic scene between a man and a woman.
We also had a chance to do some date planning with Kori. We decided on coming in Thursdays and working with her second and third period. When I talked to Kori today (Thursday) she said she was unsure if those classes would both be English or if one would be Theater. I told her we can work with either group. It would be a shame not to work with the Junior english class though, because they are reading a great book ("The Coldest Winter Ever"). It would be a great book to work with. I'm sure the students would love to create some of their own scenes using the characters, or transcribing and acting out scenes from the book. Kori also suggested that our first day in the class, February 8th, could be used not only for teaching, but helping the students with applications for the CSA Summer Program. I think this would be a great way to encourage the students to have confidence in their art form - whether it's acting or dance, etc. We'll also be teaching the following Tuesday since they're coming to UCLA on a field trip that Thursday. With every Thursday after that, continuing through finals week and Tuesday of Spring Break, we will surely fulfill our teaching-hours requirement as well as do some great work with Kori and her classes. YAY!
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