Ep 90: The Teacher As Filmmaker/Spike Lee Part Two
Photo Credit: Danny Norton
Transcript:
Melissa Milner 0:09
In this Teacher as Filmmaker minisode, I continue sharing gems from Spike Lee's MasterClass. This time, I'll share his thoughts on read throughs and rehearsal, bonding with his cast, and collaborating and improvising with his actors. Spike talks about reading through the script, and rehearsing in small groups. He also talks about directing in a small group to get the actors familiar with what he's looking for in a scene. It's also another way to get to know each other. This is a clear connection to teaching. Spike emphasizes enjoying time with his cast, and having a feeling that we're all in this together. I feel this is a real connection to teaching. We need to be doing some frontal lessons, but a lot of our connection comes from small group, from one on ones, from walking around, and monitoring and giving pointers to groups. We're all in this together can come from many different things. We often will find time for body breaks and that's when students can realize that they like the same song or they... you know, they like the same kind of exercise or stretch. Lessons on the carpet where we're just talking about how our weekend was. Read alouds, I find, really bring students together when it's a good read aloud. And sometimes when it's a bad read aloud, they can even bond about that. But I mean, I've heard students excited about the read aloud, talking about it in line to lunch or to you know, to art, it's on their mind. And it's something everybody has in common, which is nice. Working together to create something, create a podcast, any small group project really. Doing reader's theater together, you have to collaborate and work together, putting on a play, which is a big thing to do. It's it's a big deal, but it has its payoffs in bonding, and having students get to know each other. Incorporating any kind of play into the day really helps build that sense of community.
Melissa Milner 2:07
Lastly, Spike discusses that he feels it's important to be open to letting his actors try things a different way than they may be in the script. This reminds me in the classroom of a writing lesson... students, we had this writing lesson this year that was straight from the curriculum. And one student came up to me and wanted to focus the writing on something different than the assignment that was in the curriculum. I asked him what he had in mind and why and I absolutely agreed that his idea was better than what was in the curriculum, in my opinion. And so I said, go for it. He did an amazing job. He showed what he knew about the novel that we were reading. If I had stayed with only allowing what the curriculum said, he would not have done the assignment, and he would have been miserable and probably distracting others from their work. He would not have had a chance to show what he knew...to show how he perceived the author's intent. I've heard a similar idea from other directors and from writers in writing rooms that the best idea wins. And this student had the best idea.
Melissa Milner 3:16
For my blog, transcripts of this episode, and links to any resources mentioned, visit my website at www.theteacheras.com You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @melissabmilner and I hope you check out The Teacher As Facebook page for episode updates. Thanks for listening. And that's a wrap