Cindy Says: Me a Mentor? Why yes!
Cindy Says: Me a Mentor? Why yes!
One of my greatest joys from my life-long role of being a teacher in the arts is having the privilege to work with student teachers hoping to launch their career.
I just returned from observing three of them. They all possess one quality that is almost impossible to teach - they are natural teachers. That jumpstarts my job to relatively smooth sailing. If I impart a recipe as a supportive mentor, all three of them have the basic ingredients to rock the arts world for future students.
If you haven't already, consider mentoring a student of any age who wants to walk in your footsteps. The student director, student choreographer or community parent who has a background with kids, may all develop into one of your program's strongest assets. You may have developed a home-grown director for your summer program or otherwise helped guide a young person's career path. Having a mentee pushes YOU to assess your own best practices in a healthy way. The creative input from your charge might be a welcome and fresh update to your program!
Here are a five suggestions for becoming the mentor we all wish we had:
1. Build the relationship first
Newbies need a comfort level before they can ask for help. Feeling like he or she is a valued part of the team will never be forgotten. Never.
2. Pick one Goal at a time
Directing a musical is complex work. There will always be abundant skills to improve. Pick one juicy goal at a time. For example: "Create a stage picture using levels so the entire ensemble can be seen with Shrek and Fiona downstage center."
3. Use the Feedback Sandwich
You may already use this simple concept. Start with a positive comment, provide some constructive criticism and end with either another positive or a plan for moving forward.
4. Involve your mentee in all aspects of your job
That means everything from production meetings, auditions, budget decisions to manning the pizza fundraiser. Many of us are a one man band in this career. Help a young person understand the full and realistic possibility of that role.
5. Allow a mentee an opportunity to be creative
You may have your "ideal" artistic vision, but he might be able to shake it up a little and enrich that vision.
If we do our job well as teachers, our students become our teachers. Yes, I do beam a little when I look at all the students and teachers I have mentored and admire the magnificent paths they are building for kids. A treasure I cherish forever! CR
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Gift packs and awards all ready for tonights Schools on Stage presented by City of Casey (VIC). Wishing all participating schools the very best. How special to gather together in person once more to celebrate the joy of making theatre! #cityofcasey #schoolsonstage #theatreeducation #joyoftheatre #studentsrock
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The Red Velvet Cake War by Jones Hope Wooten In this riotously funny Southern-fried comedy, the three Verdeen cousins - Gaynelle, Peaches, and Jimmie Wyvette - could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion. Their outrageous antics have set tongues wagging in the small town of Sweetgum (just down the road from Fayro) and the eyes of Texas are upon them, as their self-righteous Aunt LaMerle is quick to point out. Having "accidentally" crashed her minivan through the bedroom wall of her husband's girlfriend's doublewide, Gaynelle is one frazzled nerve away from a spectacular meltdown. Peaches, the saucy number one mortuarial cosmetologist in the tri-county area, is struggling to decide if it's time to have her long-absent trucker husband declared dead. And Jimmie Wyvette, the roughhewn store manager of Whatley's Western Wear, is resorting to extreme measures to outmaneuver a priss-pot neighbor for the affections of Sweetgum's newest widower. But the cousins can't back out of the reunion now. It's on and Gaynelle's hosting it; Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette have decided its success is the perfect way to prove Gaynelle's sanity to a skeptical court-appointed psychologist. Unfortunately, they face an uphill battle as a parade of wildly eccentric Verdeens gathers on the hottest day of July, smack-dab in the middle of Texas tornado season. Things spin hilariously out of control when a neighbor's pet devours everything edible, a one-eyed suitor shows up to declare his love and a shocking high-stakes wager is made on who bakes the best red velvet cake. As this fast-paced uproarious romp barrels toward its surprising climax, you'll wish your own family reunion was this much fun! License today! #joneshopewooten #dramatistplayservice
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