Teaching is performing

On November 7-8, 2009, we had a Theater Workshop, one of the series of seminars that Education interns for the second semester would have to go through. Mr. Norman Narciso, who has an extensive experience and training in theater, facilitated the workshop.

Mr. Narciso said that a two-day workshop is quite an ambitious endeavor because it normally takes three days to complete the workshop. Still, he did not disappoint us. So for two days, he trained us like we were real theater actors and actresses. We underwent several exercises that, we were told, would enhance ourselves and our teaching performances as well.

On the first day, we started by grouping ourselves into ten. Of course, those who already knew each other flocked together, although Mr. Narciso asked us that, if possible, we should not be with out friends. This mattered, he said, because in the exercises that would follow, it would determine how fast we could connect to people whom we are not familiar with. But his suggestion fell on deaf ears.

Then after the groupings, the grueling part began. We rolled on the floor, jumped high in the air, posed like statutes, and made a tableau. We also occupied space, whatever that means. We made haikus on games, read and performed them.

On the second day, we made a musical instrument out of the empty bottles that we brought. Later that day, we had a role playing.

All the while, however, I was asking myself: What have all these got to do with teaching? Why do we have to subject ourselves to this back-breaking and heart-thumping workshop when teaching involves less physical activity, save for P.E. teachers?

Talking with my co-interns, I found out I wasn’t alone. They were as clueless as I was. But during one of our sessions, Sir Narciso did mention that the workshop would help us become better performers, and better performance makes for better teaching.

I cannot tell yet how has the workshop improved my performance, as I am barely starting with my practice teaching. One thing I can tell with surety, though, I’ve enjoyed the workshop, and that has made all the difference.