My Favorite Art Project Revisited

This is my favorite art project that I do with my students. Its basically just creating different lines and weaving them in a 3D structure. I did it last year with my kinders and I was amazed to see what they created. I did it again with all the grades and was still amazed to see how they envisioned the space and how they all turned out so different.

Presenting: The Volcano Rangers, The Nice Liberty, and Never Leave a Princess Alone

This post is a bit overdue but I have found it hard to reflect on my students performances.

I wrote a previous blog post about this, but for the past few months I have been leading my students in writing and performing their own original plays. To read a synopsis of the stories see previous blog post called "My Students Original Plays." This has been really special for me because this is why I am passionate about teaching theatre. I love seeing students empowered to have their own voice, ideas, and stories be heard. I had each group come up with the characters, setting, and problem of the story. As a class we came up with the basic plot line  I let the oldest group write their own lines. For the younger kids, I wrote the actual lines out.

Overall, I found the whole process very rewarding. The kids were a lot more invested in their characters and the play because it was their words, who they wanted to play, and what they thought was funny. They enjoyed rehearsing most of the time and had fun with their parts. I did not have one single student drop out of the play because they didn't want to do it anymore or they didn't enjoy it. Even the students with behavior problems worked hard so that they could be apart of the show.

The actual performance was a bit disappointing for me. I am really hard on myself and how it goes and I just want everything to be perfect. The oldest group went first. They had some missed cues and some costume issues. They did a good job but I know they could have done better. The next play was the K/1st graders. I was so busy changing the set and making sure the props were set that I didn't have time to make sure all my actors were in place before the curtain opened. A lot of them entered from the wrong side of the stage which threw the other actors off. They were given personal mics, which kept falling off. They did well considering that a lot of the mistakes were beyond their control. They knew all their lines. The looked cute but I knew it could have ran more smoothly. As I was setting up for the last play I asked the Lord for it to go well. I needed to end on a good note after all the mess ups of the last 2 plays. The last group was my 2nd/3rd graders. The Lord answered by prayers and it went beautifully. This group of kids were the best actors and most serious about the rehearsal process. The audience laughed at all their jokes and they hit every cue. I was very proud of them. They were also the only group that I got to see as they came offstage. As they went back to change out of their costumes they chanted, "We are the champions." I think they had a really good time with it.

The painting above is something that I painted to try and capture what this process meant for me. Its a close up of a shoe running across the stage. There was a part in the K/1 play where they run through the whole auditorium. They loved that part. Most of my girls have shoes that look like this.

Here are some other highlights for me from the whole process:

-When one of my kinders suggested inside a volcano for the setting of the play

-My Vampire that really took to his part and made it hilarious

-Creating the sets/costumes/props. I got to be creative myself!
-Seeing one of my quietest students able to find her voice and speak her lines loudly. I literally jumped for joy.
-Seeing one of my students so excited that we picked her idea for the ending of the play
- The moment when I threatened to cancel rehearsal because of their behavior and they as a group shouted, "Nooooo!!" Who would have thought I would see the day that not doing rehearsal is a punishment.
-When they tell me we have to do the scene over again because they know if can be better.
-Being amazed by this one 1st grader who could memorize his lines and blocking.

Here are my favorite lines from the play. (Yes some of them I wrote, but it was the delivery that made them memorable. ) Out of context they may not make sense but this is more for my memories
- Somebody told me it was a sauna.
- Run for your life!!
-We better pull them out quick or this lava is going to burn their legs off.
-Well I guess they are not Volcano Rangers.
- Go, go Volcano Rangers!
-Well do something, but whatever you do, don't get my hair wet.
-I'm too pretty to die.
- For the love of hamsters!
-How rude, ZOMBIES ATTACK!
- Kids today, what are you going to do?
-I will uncapture you if you marry me.

One of the panels for the NYC set

Outside of the castle

Inside the volcano panels

My mom sewed part of this to make a hamster beanie

Statue of Liberty props

2012 in Review

Here some reflection question from 2012.

