This was my second time at this session. I went the first time at NTPRS in Chicago and it was eye-opening for me personally. I am now in an improv troupe and have performed for a paying audience!
I should point out that this session is more about personal enrichment than activities for the classroom. The basic principles of improv fit our jobs so well. First, you have to LISTEN very carefully in improv, just as we need to listen to our students. Just think of a homerun story...was it successful because you had a story in mind and just re-told it or was it successful because your students added awesome details?
The second idea is the idea of "yes, and..." First, you validate the idea (Blaine is great at this). You say, "Absolutely! The boy was at KFC!" and then you add a detail to that, "He was at KFC with his mother!" This way, you further the story while telling your students how smart they are.
The third thing I have taken from improv is that it has to be a supportive environment. When you are on stage in front an audience, you have to support your fellow improv-ers. It has to feel like a safe place or the show would be boring because no one would go out on a limb for fear of being undermined.
The last idea is the most obvious, I think. As TPRS teachers, we are doing improv on a daily basis. So why not study the art to get better at it? I really recommend that you try to find some classes where you live. It is really really fun and helps in the classroom as well.
I know that I have a lot of other ideas about improv, but my brain has shut down for now.
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