Teacher Training for Readers Theater

     It felt like the Twilight Zone at Chen-Gong Middle School in Da-Li, Taichung on April 10, 2018. I was asked to do a Readers Theater outreach there.  The appointment had been made over a month ago but I had forgotten until the publishing agent called reminding me the day before. If I had remembered, perhaps I would have done a PPT to save paper. Turns out that the projection on the wall was so small, no one could have seen it. It was good I prepared twelve-page kits for the sixteen teachers instead. I was going to promote and ready the teachers to enter their school in the regional English Readers Theater competition in October 2018. It turned out that the EFL teachers with host, Phillip, were not on the same page, or planet, with me or each other. 
    I had an inkling of what I was to be up against when we drove to the school and were turned back at a temporary  entrance for lack of parking; the school was suing a construction company and it had been in a time warp since we visited four years ago. Furthermore, the agent wasn't told exactly what the school wanted me to do with the teachers that afternoon. Walking in, the agent remarked that most teachers there were temps; many may already be beamed up to the mothership for reassignment in June.

     The agent directed us through a maze of walkways to a subterranean lounge that looked like it was in an intergalactic spaceship; a long bar, circular modules hangings from the ceiling, and back-lit cloud outcroppings along the walls.

    We waited for Phillip, a gaunt school-space traveler. He initiated the conversation in  English and described himself as a teacher who'd been at that school for 30 years. 

     When the crew started straggling in, they navigated to seats around the back of the long table, as far from this alien as possible. The first fifteen minutes of my time were taken over by Phillip who had something important to talk over with the teachers. I waited patiently being paid well for my free time.

Child Labour Readers Theater Video

     The DVD I brought to show the "Child Labour" skit I had co-directed two years before couldn't work in the laptop that was provided. It was good I had prepared handouts but didn't know at what stage of preparation they were at or if they had even started. Phillip said the school had done in-house Readers Theater before but couldn't tell me the last time. 
    When I began the workshop, a tall teacher, soon to retire with twenty-five years experience said each class picked the best student and that she had found scripts for them on-line. I asked which script she had chosen but she couldn't say. I could see a disconnect; none of the other teachers corroborated what she said so I filed it and went on.

     At least the teachers  knew what a Readers Theater was; I mentioned it had its origin in the radio dramas of the '30's. I went on to say how it should be conducted as a school event by getting everyone involved with the preparation and   suggested a prospective timeline for the October 2018 show: 1. spend a month with three or four scripts the teachers have and let the students choose in a vote making a big deal out of it. 2. By the middle of May they should start preliminary rehearsals; I offered my services to edit the script down to six minutes. I suggested they get a simple script because that is what the judges preferred. My experience was that scripts with timely topics were unappreciated; content would go over the judges’ heads; better to give the judges what they want.

 I went through the handouts discussing how to motivate the students by asking for their input and  stressed how the journey to the contest,  using  English, was to be  was part of a learning experience, not only a show-winner. Some teachers knew how to get the children on their side; no scolding or telling what to do, but most teachers sat there poker-faced. 

     We were able to get an RT winner on YouTube on the tiny projector screen and started an activity using the judging sheet and scoring rubric but the teachers weren't focused on doing a workshop activity. We went to the copy of the scrip for "Child Labour" and found the video with the chorus of the song we incorporated for the skit; Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." 
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister

 I read the first two scenes and explained suggested delivery in lieu of the unwatchable video.  I stressed school cooperation from all departments; music, P.E., and art. 
Phillip was thankful I came. As the teachers left, two stayed to talk with me.

     The  teachers wanted my e-mail address to keep in touch. I would leave the link to the Readers Theater video with the agent. One teacher had something to say about the changes in RT in the hands of Taiwan Education Department; more theatrical than originally intended. I told her to write to them with her suggestions. Another teacher showed me a Readers Theater script that she is using with her class for a school presentation in May; that was the first I had heard about that. I had no idea why she didn't mention it during the meeting. I told her since she already had a script and troupe,  she should submit it as the school’s entry. 

     I left glad that the school asked me for help and were more interested in RT school effort. I hope there is cooperation. Philip was "old school" to the younger teachers. He had invited me aboard but can this school navigate to the Readers Theater? The sign post up ahead says "Twilight Zone."