Title
How to teach the director’s notebook (including TEAM)

Workshop description
This two-hour workshop is for both teachers new to the DP programme and experienced educators looking to shake things up a little. I identify as a magpie-sort-of-practitioner; I listen and look carefully and borrow gems from other wonderful artists, directors and resources. Now it’s time for YOU to be the magpie. Come borrow my ideas!
We’re nearing the conclusion of the current DP Theatre course and by now you might know how to teach The Director’s Notebook well. I thought I did. My students got solid results. But the process felt like painting by numbers and had lost the oomph and enjoyment that we felt when delving into the process of the other tasks.
This workshop is based around a series of activities that I believe helped my students learn the fundamental skills and knowledge to really knock this assessment out of the park. It took some reflection on my part to realise my teaching was ‘good’ (aka Bland! Boring! Predictable! Safe!) and I worked hard to go back and redesign how I teach this assessment so students came out of the room with not only a greater understanding as a director and designer, but they left the room with the fizz that makes so many of our DP Theatre students so wonderful.

Learning outcomes
Participants will:
Discover some new activities, ideas and approaches to reinvigorate their teaching methods of the DN
Participants will rigorously examine their current methods of teaching the DN with a focus on the ‘sinkholes’
Participants will understand how to better align their teaching practices with the skills and knowledge that the students need prior to starting this assessment

How will the workshop benefit the teacher in their curriculum delivery?
No teacher alone can design the perfect programme; it is in sharing knowledge and ideas that we become stronger educators and artists. This workshop will gently prompt you to consider an objective review of your own approach to this assessment and in doing this, this will lead to breaking new unfamiliar ground. The stretch and growth teachers experience when they are open to the ‘destabilising’ of their teaching is key to being an authentically engaged educator.

Target audience
DP Theatre teachers

Sam is a theatre educator, a counselor, a workshop leader, curriculum writer and seasoned examiner. More importantly, she is a student of all of these roles; constantly looking to grow and stretch with new approaches and knowledge. Sam believes that it doesn’t matter if you have two years or twenty-two – great educators are the ones who are reflective enough to examine their own practice and always strive to respond to the world that we live in. She has worked in London, Spain, Hong Kong and now resides in the US where she teaches theatre and dance at a private all girls school. When she is not teaching or geeking out with the wonderful theatre community she can be found killing 50% of the plants in her garden or exploring the beautiful forests of Ohio.

Event Coordinator
Sophie Galton

For Asia
8:00-10:00am – SST (Singapore Standard Time)

For Americas and Europe
11:00am – 1:00pm – PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)
2:00-4:00pm – EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)
7:00-9:00pm – BST (British Summer Time)
8:00-10:00pm – CEST (Central European Standard Time)

The cost of this workshop is GBP £35 per person for ISTA members and GBP £40 per person for non members.

Any materials shared with you prior to the workshop, such as the workbook. A notebook and pencil are always useful.

Space requirements
If possible, please try to have a small amount of space near to you for any practical work.