yay teaching! 1st day!

I started my teaching today, and it was great! It is so refreshing to be in the classroom and to be doing what I came here for. I am in love with the students, mostly. Grade 2 was pretty nuts! Because they have never been exposed to any theatre or drama before, I thought it would be good to start with learing the basic tools of and actor: body, voice, and imagination. Boy they latched on to the voice part! It was so cute though, they couldn't say imaginaation at first so I had to break it down syllable by syllable...adorable. I think they are used to repeating the teachers, which was hilarious, but a little much at times. They were so excited to be there - so enthusiastic - but very distracting, and we didn't really get that much done. I mean, really, how much can you get done in 40 minutes? But they really latched on to their imaginations. We were 'picking fruit from the tree' and I asked one boy what his fruit was and he said "a fish", I asked "oh, what does it taste like?" he said "a apple!" SO cute! So I now know that I need to do creative drama, possibly even story drama...which I think I will try first.
Grade 9 was awesome! Again, having no exposure to drama before, they were happy to be there and out of their desks. It took a little warming up, but they really got going. They were very giggly the first while, which I let be the first bit - because, hey, being giggly is fun. But they also got when it is okay to laugh, and when laughing can be disrespectful to eachother and themselves. They started being pretty shy, and ended happy, talking loudly, making big physical choices, and learning objective and obstacle...of course as well as the actor's tools. Overall, it was a wonderful time and already such a learning experience.
I got a sari that all of the women teachers wear, so I think the students liked that, and got a laugh from seeing a white woman in a sari. They are so complicated to put on. I had to have Didi help me put it on, and probably will again tomorrow. It is just a really long fabric that wraps and folds and wraps and folds and wraps and folds. Underneath you wear a 'peticoat', like a long skirt, and a blouse, a really tight top.
I am looking forward to teaching here, and working with these great students. It is a big challenge, and you have to speak slowly, and ask the students many times if they understand. If they stare at me blankly, I know they do not understand and I have to phrase it in a more simple way. I know that working here will make me a much stronger teacher, and I am so happy to be challenging myself in such a positive way. It is just so great to know you are really changing these students, especially them not ever being able to experience taking a drama class, or even to see a live performance. Oh, what a feeling!