Aim: to Explore Opening Scene, Establish Main Characters in Performance

Teechers by John Godber

Teechers workshop

Lesson 1

Aim: To explore opening scene, establish main characters in performance

AO1

Warm up with a couple of concentration exercises.

AO1

Introduce the play Teechers and read introduction with volunteers – explore the three main characters and their differing characteristics.

AO2

In groups of three, create a still image for the three students’ entrances, showing their individual character. Spotlight some for class. Then, to frame the performance, create a still image for the final line, showing a teacher pose.

AO2

As a class, discuss how each character would deliver their opening speeches to an audience of students, parents and teachers. Try to alter some of the references to ones that students would understand about their current school. Think about their character, their gestures, voice and movements.

AO2

Explain the task – to edit the scene down to 4/5 lines each, and perform with the two still images prepared, finishing with the line ‘It’s called Teechers’.

AO3/4

Perform in threes and evaluate the performances.

Lesson 2

Aim: Use narration/props/pace to display a variety of characters

AO1

Explain that the play works by using the three actors playing all the different characters. Therefore this requires quick character changes – how can these be accomplished? Warm up as a whole class with quick walk round, switching character instantly when told.

AO2

Show a selection of props and costumes and create a simple storyline with the class. Choose one person to be narrator and narrate the story again. With another class member, take on the several characters to show how one prop or costume can demonstrate that change to the audience.

AO2

/ As a class, read the short extract on page 3 when the three kids play a variety of different teachers – choose one prop or costume for each.

AO3

/ Develop this so that students in groups prepare a list of ‘teacher phrases’ which they deliver using one prop in performance.

AO4

/ Perform and evaluate performances.

Lesson 3

Aim:Use narration/props/pace to display a variety of characters

AO1

/ In groups, students think about the different teachers they have had. Discuss what makes them memorable, funny, good or bad? Briefly discuss students’ experiences.
Ask students to imagine vividly their most memorable teacher.
Individually, studentscreatea role-on-the-wall for a teacher they are going to use in their own staff scenes. Explain that students will be improvising for the remainder of the lesson.

AO2

/ Develop these ideas into three scenes using the teacher they have created.

Teachers in a staffroom
In front of a class at the beginning of the lesson
At a difficult parents evening

AO3

/ Improvise these scenes and perform some to class.

AO4

/ Evaluate performances and discuss what makes these teachers memorable as a class.

Lesson 4

Aim:To develop character in performance, through exploring their motivations and attitudes

AO1

/ Recap last lesson.

AO2

/ Read scene on pages 6-7 showing the two classrooms and teachers. Discuss different teaching styles and classroom environments now evident in this play.

AO2

/ Model a performance of the scene to the class and at the end, go round the class thought-tracking each teacher.

AO2

/ Reflecting on this section of script, and the teacher each student created in the last lesson, students prepare a short 50 wordmonologue which shows their teacher’s style and attitude to teaching.

AO2

/ After this is prepared students perform to partners, offering constructive feedback. Spotlight a few for performance based on recommendations from group. Now, individually, students edit their monologuesto one line that really sums up this teacher’s style.

AO3

/ Prepare a whole class performance of these lines by asking students to stand in a space in character and address the class with their line.

AO4

/ Evaluate performances and finish by writing a short piece about ‘What sort of teacher would I be?’ for portfolios.

Lesson 5

Aim:Use forum theatre to explore student/teacher relationship

AO1

/ Recap last lesson on the teacher each student created and look at scene behind the sports hall on pages 14 and 15. Read as whole class.

AO2

/ Aggressive Oggy. Remind students of the way forum theatre works, and choose two students to play Oggy and Nixon. Students can put up their hand and take over the character to illustrate how they would perform the confrontation as Nixon in improvisation.

AO2

/ Explain that this shows Oggy in control. Invite students to work in pairs to role play the scene as they would do it with a nervous teacher and an aggressive studentthen swap. Spotlight a couple.

AO2

/ Discuss with class who handled the situation best and compare with how Nixon handles it in the script. Look at the two differing characters and how Oggy maintains control in the scene.

AO2

/ Aggressive Nixon. Now try the scene showing Nixon in control by reading just his lines and improvising the response of a student who has been caught smoking, showing anaggressive teacher and a nervous student. Forum theatre this role-play and then develop it in threes by adding an aggressive student or aggressive teacher to highlight and emphasise the contrast in power and characters.

AO4

/ Evaluate performances and discuss which approach/aggressive character tended to work best on stage.

Lesson 6

Aim:Create and show climax using movement and pace in performance

AO1

/ Warm up with a concentration game and explain that today’s lesson will look at creating climax to a scene involving Nixon and some students.

AO2

/ Set up a primary classroom tableau where the teacher has lost control of the classroom activity. Build up the scene by increasing noise and action.

AO2

/ Look at the scene on page 18 and the atmosphere created as the three students pester Nixon. Ask groups of three to Improvise this scene building up to the final shout by Mr Nixon.

