fireflypedagogy

[fireflypedagogy]

Summer Camp Reflections

I have 14 days and a handful of hours left to instruct summer camp. I am absolutely counting down the days until this mess is over! 

Let’s outline the mess: 

At an institution (a city ran center) that is at best a love-hate relationship, I was informed less than 5 business days prior to my start date that my hours would be significantly cut, yet I was expected to still create the same caliber of summer camp curriculum for 200 hours of time with young people. In retrospect, I should have quit on the camps and gotten a serving job. 

Summer camps are the blackhole of teaching. They suck all of the light out of instructors who have any feasible experience with teaching that in the slightest want to care about the students. This light is replaced by a count down. How much longer do I have to fucking be here? The students treat each other like garbage. It’s all about redirection that isn’t built to last because you have the campers for 1-2 weeks at the most. 

The facility that I’m working in is extremely under resourced to house the number of students that are attending this year: double that of last year with the same amount of instructors. It’s a fucking shit show. And yet! It’s NOT waiting tables. It’s NOT damnit. 

My patience is basically non existent at all times, yet I consistently mask this. I am tired. I am getting paid chump change. It’s all bullshit. AND YET. It’s the last time I will have to do this. 

The takeaways that I want to bring to my journey with my new school, my REAL fucking teaching job, are what the kids are walking in with. 

Already, boys and girls are thinking about puberty at the age of 8-9, they’re thinking about gender roles and expectations. It’s maddening. The amount of shit I will have to disrupt is only increasingly present in younger and younger people. 

So the summer camp experience is good in that I am learning how to let go. It isn’t worth it to care. It isn’t worth it to invest in the kids beyond making sure they have a good time and don’t literally kill or harm each other. 

Maybe there really is something to Lord of the Flies... 

[fireflypedagogy]

Buenos Aires & Mendoza

It almost seems too daunting to try and capture all of the experiences I had while traveling to Argentina for Spring Break. The breadth of my Aunt’s wealth was apparent and tinged the air. The first hotel, Home, was a modern and sleek abode tucked in the recesses of Honduras St. in the Palermo district of BA. Orange, yellow, and vibrant green nestled in places throughout the hotel: the garden, the odd rotating art in the middle of the place, and in the ridiculously cool lobby. 

The people were exquisite. Lovely, patient, and kind. Something in the eyes that made me feel welcomed and grateful. 

I’m already tired of trying to think of everything to say about the trip. It was almost too much! I’ll get to the personal stuff. 

The dynamic between my Aunt and myself was good for the most part. She can be extremely defensive and whiny when she’s at her worst. I was challenged the most our second day in the city. Traveling to one of the oldest cemeteries in the world took the life right out of me. Why go to a place like this? It was beautiful to a degree. But it felt silly to spend the effort, time, and energy to get there. She was bitchy that day because of an upset stomach to be fair. But it made me quiet and reserved in a way I rarely am with people. 

Otherwise, it was just lovely. My Aunt and I get along very well. She can be overbearing at times, but I am laid back enough to handle it- I think. I love her deeply. We connect in a way that is exciting. We have conversations about politics, education, navigating life, loss, love, about her travels, about her work, about my work. It’s all at my level and then some at times. She’s extremely admirable for a lot of reasons. 

On the plane when we took off after having traveled to Mendoza, she told me that her friend Lydia was having a rough day once and wanted to meet her on a weekend. This was very rare for her due to her family coming first these days. Lydia had been stressed at work due to her boss being set up to be fired so she could take his place. Working at a high level in a large cooperation, she had her doubts about her capability to take over the job. AC decided to meet up with her on the condition they watch a movie. She took her to see Hidden Figures. Her reasoning was to show her women that were in leadership positions that rocked it, essentially. It worked. This story on the plane made me tear up. She didn’t see it and I didn’t allow myself to fully cry. But that impulse of my Aunt to lift people up, to be a cheerleader, their biggest fan has entirely changed the course of my own life. I’m reaping the benefits of this attitude of my Aunt’s. 

I rode a plane for the first time to see my Aunt in Washington, D.C. at the tender age of 7. Traveling, exploring the world, trying new things, all of this was instilled in me at an early age. Looking back 20 years, it’s incredible for me to think about how much this has impacted my life. I think I’ve been shaped by many strong and willful women, my Aunt being one of the most prominent of them. 

