File puptcrit/puptcrit.0902, message 650


Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:12:04 -0500
From: Hobey Ford <hobeyone-AT-gmail.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Struggling with workshop


 I usually have excellent results doing workshops in all kinds of
schools and populations, but years ago I had a week long residency at
an inner city school.  The kids were mostly from the projects and it
was clear that discipline wise this was another universe.  Kids who
hadn't had breakfast, a set bed time or any conscistent discipline.
By the end of day one  working with 4 grades, I was ready to retire
and seriously so.  It was hell.  It didn't get better and as Rolande
suggests, I adjusted my goals and turned it into survival mode.  It
was like herding cats.  I have never taken a residency of 5 days
since.  At least if its a one day deal , then its over.  My usual
experience is delightful with glowing results, but when its taking on
the baggage of disfunction on massive levels, its not for me.  There
was even a big guy I was supposed to page if this one kids had his
routine violent reaction.  I am not paid for that.  I knew it was
about the school and its population, but that day, I vowed never to do
a 5 day residency again.  That was 10 years ago and I haven't missed
it.  My wife is a teacher and her worst fallout is from the
discipline.  I tell her to be calm and assertive and to send the ones
who cross the line after a warning to the office.  Fortunately the
school  supports that.  I think if it was my job to teach at that
school and I had them every day I would somehow adjust to the
situation and marshall my energy toward it but thats not what I got
into puppetry for.

On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 1:05 PM, Trish Place <tplace-AT-tconl.com> wrote:
> Is is just me, or has anyone else out there had a difficult workshop teaching experience?  This one's driving me nuts.  I've been a teaching artist for 20 plus years and this year I'm teaching at a school that is just not a good fit.  The kids are mostly African-American and they're 5th and 6th graders.  I can't seem to communicate with them effectively and I really feel like quitting.  This is an after school elective program through our local playhouse.  I've never taught through this organization before, and it's not very well organized.  Lack of communication and set up.  No meetings with school coordinators prior to the workshops so I went in "cold".  The sessions were supposed to last for 12 times, but one got cancelled last week because of school conferences and another one in March will be cancelled.  The kids seemed to do fine when they were just "messing" with my puppets after I did some demos, but they really don't want to work at a final project and many of them have dropped out.  So we have 4 sessions left to build simple puppets and I'm basing the final project on Dr. Seuss's "If I ran the Zoo".  I'm having the kids create odd characters and making up rhymes.  Anyway, I'm very stressed out over this and a few other projects going on.  Going to see a therapist on Monday for the first time in my life.  I guess it's time for a change.  I still love performing, but while I used to be able to go into different situations and handle it, now I feel like I'm losing my edge.  Any suggestions out there?  Is this just plain career burn out?  Moving to Florida sounds like a great idea....
>
> Trish
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