Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Things I Learned From Teaching Children

Years ago, I was very fortunate to be asked to teach a creative dramatics class at a summer camp in Mount Dora, Florida, an adorable little town not too far from where I lived in downtown Orlando.

I taught six, one-hour classes - Monday through Friday. My contract for the job was six weeks. The children ranged from 4 1/2-years old, to 12. And I have to admit, the younger ones were definitely my favorite. I've never had the desire to have children of my own, but I absolutely adore them. It's funny, I think they can sense how much I love them because whenever a client comes into my store and has a stroller with a baby/child in it, they always smile at me. Sometimes I'll wave at them, and they'll wave back with their tiny little hands and fingers. And it makes my heart melt. 

Anyway, getting back to the creative dramatics class...

The whole experience opened my eyes to things I never realized. And even though I was hired as a teacher, I walked away feeling that "I" was the one who had been taught. 

And let me tell you that I now have the utmost respect for anyone who teaches because it's not easy.  

I came home everyday from my classes feeling totally fulfilled, but exhausted. 

The energy expended from teaching is by far more than any amount of energy I’ve ever used to do anything physical.

Also, I now know what it’s like to have your attention stretched in ten million places as a teacher. 

Through teaching, I discovered the art of multi-tasking.

From an acting point of view, kids are the best teachers because an actor must become like a child.

To watch the kids in my class execute an acting exercise that I asked them to do, was mind-blowing to me. They would literally throw themselves into it without an ounce of self-consciousness.

What I noticed is that whenever I gave the class an exercise, such as pretending to be happy, sad, surprised, or scared, they would just do it. They didn't process it through a mental filter; they simply became happy, sad, surprised, or scared. 

It was incredible to watch. 

Children have the amazing ability to abandon themselves and “just be.”

They freely express their feelings and emotions.

And that's truly what acting is. It's a process of leaving yourself open; stepping out of the way; and allowing everything to be expressed through you.   

Another thing I learned from children was about love and affection. 

They would come up to me throughout the day and just wrap their arms around me, and say, “I love you, Mr. Ron.”

That was perhaps my favorite thing about the job, the spontaneous hugs I would get. 

If a child feels love and affection, they purely express it. They don't even think about it.

So, yes, that opportunity not only taught me about acting, but also about holding on to my inner child.

And keeping a part of me, childlike...💗

"The best actors, I think, have a childlike quality. They have an ability to lose themselves."
-Kenneth Branagh

Have a grrrrreat rest of your week, everyone!