how great parents and excellent teachers inspire cooperation

7/28/2019 How Great Parents and Excellent Teachers Inspire Cooperation

1/12

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2/12

"I was just saying that I have a student that just absolutely

enjoyed the program today.Normally, he doesn't raise hishand, normally he doesn't participate, but today he couldn't

stay in his seat, his hand was up, and he was writing like

crazy, it was just fantastic, we love this program - thank

you!" - Ridgewood ve. lementary chool in #len Ridge, $%

How Great Parents

and Excellent Teachers

Inspire Cooperation

y reestyle Repertory Theatre

"#ter per#ormin$ #or tho%sands o# children, and a#ter doin$ h%ndreds o#wor&shops thro%$ho%t the Tri-State "rea, we're o#ten as&ed how it is that we $et

the &ids to do s%ch $reat wor&(

Teachers are o#ten )a##led )y how we are a)le to wal& into a classroom and

an ho%r later ha*e pa$es and pa$es o# stories that their &ids ha*e written - )y hand!

Parents who see o%r shows as& how it is that we $ot their &id to not only $o

onsta$e, )%t to act%ally participate and +G"SP+ S"Y SETHI.G!/

Our answer is deceptively simple...



3/12

We PRACTC! the "#$$ o% Wor&ing With Others.

0e also noticed that some teachers and parents o#ten en$ender the same

spirit o# cooperation, and it is a GRE"T S1I22 to wor& with others towards a

common $oal, and to teach that s&ill(

It mi$ht )e the most important s&ill to learn in this chan$in$ world, as it $ets

e*er smaller, and we meet people #rom di##erent )elie#s, #aiths, socio-economic

)ac&$ro%nds, c%lt%ral )ac&$ro%nds, and((( )iolo$ies3

"s an Impro*isational Theatre company, o%r entire #oc%s is on %sin$ thiss&ill, to create $reat theatre #or o%r a%diences and each other(

.ormally, when yo% see a play, the script has already )een written, and the

actors ha*e already memori4ed their lines( " director has cra#ted the entire show,

and they ha*e rehearsed and wor&ed on it )e#ore yo% e*er $et to see it(

%t o%r wor& is the opposite o# that! 0hen we per#orm, we do not ha*e any

scripts, the actors do not &now what is $oin$ to happen, and they do not &now what

they are $oin$ to say( Instead, we 5Impro*ise6 a show, and only a#ter the appla%se

and the a%dience has le#t does a director come and disc%ss it!

E*erythin$ we do is made %p ri$ht #rom the top o# o%r heads, so we 7ST

%se the s&ill o# wor&in$ with others to create the #antastic wor& that we do(

0e e*en $o to rehearsal 8%st to practice this s&ill!

"nd that's what we teach in o%r per#ormances and in o%r wor&shops(

'(T )OW *O +O( T!AC) T)AT,



4/12

It wo%ld do %s *ery little $ood to hand o%t pamphlets and text)oo&s on the

s&ill o# wor&in$ with others, so instead3

0e act%ally do it!

E*ery time we do a per#ormance, we are acti*ely %sin$ the s&ills we'*e

learned and practiced so that when the &ids come to see o%r show-

THEY ECE " P"RT IT, ".9 2E"R. Y 9I.G IT 0ITH 7S!

9%rin$ o%r shows, the a%dience )ecomes a part o# the per#ormance )y $i*in$

%s s%$$estions li&e character relationships, $enres o# literat%re, poetic de*ices,

settin$s, scienti#ic #acts, and historical e*ents(

%t then, we also -ring audience mem-ers onstage to per%orm with us!

That way, we $et to %se the s&ills alon$side them as they :%ic&ly 5$et it6 and

play alon$ with %s- and )ecome school s%per-stars o*erni$ht(

"&ou guys were awesome' you guys are so creative, I just

don(t know how you came up with everything just so spur ofthe moment and working off the kids, and it was just

wonderful." - )iane *in+e, arent, illiam /ason

lementary chool, /ontvale $.%.

0e'*e learned that to )e excellent at wor&in$ with others and impro*isin$

to$ether, there are really only3

TWO A PRCP$!"...



5/12

Always "ay 0+!"1

and

Always a&e +our Partner $oo& 2ood

"t #irst loo&, these seem to )e rather simple instr%ctions, )%t when yo% del*e

#%rther, and really wor& and practice these two principles, yo%'ll )e$in to see why

we inspire s%ch incredi)le ima$ination and cooperation in o%r wor&(

any o# the teachers and parents who ha*e learned to %se these principles

ha*e $one on to enco%ra$e #antastic res%lts #rom their &ids, and #ind it helps ine*ery sit%ation where cooperation is needed((( which is most sit%ations(

