Course Details:

    The teacher will provide all materials.

    Kids Take the Stage: Confidence & Communication Through Theater

    $165.00

    In this fun and engaging theater class, students will learn about specific theater-related skills. Then, they’ll put those skills into practice. By the end of the course, they’ll be ready to shine in any scene!

    Section Options / Enroll:

    Description

    Do you have a learner who is interested in theater, or do you perhaps have a learner who is terrified to speak in front of others? Either way, this class will help take your child to the next level! In this one-semester elective, your middle schooler will explore the basics of theater while having fun learning new skills. This class will provide a safe and encouraging environment to “step out on stage.” While homeschooling my own two children, I realized that they had few opportunities to speak or perform in front of others. Realizing the importance of related skills for both my shy child and my dramatic child, I created several different outlets for them and other homeschooled children within our co-op community. This theater course was one of the results. I specifically developed this course as a brief introduction to theater to help learners gain confidence in their ability to act, present, or even just talk in front of others. Through this class, your learner will gain not only theatrical skill but also important life skills!

    *SNAPSHOT OF STUDENT OUTCOMES:
    Gain confidence being in front of others:
    *read and speak in front of others
    *learn how to control nerves
    *work with others through the give and take of dialogue

    Use the voice as a tool
    *practice enunciating through fun in-class exercises
    *work on vocal dynamics
    *portray various emotions through the voice

    Build communication skills
    *work together to present effective dialogues
    *engage in active listening
    *capture the attention of an audience

    Lesson Schedule

    Introductions, Biblical Background, Choral ReadingWhy theater class? We’ll learn about the importance of theater, skills needed to present in front of others successfully, and the biblical foundation for this class. We will also do some choral readings with the Psalms.
    Using Facial Expressions and EmotionsWe will learn how to use facial expressions and how to show emotions.
    Using Your Voice: Dynamics, Projections, and ExaggerationGod has given us so many different vocal tools! Learn about being loud or quiet, speaking so others can hear and understand you, and emphasizing important words.
    Other Vocal Tools: Enunciation, Speed, and PitchToday we’ll have some fun with tongue twisters! We’ll also learn about changing the speed and pitch of our voices.
    Listening and Working TogetherMake sure you are listening very carefully, the “ABC” game that we’ll be playing today requires quick wit and some great listening skills.
    Tips for Memorization and Finding a MonologueSometimes memorization can seem overwhelming. Learn some quick and easy tips to use to help you remember scripts, dialogues, monologues, and–most importantly–the Word of God.
    Reader’s Theater DayIn today’s class, we’ll learn abour reader’s theater and then use what we’ve learned about the voice as we read together!
    Monologue Presentations #1Each learner will have the opportunity to present a monologue (1 minute or less) in front of the class. Memorization not required.
    Fun with PropsToday we’ll learn about the history of props, how to use props effectively, and the importance of props. Additionally, we will play a related game.
    Dialogue DayToday’s class will be focused on reading and presenting dialogue.
    Movement DayWe’ll step back from our screens and use our whole bodies to explore how different characters walk, move, and present themselves. Be prepared to show heroic stances and sneaky strolls.
    Using Your Voice: A Review and ApplicationToday we’ll review what we’ve learned about the voice and put it into practicing with a game called “spaghetti.”
    Monologue Presentations #2For our last day of class, each learner will have the opportunity to apply skills learned in this class through a monologue presentation (1 minute or less). Memorization is not required.

    Class Introduction Video

    Taught From a Christian Perspective

    Our mission is to equip learners’ minds and shepherd their hearts. We want them to have saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and then develop a biblical worldview. This means they view their world, themselves, and God in a way that aligns with what the Bible teaches. This brings great peace and understanding to the believer because we serve a good, sovereign God. This course is taught with these goals in mind. In class, we may pray, read scripture, and discuss how to view the content from a Christian perspective.

    We have adopted The Master’s Seminary Doctrinal Statement.

    THEATER:

    Communication skills are essential for believers. The skills taught in this class will help learners gain confidence in speaking in front of others. These skills are essential when sharing the gospel message. Theater helps learners prepare for the unexpected. Likewise, 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be “instant in season and out.” We never know when God will give us an opportunity to share his message with others! Our voices are tools which help us show Jesus to others as we witness to the world through what we say–and what we don’t say (see Colossians 4:6, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29, and Proverbs 10:19). We serve a creative God who has given us all kinds of tools to help communicate His message.

     

    ✨ 🍋 ✨ Why Lemons-Aid? ✨ 🍋 ✨


    A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW: The Bible, infallible and inerrant, is the very written word of God, who has revealed Himself to man. The Bible is like the light we cast on all content areas in order to understand it, whether that be literature, physical science, history, or geometry. Students learn all content through a Biblical lens. Theology is important for understanding all subject areas. We carefully curate courses that capture learners’ imagination while pointing them to God through sound doctrine. THIS is most important!


    EXPLICIT TEACHING: We understand the skills and concepts students need to learn and know how to teach them. Lemons-Aid’s materials are top-notch, organized, and clear for students and parents to understand. We are especially skilled at breaking down a complicated process into understandable parts. Further, explicit instruction is “a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching academic skills. It is called explicit because it is an unambiguous and direct approach to teaching that includes both instructional design and delivery procedures. Explicit instruction is characterized by a series of supports or scaffolds, whereby students are guided through the learning process with clear statements about the purpose and rationale for learning the new skill, clear explanations and demonstrations of the instructional target, and supported practice with feedback until independent mastery has been achieved.”

    • Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes.