AO2

/ Now, mindmap issues that teachers pester students about generally and role play a reversal of the scene where two teachers pester one student. Students should build the tension throughout. Spotlight a few after rehearsal time.

AO2

/ Explain that in building up to a climax, this scene allows us to mark the moment when Nixon loses control. Ask groups to choose one of these two scenes and build up to a climax using pace, voice andmovement to mark-the-moment that Nixon/Student loses control. Think how this can be highlighted effectively on stage. Perform somevariations.

AO2

/ Develop this into a whole class exercise, with either of the 2 scenes. Split one half into Hobby, the other Gail with one Nixon in the middle and perform as a chorus, shouting the lines across Nixon to build to a climax!

AO4

/ Evalutate performances.

Complete this grid by writing in the four response boxes about how each strategy helped you understand more about the play Teechers.

Explorative strategy / Why did we use it? / What did we find out?
Still image /

To think about gesture, stance and character when in role

Role-play /

To create and sustain a character whilst interacting

Thought-tracking /

To reveal our character’s thoughts, developed from an idea in the script

Forum theatre /

To see different interpretations of the same scene and character

When writing in your boxes, you could start with sentences such as:

Forum theatre helped me because …
When using still image, we discovered that …
I enjoyed using thought-tracking because it helped me understand…

Unit 2 Portfolio –Teechers by John Godber

In your portfolio you should aim to demonstrate the understanding and interpretation of the play you have developed in lessons and performance.

In your lessons, we have used theseexplorative strategies:

Still image:Freezing a sculpture or position

Role play:Performing in a given scene with a character

Thought-tracking:Revealing a character’s inner most thoughts

Forum theatre:Stopping the drama so others can take over

We also explored the medium of drama by using props, costume, mime, gesture and voice in our performances.

We used various elements of drama such as characterisation, plot, pace, contrasts and form.

Summary of lessons and activities

Lesson 1 / Created still image for opening of the play and edited the scene in groups of three.
Lesson 2 / Worked on using props and costumes to show a variety of characters using pace and role play to show a quick change of characters.
Lesson 3 / Looked at creating own teacher using our own knowledge and experience of them, and improvised them in a staffroom, classroom and parents-evening role play.
Lesson 4 / Showed the contrast between two different teaching styles and then used thought-tracking applied to your created teacher, in the form of a monologue and class performance.
Lesson 5 / Used forum theatre in the confrontation between Oggy and Nixon to show a variety of responses and ideas.
Lesson 6 / Created a still image of an out of control classroom and used marking-the-moment at the end of Act 1 where students pester Nixon.

Task 1 – Response phase

You need to show how your use of the explorativestrategies has helped enhance your understanding and appreciation of the play.

One way to do this is to draw four bubbles to fill your page.

In the first bubble, describe your personalresponse to teachers in general. What do you think of them?

Then in the second and third bubbles, choose two characters you played in this unit and write your opinion of them. Why do you think they act the way they do? What is their opinion on teaching and school?

In the fourth bubble stick your piece about ‘What sort of teacher would I be?’ from lesson 4.

Then fill in the boxes on the following Responding sheet with your responses to how each strategy helped you understand the play in more depth. Give examples from your work in the lessons to back up what you say, using your Response boxes grid.

Add your role-on-the-wall from lesson 3 about the teacher character you created for your staff room scene and annotate why you chose to create this teacher and what made them memorable. How did you perform in the role plays? Give your reasons.

Then add your monologue from lesson 4 and annotate it by explaining what you were asked to do, what you wanted to get across from your monologue about this teacher and how you acted it in your performance, giving reasons.

Teechers by John Godber

Teechers workshop

How using still images helped enhance my understanding and appreciation of the play: / How using role play helped enhance my understanding and appreciation of the play:
How using thought-tracking helped enhance my understanding and appreciation of the play: / How using forumtheatre helped enhance my understanding and appreciation of the play:

Teechers by John Godber

Teechers workshop

Task 2 – Development phase

You need to show how the medium and elementsofdrama were used to interpret the scenes of the play you performed.

Make sure the script is placed in a column down the centre of the two pieces of A3. Around the edge, you will need to justify how you performed this scene, using arrows, sketches, stage diagrams and writing, showing how you have shaped your ideas into a performance.

Why did you choose to act the scene the way you did?
How did you visualise the character that you performed?
How did you use your voice – was it light, heavy, loud, polite etc?
How did you vary the delivery of your lines? Did you build up pace and volume at certain points?
How did you use props/costumes to represent and support your character?
How did you use mime and gestures in your characterisation?
Draw a stick-man of your character and use speech bubbles to show his/her thoughts at crucial moments in your scene.
How did you use conventions in your performance such as freezeframe or thought-tracking and why? What did they add to your performance?

Task 3 – Evaluative phase

You need to show you can recognise and understand how other people’s work uses the elements and medium of drama effectively.

Evaluate either another group’s work or a live performance of a play. Remember to refer to the elements and medium of drama and consider how effective a performance it was.

It’s a good idea to draw the stage layout and annotate it to explain some parts of your evaluation.