1. What is the single best thing that God did for you this past year?
The way that he revealed himself to me in a very tangible real way at the Serra Retreat Center this summer when I went up for a prayer retreat.
2. What was the most challenging part of this year that God helped you to get through?
That would have to be my class of kinders from the last school year at the after school program. Although I loved them dearly, they were surely a challenge. At the end God helped me to see ways that I loved them well and was with me through the struggles I faced.
3. What was an unexpected joy that you experienced this year?
An unexpected joy was just in these past few weeks. I have found a lot of joy in making props, costumes, and set pieces for my students' upcoming plays. I enjoy being creative and the joy that comes from giving them a more legitimate performance experience.
4. What is an unexpected obstacle that you have had to face this year?
An obstacle to finding and trying to maintain my own joy at work has been trying to stay positive amidst the negativity and complaining of my coworkers.
5. What are 3 words you would use to describe 2012?
Better
Enduring
Hopeful
6. What was the best book you read this year?
Chasing the Dragon.
7. What is the biggest personal change you have experienced this year?
I have been able to see more of God's nearness to me throughout my day and not feeling like I am in such despair at work.
8. What ways have you grown emotionally?
I feel as through I made some bad choices this year in terms of my emotional health this year. I have done more to shove my feelings to deal with them at a more convenient time which has made it difficult to engage with how I am doing emotionally.
9. How have you grown spiritually?
I have grown in deeper patience with my students (still have a long way to go), a deeper understanding of God's nearness and love for me, receiving more joy, developing cross cultural friendships,  learning how to vision in the big picture in regards to my leadership.
10. How have you grown physically?
I guess I kind of work out now... Who would have thought? I go to Zumba once a week and try to go hiking as much as I can.
11. What was the most enjoyable area of Christian community?
This year it has probably been the moments of just hanging out with people. Game nights, the church retreat, St. Patrick's Day, Shakespeare in the park, Thanksgiving dinner, seeing Les Miserable, New Years Eve.
12. What has been the most challenging part of Christian community?
Feeling like people don't know me deeply (my fault), feeling like I have to initiate a lot in friendships.
13. What has been the biggest time waster this year?
Facebook, TV
14. What is the best ways I have used my time this year?
Prayer, social time with people, serving people, hiking.
15. What is something God has taught me this year?
I have learned that there is hope in God to endure through the hard things. God will always bring you out and restore joy.
Although this verse has not really come up for me this year I do feel like it is a good summary of my year.
Romans 5: 3-5. "We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Penguins!!!

 This is probably one of my favorite projects with the students. Look how cute they turned out! I stole from pintrist. The head and body are from an egg carton. The project was kind of epic, it was a good thing I didn't have too many students that day. They had to paint the body and head first and wait for it to dry. Then all the other little piece most needed assistant with. The cotton balls did not want to glue very well. But worth it for how cute the result is.

Laughing

This weekend I felt like I was able to laugh a lot with people. It felt really good. Laughter to me is a sign that Jesus is bringing me into more of a season of joy. It means that I am able to be myself and enjoy being with others. I am thankful for friends to laugh with and stupid movies to laugh at.

The video is of Connor laughing.

Twirled Art?

 I am not sure exactly what to call this art. I had students coil small strips of paper to make a design. I love watching children create art because they invent things all their own. I try as much as I can not to limit their creative process.

 The one above is not exactly what I wanted them to do, but its their creation and how they interpreted the project, so I love it.

My Students Original Plays

One of my most random characters in the plays

For the past few months I have been working with my students on writing their own original plays. I did this as a group through a process. First we worked on characters, then setting, problem and solution and lastly plot. We did this as a group so that each group created one original short play. I let the oldest group write their own lines and I wrote out the play for the younger groups. I really love how they turned out because you can tell that children came up with this.The characters are really random. They are very short, but I couldn't give them too much to start.

Here is a brief synopsis of each of the plays

K/1st Grade
The play opens with 3 scientist traveling into a volcano to study it. On the way they meet a jaguar who lives there that takes them deep into the lava. In the lava they find 5 princesses who are trapped. They call some power rangers and a nurse to help, but neither can get them out. The princesses use their magical powers to free themselves just as a pack of tigers is coming to attack them. Luckily the Power Rangers are able to save them from the tigers and they manage to escape just before the volcano explodes.

2nd/3rd Grade
The play opens with 3 models having a fashion shoot in NY city. The local superheroes have become jealous of all the media attention celebrities are getting instead of life saving superheroes. They decide to hire a wizard to make the Statue of Liberty come to life to attack the city. They will then save the city from this horrible attack and everyone will recognize them again. Their plan foils when they are unable to stop the Statue of Liberty who is lighting the city on fire. The wizard, for a heavy price, stops the Statue of Liberty before she destroys everything. The conflict between the models and superheroes is resolved in the end.

4th and 5th.
The play opens with a king and queen going on vacation and leaving their precious daughter in the hands of the guards and dragons of the castle. With her parents gone, the princess decides to throw a party against the advice of her pet hamster. However, nearby zombies and vampires see this as an opportunity to capture the princess. They distract the guards and dragons and make their way into the party. The vampire tries to get the princess to marry him, and when she refuses, he sends zombies to capture her. The hamster tries to come to the rescue but is unable to save the princess. Just then, the King and Queen return having forgotten something and find their daughter captured. The queen demands they release her and the king is very upset with the guards for not keeping a closer eye on things. The play ends with everyone being able to enjoy the party.

As we have started to rehearse the play, I have been very excited as I feel like I am a real theatre teacher. Since the beginning of the year I have been working with them on some acting fundamentals. I taught them how to stand on stage, volume, diction, areas of  stage. etc.  Now, when I tell them to stand downstage left, they know where to go. I can uses theatre terms that they recognize. So far they are enjoying the rehearsal process. They look forward to it and ask me if we are rehearsing everyday. It has been a very rewarding experience for me thus far.