It’s all complicated though; doesn’t come without a price. We’re traveling to four different wineries-Susana Balbo, ReNacer, and two I can’t remember at the moment (oops!) while simultaneously my youngest brother is working two jobs to get by or get through or feel productive, my mom is jobless, dad working a bullshit $10/hr to get anything, and middle brother is filing for disability; it’s all messy.  

Eh. But Argentina! The people! The Spanish language! So so beautiful. With a slight Italian lilt/rhythm in BA and Argentina. Due to all of the ownership change, take overs, etc. The Teatro Colón!  The Andes Mountains! The meat! The coffee! The jewelry! The markets!

Too much to process now. Getting tired of typing. 

Overall, I definitely have the traveling bug. I want to see as many places as possible. I want to spend all of teaching salary traveling. I want to find a way to create a healthy balance between my job and personal life so the two feed into one another seamlessly. If I teach middle school, I’m hoping it will be the right balance. The hours aren’t as demanding, the work isn’t as much as a high school theatre director, just different! But hey, this a preservice teacher talking. 

[fireflypedagogy]

1 Sun-dried Tomato Hummus Wrap 1 bag of French Onion Sun Chips 1 Herb Garden Side Salad w/ Italian Dressing & 1 Gala Apple

I’m surprised at the in-between lessons I’m learning as a result of being placed within a host middle school. For example, today I packed a healthy balanced lunch as part of a meal prep plan I prepared for the week on Sunday. Meal prepping takes time and energy that drains. I can’t seem to get it down to less than 3 hours. This is WITH someone’s help! Tangent. 

So I was invited to lunch after a lengthy PD meeting. I had my lunch packed and felt pressured to go out despite not really wanting to. In this moment, I felt like I had no choice; my CT wanted me to go out with the group, so I would. I went to a terribly greasy fried seafood restaurant and spent $11 on a meal I didn’t really want to eat. 

This is no way to live! My CT didn’t exactly force me. She even offered to give me her keys so I could get into the theatre room and eat my packed lunch. But in my mind it seemed clear that to take the keys was the more ‘boring’ or ‘antisocial’ choice to make. 

While there is a clear power dynamic at play between a CT and a ST, it was up to me to take care of myself in that moment. My CT DID offer me the keys to her room, if I really wanted to skip the lunch out. I should have taken it. 

I’ve been listening to a lot of Rupaul’s podcast with Michelle Visage, called What’s the Tea? (I promise I’m ramping up to something.) He talked about how he spent a lot of time caring about what other people thought while in his 20s. When he reached 30 he was finally able to shed that. At 27, on the brink of many big changes in my life, I feel the need to save myself 3 years and get on that train NOW! That the ownership of self and one’s own happiness is the key to a free life, a love life. That my happiness or sense of comfort cannot depend so heavily upon knowing people like or agree with me.  

So I’m going to promise myself that when I’m a teacher working in AISD that I’m going to take care of me. That I’m going to skip those lunches I don’t want to be a part of. That I’m going to find the line when I speak my mind versus when I keep my mouth shut, and it is going to be glorious. 

I’m not a jaded teacher. I’m not naive in my aspirations. I’m thinking carefully about my legacy. That if I am to beat the system, I must understand and overcome it through my own version of best practice. Can’t think of a more worthy opponent-myself! 

Bring it the fuck on already.  

______________

keys & a curly downturned smile/ a window into another hour

trapped before the question/ discomfort comfort 

oh mother

koala/ follow the herd

sheep in a square circle/ turn, turn

look both ways 

while down/ swell! bully, bully oh my might!

keyboard pitter patter/start & 

                   stop

a door unlocked 

______________

[fireflypedagogy]

TETA 2017 Reflection

I haven’t been on my own Tumblr in a while. But I had to process the end of an incredible experience. There’s a lot running through my brain, and writing it out simply won’t be fast enough. I’ll begin with the end; a brief overview of an incredible conversation with Briana Bower, a DTYC graduate, fellow colleague, and friend. 

