Artifact Reflection Title of Artifact: Lesson Plan for Theatre Methods Class Date Completed: 2/11/13 Artifact Description:

This artifact is a lesson plan that I needed to build for my Theatre Methods class which was then enacted in a classroom setting in order to practice my teaching skills and find out how my knowledge of the content compared to those around me that were also theatre majors. WISCONSIN TEACHING STANDARD ALIGNMENT 1. Teachers know the subjects they are teaching: the teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline he teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for the pupil. One of my licensure areas is Theatre and this lesson is a practical artifact showing evidence that I know my content area well enough to be able to teach a lesson on the subject, specifically teaching tongue twisters as a tool to improve the skills necessary for those involved in theatre. The main skills that are worked on in this lesson are enunciation and clarity while still being able to project and speak in a conversational manner, which will become important and expected of them if they participate in any theatrical performances but are also applicable in everyday scenarios. Due to the fact that this lesson was developed for an early class in a basic acting course the lesson is rather simple but lays a foundation which can be built on not only in the later classes in the course but in future classes and experience. Along with the major skills mentioned earlier I also plan to have the students start to evaluate themselves in a critical fashion which is important for actors to do so. It is also useful for the students as a personal tool of inquiry which they can use in the future. The lesson that I taught was to a bunch of my follow theatre majors on why tongue twisters are useful to those in theatre as a way to improve diction, enunciation, and projecting while speaking difficult sections of text. I first began by asking the students what they knew of tongue twisters. After we established a basic knowledge base I moved on to explain that tongue twisters work the tongue, soft and hard palate, and lips in different varying ways making the future exercise of speaking onstage in a clear and concise manner an easier endeavor. Working from basic, well-known tongue twisters to more complex ones that are designed more specifically for theatre, I engaged them in practical experience using the new techniques I had given them to practice their skills. These are exercises are developed by those involved in acting or theatre and include exercises ranging from Sally sold seashells down by the seashore to There will be a ratta-tatta-tatta-to, at a quarter of two to two today, at a quarter of two to two, and the dragon will come when he hears the drum at a quarter of two to two today, at a quarter of two to two today. Beyond the tongue twisters we also have exercises including Pah Bah, Tah Dah, Kah Gah which works the voiced and unvoiced sounds in the three main sections of the mouth, the lips, tongue, and back of the throat.

Throughout the practical part of the lesson I would walk around listening to the students making sure the enunciation and pronunciation of the different syllables were correct and taking time to fix any problems before they became a pattern. I would also ask the students to think about how they were doing with the tongue twisters. Were there any that cave them particular trouble? Why were those giving them trouble? Which of the tongue twisters or exercises would help them fix those issues? Asking them these questions gets them thinking on their own about not only the specific issues in the class and help with them learning but also begin teaching them to listen to themselves and selfcheck which is an important part of being an actor. Knowing which lines dont sound right or when the tone of their voice doesnt match the text. At the end of the lesson I also informed the students that they would be leading the class warm-ups at the beginning of class using their favorite tongue twisters giving them a chance to not only teach their peers but have a role in their own education. This allowed me not only to see how they were progressing that day in class but as class went on in the future. UW-PLATTEVILLE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, DISPOSITION STATEMENT ALIGNMENT I believe that this artifact best aligns with KS3.c. Engages students in learning. The candidate has the ability to engage students in the learning process by linking appropriate content, based upon suitable instructional materials and resources, to students' knowledge and experience, being certain that all students are cognitively engaged in the activities/assignments and that the students actively contribute to the content design. Instruction is highly coherent and appropriately paced for all students and allows for reflection and closure as appropriate. I chose this alignment because I created a lesson based upon the students prior knowledge in the class that I imagined. This ranged from knowledge of plays to techniques of acting, and also ranged between individuals how much experience they had. Beginning with something common that most if not all the students would be familiar with, the tongue twisters, I then moved into harder concepts and unfamiliar subjects. Once these concepts were familiar I then asked them to think about their own technique and hang-ups, allowing them to self-check and become a part of the learning process. Secondary Alignment KSD2.b. Establishes a Culture For Learning. KSD2.d. Manages Student Behavior What I learned about teaching/learning: As I was planning the lesson I had to think about my students and what they may already know and how they could and would handle the new information I was presenting because most these students were in the same major and had gone through similar classes, therefore some of them might know the subject matter as well or possibly better than I. This challenged me to try and not only present the subject matter well but also in a way that would entice and challenge those that knew the subject while keeping those that

didnt know the subject as well on pace with the whole of the class. I was also nervous that I would be unable to match up to the standards that not only the supervising teacher expected but my fellow students deserved as well. However, I had to push forward with the lesson, incorporating the knowledge that some of the students knew a lot of the subject material already while not forgetting about those that didnt. Because this was an isolated lesson rather than a lesson as part of a unit in a cohesive class, it forced me to place the lesson in an imaginary timeline and while I may not have done that as well as I could, any future lessons in class will have a more real setting in which to place them allowing for more cohesive teaching and a more thorough lesson.

What I learned about myself as a prospective teacher: I figured out long ago that I am a better teacher when I incorporate the students into the lesson rather than just lecturing. This is proven time and time again as I get experience in the classroom. The lessons that are based mostly on lecture are less effective and enjoyable on my part as well as the students part in comparison to the lessons that have lots of student involvement. Taking this knowledge into the future I will make the best effort I can to involve my students in to accumulation of knowledge rather than just being passive learner.