Change A Thing; Change A Child

When you’re teaching Creative Drama at Highland elementary, never is there a dull moment.  The lesson plans are filled to the brim with fun and the children are ALWAYS filled to the brim with energy. We have had many memorable lessons thus far, but there is one in particular that has been most impactful on me as a person and as an educator.

The first few lessons we worked on involved creatively exploring the concept of ‘similarities and differences’. On this particular day, we introduced a game called ‘change a thing’. The game works like this—you have a partner, and you choose who goes first. You will then turn back to back and the partner going first is to change one or two items about his/her appearance and when the partners turn around again, the goal is to figure out what exactly changed in the person’s appearance.

Gretta had me model the game for the kids. I presented myself and turned in a 360. The kids and I turned away from each other as I took off my hat and untied a boot. Voila! The kids had such a strong response to the game—they absolutely loved it!

Everyone in the class usually comes to the work at their own pace, but during this game, everyone was equally as engaged as the next. There is a boy named Chad who is absolutely wonderful, but very, very shy and quiet. When he is uncomfortable or out of sorts, he pulls out his eyelashes and tugs on his brow. These ticks usually occur whenever we introduce a new situation and activities in creative drama. However, not on this day! Chad was completely immersed and happily so! He even volunteered to go up and change a thing in his appearance in front of the class! I was completely floored. Chad was ready to shine and certainly took his spotlight!

It was a fantastic teaching experience that I will always remember. It is a continual blessing to be able to work with these youth. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Super Saturdays Develop Super New Ideas

Note:  the following post was written by Jessica Vaught in response to the ongoing work she is doing with me on Saturdays.  Jessica is quickly becoming a master teacher.  This semester she is responsible for the design and implemention of all of the Saturday workshops.  This posting does a beautiful job of capturing the unique energy of the Saturday drama work! (gretta)

Saturdays at EPI have become a wonderfully different experience from our after school work. The biggest difference is, of course, the students we have. On Saturdays, our group is much larger and more evenly matched between girls and boys. From the ever dramatic Mary to the sweet Emma, they all add a new personality and energy to our group. This environment gives us new opportunities and a chance to see how different students respond to the same work we do during the week – sometimes with very surprising results.

We’ve also taken the opportunity, on our one Saturday a month, to be a little bit more experimental in our work, always with wonderful results. In particular, our last Saturday of the fall semester comes to mind. Imagine the scene: fifteen youth of varying ages and attention spans, five adult workers (in and out of the process), and one recipe for gingerbread people. Talk about too many cooks in the kitchen. And yet, even with all the chaos and mess that ensued, this – of all our work to date – is one that I will probably always remember.

What better way to engage students in a story about making gingerbread (The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett) than actually making gingerbread? And, of course, it’s nice to have a sweet treat after an afternoon of drama.

I’ve begun to think of our lessons differently since that day. In some ways, the sensory and kinesthetic work of making gingerbread and exploring the world of cooking is much more effective for our story drama than elements like pantomime and movement.  We have started to run with this idea during our after school lessons as well. In fact, last week and this week we have used all kinds of sensory and kinesthetic experiences, particularly through our exploration of The Three Little Tamales (by Eric Kimmel). We’ve touched, smelled, and tasted food like peppers, tortillas, and salsa. We’ve built houses and knocked them down. We’ve worn costumes and paraded the building. This has truly enhanced the experience of the youth, as well as my own learning.

The Highland Point of View

Hello, blogosphere!

My name is Lizzie White and I am a senior Theatre major with an emphasis in Drama and Theatre for Youth at the University of Northern Iowa. I am currently working as an assistant teacher with Gretta Berghammer at Highland Elementary where we teach creative drama to the school’s spectrum class.

I teach at Highland every Tuesday afternoon and let me tell you, it has been a whirl wind experience., Gretta and I have been using drama to explore such topics as similarities and differences through various games, activities, and impressive dance moves on my part J   My only wish is that we had more time. The children are such a snapshot of delight in my day and I wish that I could freeze time and work with them always.

The thing that excites me most about working with our Highland kiddos is that they refresh and renew me. Imagine walking into a room and having everyone be thrilled to see you, even if you’re covered in snow and shaking in your boots from the Iowa winter. They are always so genuinely happy to see us and are so invested in the work. Everyone comes to the activities in a different manner, but it’s THEIR special way that makes the work all the more rewarding.

 I am nervous, but also looking forward to the challenges this work will bring me. Perhaps I have spoken too soon. I have yet to experience an off-day, so when that arrives, I’m sure I’ll have a broader perspective. As for now, I am as happy as a clam and I can’t wait to update you on our journey to all that is Creative Drama!

Meanwhile, I’ve recently found out that I’ll have the “class to myself” starting Thursdays in late March.  I can hardly wait to start developing my own lessons as a lead teacher!

Spectrum Theatre: A Student Perspective

My work with Gretta on Spectrum Theatre began a little under two years ago. As I began to involve myself more in Sturgis Youth Theatre and other practical experience for my future career, Gretta told me of an opportunity she was offering for a student the next year;  an opportunity to work closely with her to develop a new project, one that would broaden her horizons and mine, as well as those of our program at UNI. This project would involve research of Autism Spectrum Disorders and the eventual implementation of Creative Drama lessons targeted toward youth with Autism. This project, of course, was Spectrum Theatre.

 Well, who wouldn’t jump at such an opportunity? A year of working on a brand new program, developing the project and building it from the ground up? It was a dream come true. After an interview in which I was sure I had thoroughly made a fool of myself, Gretta picked me. I couldn’t believe it, but I couldn’t wait for the next semester to start.

 My semester of research opened my eyes to so many aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and even of my own field of study. I learned so much about both subjects, and became more and more eager for our work at Exceptional Persons, Inc (EPI) starting in spring of 2011.

Finally, the day arrived. I was decidedly nervous that first day. Armed with supplies, paperwork, and a sound understanding of theory, I knew – as with any classroom – that there was no way I could predict what our students would be like.  Well, that much certainly was true. I quickly realized that, even from one day to the next, the work of our students varied so much. This was a great challenge for me at first. While still inexperienced, I worried too much about the logistics of our work. I wasn’t working “in the moment” as I should have been, instead being more concerned with our schedule, what I was doing, the responses of others to what I was doing, etc.  It was a struggle for me, at the beginning of the project. I doubted myself and my personal work, and I felt I struggled to connect with my students.

 And then I realized something very simple: the work we were doing was fun. When I assisted Gretta, and (maybe especially) when I myself taught, I was having fun.  I could relax, I could relate to students. I could expand my understanding, if only I made sure I was open to our work.

Since then, I have been learning and growing. I have been making mistakes, and I have been laughing at myself. And more than anything else, I have loved the work I have done so far. I look forward to each and every adventure I have with our friends at EPI