The Value of A Practice Agenda
Over the years, I’ve conducted many puppet practices and have discovered the value of planning ahead. For some reason, even though I know it, I don’t always follow through.
Case in point…I recently began a new puppet team with four sixth and seventh graders. These kids have a passion for puppets and are excited about learning and performing with the emphasis on performing.
I had a week recently when things got busy and planning puppet practice was put off until the last minute. So much so, that I arrived early to do some planning, but discovered that one of the puppeteers was already there. Without a clear agenda, the kids quickly set theirs and it wasn’t quite the same as I wanted.
It works much better when you take time to plan ahead. I like to do a little over planning as well…include more in the schedule than we have time for. It helps give a sense of urgency and cuts down on fooling around.
A typical agenda for a good puppet practice includes: work on puppet fundamentals with the strong arm, work on fundamentals with the weak arm, review past plays to keep them fresh, work on new plays, focus attention on plays for upcoming performances, etc.
You may also want to spend a few minutes on a devotional or reminder of your purpose and mission as well as any announcements.
Also, occasionally it is a good idea to plan for some fooling around time with the puppets. Keep some structure, but let the puppeteers have fun with the puppets. Some of our best routines came out of times of fooling around.
Try doubling your planning time for each practice and see what happens.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment