Open Forum

Hi Natasha!

zoom is really wearing on my students too. It's so hard as a teacher to be teaching without the feedback and nuance we usually get in a classroom. Let me just say: hang in there!

1- Can I urge you to consider starting before Greek theater? The ancient Egyptians had passion plays about Osiris and Chinese theaters were erected long before "the first actor stepped out of the chorus in Greece". The idea that theater was born in Greece centers white colonialism. I think we, as a field, have to rethink this story. 

2- as for games:

- consider doing a seated warmup. Eye isolations head and neck rolls. Brain gym exercises with hands. I tell everyone cameras must be on for warmup. And then they can turn off if they need the break. We've all gotten so used to sitting and staring. Moving and breathing can change the energy. Even if it's a heavy lift the first few times. My students are now willing to do jumping Jacks and run in place every class. 

- name pass has been really successful (not a connected game) say your name and the name of someone your passing to. Work for speed. Everyone unmutes. It's fine if the dog barks or dads meeting is bleeding through. Sidecoach speed and energy. If my class has a good rapport I'm even having us boo and admonish people who fall asleep at the switch (I always take the first boo)

- versions of things like Ships and sailors work surprisingly well on zoom. Any kind of word based fallout prompt that triggers an action from the students. I use a version called yosemite in classroom. Both games can be adapted to a list of terms/names/eras. My strategy is to seed 5-10. Then as we learn more terminology I have kids add actions to the game to physically represent the thing they learned about. Some ideas:

     - tragedy (open frown like tragedy mask)
     - comedy (mime laughing)
     - Dionysus (hold a pencil in frame like a thyrsus)
     - Passion Play (hands together in prayer looking pious)
     - Shakespeare (pretend to write feverishly while making kissy faces at the camera)
     - Mask (hand in front of face
     - mime (classic box illusion)
etc.

I've also had great luck doing speed google rounds. Especially with kids off camera. Give them a term or event and the first person to define it in the chat correctly gets a point. You can then save the chat as a working set of definitions. This is especially effective if you have the ability to give a prize. My students will work surprisingly hard for a $10 chipotle gift card for the winner. 

- two lies and a truth- in breakout rooms of 2-3 give students a theater history fact. Have them make up two believable lies. Have each group present on their statements and let students guess. If they fool them they get a point. If they don't the other teams get a point. 

reach out if you want to brainstorm 

Hi Natasha!

zoom is really wearing on my students too. It's so hard as a teacher to be teaching without the feedback and nuance we usually get in a classroom. Let me just say: hang in there!

1- Can I urge you to consider starting before Greek theater? The ancient Egyptians had passion plays about Osiris and Chinese theaters were erected long before "the first actor stepped out of the chorus in Greece". The idea that theater was born in Greece centers white colonialism. I think we, as a field, have to rethink this story. 

2- as for games:

- consider doing a seated warmup. Eye isolations head and neck rolls. Brain gym exercises with hands. I tell everyone cameras must be on for warmup. And then they can turn off if they need the break. We've all gotten so used to sitting and staring. Moving and breathing can change the energy. Even if it's a heavy lift the first few times. My students are now willing to do jumping Jacks and run in place every class. 

- name pass has been really successful (not a connected game) say your name and the name of someone your passing to. Work for speed. Everyone unmutes. It's fine if the dog barks or dads meeting is bleeding through. Sidecoach speed and energy. If my class has a good rapport I'm even having us boo and admonish people who fall asleep at the switch (I always take the first boo)

- versions of things like Ships and sailors work surprisingly well on zoom. Any kind of word based fallout prompt that triggers an action from the students. I use a version called yosemite in classroom. Both games can be adapted to a list of terms/names/eras. My strategy is to seed 5-10. Then as we learn more terminology I have kids add actions to the game to physically represent the thing they learned about. Some ideas:

     - tragedy (open frown like tragedy mask)
     - comedy (mime laughing)
     - Dionysus (hold a pencil in frame like a thyrsus)
     - Passion Play (hands together in prayer looking pious)
     - Shakespeare (pretend to write feverishly while making kissy faces at the camera)
     - Mask (hand in front of face
     - mime (classic box illusion)
etc.

I've also had great luck doing speed google rounds. Especially with kids off camera. Give them a term or event and the first person to define it in the chat correctly gets a point. You can then save the chat as a working set of definitions. This is especially effective if you have the ability to give a prize. My students will work surprisingly hard for a $10 chipotle gift card for the winner. 

- two lies and a truth- in breakout rooms of 2-3 give students a theater history fact. Have them make up two believable lies. Have each group present on their statements and let students guess. If they fool them they get a point. If they don't the other teams get a point. 

reach out if you want to brainstorm