3Always "ay 0+!"14means to always stay positi*e and &eep the exercise

mo*in$ #orward( It means to accept a sit%ation as it is, and not to )other 5denyin$6

its reality or pre*entin$ its $rowth( "nother way to p%t it is 5"cceptance(6

3Always a&e +our Partner $oo& 2ood4 means to reco$ni4e the

contri)%tion and )ene#it o# yo%r #ellow artist as yo% create to$ether( I# yo% open the

de#inition wider, it means not to )elittle someone or ridic%le their opinions(

"nother way to p%t it is 5Respect(6

These $%ides are present and represented in all o# reestyle;s wor&, either on

sta$e in o%r assem)ly pro$ram, 5TheatreSports,6 or in the classroom in o%r sin$le


6/12

01ne emphasis of 2reestyle3s program is creative problem

solving. tudents are asked to think on their feet, and go with

their first idea' that there is no one right answer. nother

emphasis has been to deal with mistakes in positive waysmistakes are not failures, but signs of trying something new

and difficult. final emphasis is teamwork.4

- 5hristine parks, eacher, 678, 9rooklyn $ew &ork

Here are a co%ple o# simple, )%t #o%ndation-)%ildin$ exercises that can )e

done in a li*in$ room, playroom or a classroom3

3"ha&e Out4" simple, #%n warm-%p 8%st to $et them o%t o# their des&s, on their #eet, mo*in$

and spea&in$ with ener$y(

Ha*e them raise their ri$ht arm, sha&e it > times and co%ntin$ #rom ? to > o%t lo%d


7/12

3$et1s All4

This is one o# the simplest and most #%ndamental exercises( Its o)8ecti*e is to $et

the st%dents to start sayin$ the word @yes; spontaneo%sly(

"ny)ody, and e*ery)ody, sho%ld ha*e the opport%nity to ma&e o##ers )y sayin$

52et;s allA(6 and then o##erin$ the simplest o# actions( "#ter the o##er is made

EBERY9Y m%st say @YES, 2ET'S!6 and then do the action(

The o##er sho%ld )e some simple action3

2et;s all raise o%r ri$ht hand

2et;s all smile

2et;s all stic& o%r ton$%es o%t(

irst $et the st%dents standin$(

2ead o## the exercise yo%rsel# with an o##er(

a&e s%re that EBER9Y responds @YES, 2ET'S!; )e#ore they do the action(

Sayin$ @YES; is the o)8ecti*e o# the exercise(

Try to ma&e s%re EBERY9Y $ets the opport%nity to ma&e an o##er


8/12

3"aying 0+!"14

Initially this exercise rein#orces a$reement with a partner(

orm two lines o# st%dents(

The #irst st%dent in 2ine " as&s a 5yes or no6 :%estion o# the #irst person in line (

0hate*er the :%estion the person in line " as&s


9/12

3"aying 0+!" A* 514

This is an extension o# the 5Sayin$ @YES;6 exercise(

nce a$ain, the #irst st%dent in 2ine " as&s a 5yes or no6 :%estion o# the #irst

person in line and, once a$ain, the #irst person in line responds 5Yes6 )%t now

they m%st add the word 5and6


10/12

Always "ay 0+!"1

and

Always a&e +our Partner $oo& 2ood

And... to TR($+ inspire people to cooperate6 youmust %ollow

the rules FR"T. When you show your commitment to your partner6

they7ll o%ten return the gesture.

We %ind that all o% the 2reat Parents and !8cellent Teachers

show this commitment -e%ore they as& %or it in return.



11/12

Than& yo% so m%ch #or readin$ this report! "s yo% &now,

we need more Great Parents and Excellent Teachers li&e yo% to

s%pport o%r wor& and each other(

So, i# yo% 2I1E this report in real li#e, wo%ld yo% do %s a

#a*or and 52i&e6 it in *irt%al li#e too/ 0e're hopin$ yo% &now

other people who mi$ht 52i&e6 it too!

Yo% can do that ri$ht here3

http3DDwww(ace)oo&(comDreestyleRepertoryTheatre

F seconds is all we're as&in$ #or, and it wo%ld mean the

world to %s(

Than& yo% so m%ch,

The Gan$ at reestyle Repertory Theatre

http://www.facebook.com/FreestyleRepertoryTheatrehttp://www.freestylerep.org/Cooperationhttp://www.facebook.com/FreestyleRepertoryTheatrehttp://www.freestylerep.org/Cooperation


12/12

5Yes, "nd(((6

I# yo% thin& this report wo%ld )e help#%l to others, please ma&e copies,

email, or share o%r lin& with anyone yo% &now who wor&s with people3

http3DDwww(reestyleRep(or$DCooperation

For More nformation on Freestyle !epertory "heatre, visit our website#

http#$$www%Freestyle!ep%org

"o &( ) *+!F!M)N+, or &( ) -!(./*

into your school, please contact us via#

0oung )udiences New 1ersey

2+astern *ennsylvania3 455367738956

)rts For :earning onnecticut3 97;39;734

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