"Good teaching is one fourth preparation and three fourths theatre." Gail Godwin
Hello fellow educators!
Should we as teachers entertain our students?
After all, it's not what we hired to do and we certainly didn't receive any training for it.
But in this day and age, this media driven, celebrity obsessed, entertainment age- it's certainly something to think about. Why?
Because our students' attentions spans (as well as our own) have shrunken precipitously. Because as one of my education mentors revealed, many students in our classes are experiencing media (TV, iPod, internet) withdrawal while inour classrooms. Because even presidential candidates know that we are more reachable (as Americans) through our entertainment venues (Fred Thompson on the "Tonight Show") than in a more traditional, serious manner.
I come from an entertainment background having spent years as an actress in a professional children's theatre company. I was able to incorporate the techniques I used to hold the my audience (my students') attention, first in my math classroom and even more in the'Strategies for Success" classroom. The moreI used entertainment strategies, the more connected,engaged and focused my students were.
Not all teachers, of course, have my background.We all bring unique talents to the table. But we may want to incorporate some aspects of'entertainment into our every day lessons. I've shared a variety of the strategies I've used that have been so successful in my classes with my audiences at the national education conferences I've been honored to speak at and will do so with you over the next several of these newsletters.
Check out one of my favorite tips at: www.strategiesofsuccess.com/entertain.htm
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