WHY EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE AN IMPROV CLASS! A guide for parents

WHY THIS CLASS COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS YOU CHILD CAN TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL!  Today’s world wants to hire creative, collaborative, quick thinking and articulate people.  Parents and teachers want to send confident, well balanced, empathetic and multi-skilled students to meet the world.  I don’t teach this subject as a silly, recess from the “real” learning class  I don’t teach this subject as a career path.  I approach this class as a subject that can develop a love and respect for the art of theatre and as a class that can help students to succeed in any field of study or career.  I know each student as an individual and their grades are earned by their individual growth and development. I do not compare students to other students…it is their individual progress that is essential to their grade.  Students take away important life skills: creativity, innovation, communication, teamwork, leadership and confidence.  Students leave this class with a sense of self and others

DO THE WORDS “IMPROV CLASS” INSPIRE ANY OF THESE REACTIONS?  People will laugh at me!  I can’t do Improv - I'm not funny  I’m too slow, I can’t think of things fast enough  I’m not creative  I’m afraid to be in front of people  People will look at me  People will think I look stupid  I’m an introvert, improv is for extroverts  I’m not an actor  I can’t think of anything more horrifying than taking an Improv class  Being on stage makes me feel like I need to vomit

WHAT IS IMPROVISATION ANYWAY?  Improvisation is about listening and responding to what’s happening IN THE MOMENT.  It about getting out of your head and opening up to your imagination.

TO BECOME A BETTER LISTENER  One of the key skills needed for improv is listening.  You must listen to know how to respond!  not just for words but for:  emotion  intention  point of view  and so much more…

CONFIDENCE!  Improv helps your student overcome inhibitions and become more confident.  It’s pretty scary to be in front of strangers (and friends) and do improv exercises.  However - everybody is in the same boat.  When you were a child you were able to improve easily and naturally…mainly because you were not afraid of looking silly – it was fun!  As we mature (especially in high school) we become aware of the world and, more specifically, the fact that the world is aware of us. We are worried about how we look and what people think about us….too worried.  We will work to defeat the internal sabatour (that little voice in your head that tells you can’t do something) that keeps you from being able to have fun on stage!

Improv teaches you to stop FEARing failure.  Improv class is the only class where students are doing it right if mess it up!  Failure isn't just acceptable, it's a necessary part of learning.  The fear of doing something incorrectly is usually worse than just doing it incorrectly to begin with. Trying not to do something on stage so that you don’t look “wrong” usually results in you looking wrong.  On stage, we learn that even in a worst-case scenario, we'll live. We'll laugh it off. We'll try it again.  Hopefully off stage, that attitude stays with you, and you'll find that suddenly you're willing to try new things, take (healthy) chances, and live a little more. “Improv teaches you not to fear those moments when things go wrong - that’s where the gold is.” Conan O'Brien

SOCIAL BENEFITS!  Students will make friends they never thought they would be friends with.  Working together builds trust and friendship.  Helping each other to improve helps students to connect to and understand others better.

THINK FAST!  Students do not training to be FUNNY, humor is natural, but they are training their brain to act faster.  AND learn to tell good stories!  Trying to be fun can backfire  A good story will always entertain  Telling good stories also helps in  core curriculum subjects like English and Social Studies

BASICALLY, IMPROV IS AWESOME  It encourages you to:  Conquer the fear  Be a confident  Trust other  Take healthy risks  Think fast  Be creative  Be a positive person

JUST A FEW OBVIOUS ONES < Public Speaking Discovering Self > (seeing the REAL person- not the one the “sabatour”tells them they are) < working colaberatively

FIVE BASIC RULES OF IMPROV (THAT WORK IN YOUR FUTURE CAREER)  1) "Yes, and." Accept a situation and then deal with it. 2) Avoid asking questions. In business that means being conscious of how continually asking questions makes other people do all the work. 3) Listening. In conversation people are often planning ahead rather than really listening, and at work it's easy to be distracted by computers or blackberries. Focused listening is a crucial skill. 4) Add information. You have to contribute if you want things to go where you want them to. 5) Eye contact. In the workplace it's important to pay attention to body language. Even on the phone you can pick up clues as to how the other person feels.

IMPROVISATION  The great thing about the stage is that when it’s live and you’re up in front of that audience anything can, and does, happen. Dropped lines, missed entrances, or malfunctioning props require you to improvise while maintaining your cool. Theatre taught me how to focus, think quickly and make do while giving the impression that you’ve got it all under control. It’s served me well when clients, airlines, coworkers, or technology wreak unexpected havoc at the worst possible moment. Tom Vander Well Partner and Vice-President of C. Wenger Group, a consulting firm specializing in customer satisfaction research and call quality assessment (e.g. “your call may be monitored to ensure quality service”) williams-explains-his-qu.html

AND THERE’S MORE YOU CAN GET FROM AN IMPROV CLASS…YES EVEN MORE! The skill learned doing improv are skills that are important life skills! They can help in any career you choose!