FORGIVE YOURSELF 

Graphic novels/comics to read: Sandman, Fun Home, El Deafo, Steven Universe extended comic series (!!!)

Classroom Mgmt Strategies: 

SEATING CHART/ATTENDANCE: Handing out #s to students the first week. #s are labeled on the back of chairs set up in a circle. That is where the students sit. After evaluating the personalities/friendships/overall social dynamics of students in the room, assign permanent seat numbers and create a corresponding seating chart. Differentiate the room based on the different types of stages: arena = chairs in a circle, three sided square facing projector = thrust, three sided rectangle (long edge) = proscenium, etc. Mix up #s when handing them to students to purposely separate certain ppl from sitting next to one another OR hand out numbers in order but mix up the numbers on the chairs. Don't need desks, but have fold up ones tucked away just in case. 

SOCIAL CONTRACT: How would you want me to treat you? Write on white board answers. Then, is it similar to how you would want to treat each other? Bracket/circle repeated ideas, add new ones if given. State that this is how you would like to be treated by the students. DAR- I could have just told you what I wanted my classroom rules to be. Why do you think I decided to create these rules with you instead? Proceed to further explain “respect” (Betsy Quinn), no ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘she’s retarded’ and why. Discuss meaning of self respect. Write down/type up final version & sign. 

PHONES: See it, given back at the end of the class period. See it again next class, given back at the end of the school day. See it for a third time, sent to office for parent pick up. If it rings in class, I answer with silly voice then keep it until the end of the day.   

FIRST DAY ACTIVITIES: Only name game (no gesture), introduce partner & a few fun facts, tell them there will be a name quiz 

GRADING: You don’t have to grade everything they do. You don’t need to do more grades than required. Participation grades, freebie. Autofill in grade book then change ppl’s grades. WU questions as bell work don’t all have to be read. Look for completion, ask students to mark 3 they’re most proud of. Projects/performance pieces no higher than a 98. Give room for growth reasoning. Anything else are check plus, check, check parenthesis minus, check minus 

Basic kindness and politeness goes a LONG WAY. This is not the same as an ‘easy’ teacher  

Be genuine and truthful. They can swiftly sense when you’re not. 

Be quick to forgive and they will be too. 

Be blunt/forward with them.  

Plan the first 6 weeks closely and a skeleton after that

Human well, generous, kind 

OAP Advice:

Read technical/design portion closely. Be ready/knowledgable to defend set choices under rules

IDENTITY PROJECT 

Iceberg read of teacher. What do you assume when you look at me? What assumptions could you possibly make based on my appearance? Ex: Wedding ring = likely heterosexual, white female, class, etc. That’s at the tip of the iceberg. Then ask for the rest of the iceberg, what is it that you can’t determine based on what I appear to be at first glance? 

Bringing found objects to class. Students pick one and explain why it represents them. 

Mason jar or cigar box, they choose or bring container from home. Represents themselves- choose how they decorate by thinking through how they appear on the outside (goes on outside of jar) vs. what they are on the inside (goes inside jar). 

Day of presenting jars- no one can speak/justify why they made them until the end. Thinking about aesthetic and how it stands on its own. 

Performance piece must include: text (written or spoken aloud, in another language), sound, movement (?), and your jar/box. Otherwise, free to do whatever they come up with. 

Devising Workshop

Name game with gesture

life in 3 sentences 

enter stage with your own gesture or one you saw someone else do, say your 3 sentences, exit the stage 

From here perhaps create characters, short plays, etc. 

[fireflypedagogy]

In reality, best practice in theatre education today is merely a glimpse of what could be. This practice exists as fireflies in the night, visible only in small, elusive glimmers.

Signs of Change, Joan Lazarus

[fireflypedagogy]

A dynamic and engaging 3-day Lesson Plan exploring the unique life of the Brazilian heroine Maria Quitéria through creative drama. Intended for 8th-12th grade students (Can be easily adjusted for other age groups).   

[fireflypedagogy]

Emanation- The first show I co-authored, produced, and directed. Still a work in progress even today! More pictures and a full recording coming soon to a Tumblr near you...

[fireflypedagogy]

A lesson plan or workshop intended for students in middle school or high school concerning the ways in which we perceive gender. 

[fireflypedagogy]