    Anita Archer trained Mrs. Lemons in workshops, and it changed her teaching. Read a little more about the research behind explicit teaching here and here.


    STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY = ACHIEVEMENT: Students master skills with us and make gains. We have a high degree of accountability. Since we make promises here and parents are paying good money, we understand you trust us to work! Students have to work too, and let’s be honest: they’re kids and don’t always want to. We push it. We teach them how to stay engaged, we cold-call on kids, we tell them to use the chatbox, and we want them to use emojis! If they are resistant, we contact the student through the teacher tab first. If that doesn’t work, we call in the big guns–Mom and Dad. We want kids to learn. We don’t want them to pass through our classes without gaining skills and doing great learning.


    DO HARD THINGS. Boost your confidence, master new skills, learn new concepts. This takes a commitment to do hard things. Like the standards we have for our teachers, we also expect our learners to do hard things, whether that means they stand firm in their convictions, learn geometry, write an essay, or give an oral presentation. You can do hard things!


    HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: To balance our high expectations for their learning and behavior, we build relationships with them. We want them to know we care about and know them. We’ll ask about their play last weekend or the new trick they’re trying to master on the skateboard. We also want students to get to know each other and encourage community engagement.


    DEPENDABLE: Multiple teachers are teaching this class, and we have an entire year of lessons planned and scheduled. Since we are a mission-driven organization, we protect our brand and the relationships with our families. We are accountable to our learners. When things come up for teachers, we work to get substitutes and do everything we can before canceling a class. We do not like canceling or changing, and we often teach classes at a loss to give others a chance to join. We have limits, of course, but we are not flippant or irresponsible about canceling! When things come up for students, since we have multiple sections, they can transfer from section to section. All our teachers teach the same content the same week, giving families even more flexibility!


    TEACHER FEEDBACK: The back-and-forth work between a student and teacher significantly benefits a student if done well. We follow best practices in designing class time, assignments, and routines. According to Pennington Publishing, effective writing feedback (or grading) is:

    • Specific, not general
    • Immediate, not postponed
    • Routine with a revision / feedback cycle
    • Explanatory
    • The right amount
    • Targeted to the most critical issues
    • Varied (written, audio, and video comments)
    • Holding students accountable

    STUDY THE BEAUTIFUL

    We are surrounded by the mediocre, which is not good! We see this in expectations at some schools, the poor customer service at a store, and even architecture like in a gray, uninspiring complex of high-occupancy housing.

    In contrast, we are surrounded by the beautiful, which is good! We see the beautiful in classic literature, music, and beautiful architecture like pictured here.

    The mediocre demoralizes learners while the beautiful inspires.

    At Lemons-Aid Learning, we study the beautiful: classic literature, artful sentence construction, art, poetry, maths, God’s hand in all of history, and God’s very creation. His creation glorifies Him, and in our study of all content areas, we learn about who God is.

    We do not compromise. This means we don’t choose a graphic novel of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We read the original play. We know how to make the complexity and beauty of classic study approachable and understandable to a modern audience. It’s more difficult, but worth the effort!

    For over a century, progressive education reform has been “anti-content,” which means they de-emphasize rich content and focus instructional time on things such as self-esteem and “skills” they hope will benefit a learner in the future. This is why American kids do so poorly in testing compared to nations with content-rich curricula. We want our learners to increase in knowledge and grow in wisdom, which our content-area experts foster while teaching.


    CUSTOMER SERVICE

    We serve the Lord and we work hard for families. We work to give quick responses to questions, authentic and careful feedback, and to solve any conflict. As home educators ourselves, familiar with the joys and struggles of teaching our own children, we can relate! We are supporting families, equipping learners, and serving Christ. We are 100% devoted to Him and to you!

    To read more about our teaching and learning methods, read our blogs, written by our teachers and staff.

    The Lemons-Aid Team

    Lemons-Aid teachers have a few things in common.
    ❤️ They love their students and value each of their unique strengths and personalities that make our classes special. Our classes can be described as fun, personal, academic, challenging, and supportive.
    🤩 We work to keep learners engaged, so there is always a degree of student accountability for their attention and focus, whether that be through asking them direct questions or by using the chatbox.
    💭 We know all kids can learn, but sometimes things are hard! To support students, we teach them how to develop effective thinking and learning habits that will bring them success in class and in life.
    🌟 Building relationships with students so they know we care about them helps us balance the high expectations we have for them regarding their effort, work quality, and behavior. Our students are encouraged, cared for, and they achieve!

    𝑱𝑬𝑵𝑵 𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑳𝑬: English Language Arts
    #Experienced #Knowledgeable #Empowering #Patient #Rises Above the Ordinary.
    As a certified English teacher, Jenn has taught in some capacity over the course of the past twenty-five years. She has taught middle school and high school English classes in both private and public school settings, tutored international ESL students online, developed and taught literature and public speaking classes for a local homeschool co-op, and homeschooled her own two children. Jenn has a bachelor’s degree in English Education. A strong believer in lifelong learning, Jenn has also taken several graduate-level courses related to teaching. Jenn enjoys spending time with her husband, Mark, and their two teenagers. She enjoys taking day trips close to where they live in upstate New York. In her spare time, Jenn enjoys singing and performing in plays. Additionally, she enjoys curling up on the sofa to read a good book. More than likely, one of her four cats will be curled up at her feet.

     

    Christian Teachers on Outschool

    This class is not offered on Outschool.

    Request a New Section

    Want to see this class offered at another time? Send a request, and we’ll see what we can do!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Name

    Reviews

    There are no reviews yet.

    Be the first to review “Kids Take the Stage: Confidence & Communication Through Theater”

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *