The Power of Improv

By Leigh Horner

​The Power of using Improv in the Library and Classroom
 
This year after returning from Juneau for the 2019 Alaska Library Association Conference, before I even unlocked the Library door, my principal stopped me with a request. She needed extra staff and was wondering if it would work with my schedule to help. Most of the high school students have left for Region V in Sitka this year. This left behind only 30 high school students in the building. We call this “mini-week” where we offer alternative classes to our remaining students rather than having to make-up all the work for the travelling students who will be absent for a week. This year they needed someone to assist with an “Improv Class” that was offered. I was about to find out how attending Peter Bromberg’s presentation “The Magic of Yes, and….” prepared me to use Improv in the library. Thankfully, Peter is happy to share his materials https://www.dropbox.com/sh/flreis4ldg8bq5q/AABqFXLWdwxfQXOxlmn142mEa?dl=0. He also recommends the website:  Improv Encyclopedia http://improvencyclopedia.org/categories/  which has a wide variety of activities and games that are searchable by topic. He included these links are a few other exercises to consider:

• What are you doing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0yxCxiboo8
• A bunch of other games quickly illustrated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIHnGvbiWU8
• If you want to try something a little more advanced - but easy to understand and a lot of fun, try "Freeze" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EbCy08p4Ko

These short games can be used in the classroom to help students engage and encourage a flexible mindset. Working as a team builds confidence and gives them the skills needed to collaborate in small groups. These are skills they will need in the future to successfully deal with a 21st century reality. Learning to say “Yes, and...” just feels better than saying “No”. In the library we can manage student behavior a lot easier with a yes than with no. Use simple improv activities to help students learn the power of “Yes."  It can teach them to view a situation differently and learn how to offer another ideas by practicing these skills in games that are fun and engaging. Working with students this week I was able to see this group of students shine in ways I hadn’t before. These were the students who were not able to travel due to grades or who were not involved in sports. However, during our improv class these students were stars. I could see the positive feedback from their classmates made a difference. From the cheers and laughter it was a huge motivator for them to come back for more tomorrow.

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