Author Topic: Career Day - How to teach littles about our job  (Read 3959 times)

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TarytheA

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Career Day - How to teach littles about our job
« on: May 23, 2018, 08:21 pm »
I thought you all might have some suggestions for me. In a couple weeks I am presenting at my son's elementary school for Career Day. I just found out that I'm being assigned to a few classes in the younger grades (K-2). Any ideas for visuals or hands-on things, or ways to explain stage management to kids that age? How do you explain it to kids who barely know what it means to be onstage, let alone backstage? I feel like talking to the 6th graders would be easier...

Thanks!
Tarythe
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BrandiShook

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Re: Career Day - How to teach littles about our job
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2018, 01:49 am »
Different spike tape might be interesting to bring, and maybe glow tape! They may enjoy seeing you use glow tape and being able to charge it themselves/watching you do it.

Also, you could compare onstage/theatre to movies at the start to explain to them what it means, like "you know everything you see in a movie, all the sets and props and effects, I do that but live and in real time." If there are any kids who don't know much about theatre, it might relate to them and then after that just explain what you do specifically.
 
If you could maybe bring in a video of you calling a show, they may find that interesting. Also, to explain calling a show, you could use the game Red light/Green light, if they've played it (I know I did as a kid, so they might have). Red light is standby, Green light is go, but instead of running, they make the lights go and the sounds play and the sets move. If you're able, you could even play it with them!

Hope it helps!

KMC

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Re: Career Day - How to teach littles about our job
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2018, 07:32 am »
Can you show a short video clip from a childrens' TV or Theatre show they may be familiar with at the start of your segment?  You could then move in to what it is a Stage Manager would do in this context.  While the connection to TV is not direct it is somewhat relevant, and a great way to get through to young'ins is to relate what you're talking about to something they're familiar with. 

An anecdotal story on the subject of relating to small children: a few years ago my wife and I moved to Dubai for a one-year work assignment for my job.  When we explained it to our four year old niece where we were moving and that it was far away, she was rather confused.  We then explained we were going to move to where Aladdin lives, and the light bulb clicked and her eyes lit up.  She understood we'd be far away for a while and in a different land.  It's all about the context.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

 

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