Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:48:40 EST
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] workshops


I've enjoyed this topic, since I'm doing more and more teaching these days.   
Related to the idea of sussing out the participants' needs: I like to start 
every workshop by going around the room and asking people to introduce 
themselves.   In a college, I'll ask what they're majoring in.   In a guild, I might 
ask about their relationship to puppetry.   In a graduate school I might ask 
about their artistic or theatrical interests.   (And names, of course!)   Partly 
I do this to set up more of a two-way learning relationship, but the 
information can also be really useful in helping you set the tone and the pace of the 
workshop, so you can try to avoid either insulting experts or mystifying 
novices.   (I'm sure I still do plenty of both.)

Another thing I have found useful is to take notes after the workshop on what 
I did, what the students created and how well it worked.   And I'll write 
down suggestions for next time I teach that workshop.   

Mathieu, it sounds like you did everything you could for this group, but you 
all were just stuck in a mismatch.   It happens.   And there are worse 
tragedies in this world!

--Lynn


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