Improv for Educators
Improv for Educators
by
Stevie Ray
How can a centuries-old art form help educators? Improvisation—or improv—is more than a form of comedy entertainment, it is being taught as part of MBA programs at Duke University, MIT, and UCLA. The CEOs of Apple, Google, and General Electric credit improv training for their success as business leaders. But before we dive in, let us first identify what improv is and where it came from. The first recorded use of improvisation was in ancient Greece. At a time when all theatrical performances consisted of a chorus reciting the plot, a man named Thespis stepped out of the chorus to actually act out the story. Being the first, he had no script to follow, so he extemporized. This was quite a risk, given that disapproval for his actions could have resulted in an encore of drinking hemlock. To honor this trailblazer, actors to this day are called Thespians.
Fast forward to 16th Century Italy, where commedia dell’arte troupes of touring actors perform plays for townsfolk that are based on loosely designed plots called scenarios. The scenarios provide a basic framework for the performances, but the dialogue is improvised. Even though commedia is still celebrated at festivals throughout Europe, it is not widely performed.
The modern version of improvisation was developed at various places around the world from the late 1930s through the ‘50s, most notable in the US, UK, and Canada. But, while most people associate improv with comedy, many of the techniques were actually designed to foster teamwork, self-expression, speaking abilities, self-confidence, and positive interactions. These skills are directly connected to success in all areas of life, both personal and professional. When Stevie Ray’s Improv Company first opened its doors in 1989, many of their students were more interested in personal or professional growth than in becoming the next Belushi or Radner.
For educators and education leaders, the application of improv can be a game-changer—sharpening skills to better interact with students, parents, and colleagues. This is because improv works different mental muscles than other types of training. To that point, when the folks at Google wanted to develop their own Personal Digital Assistant to compete with Apple’s Alexa, they wanted to take interacting with a PDA one step further. When you ask a typical PDA a question, “What is the temperature outside today?” you get a straightforward answer, “The temperature is 78 degrees.” Google execs wanted Google Assistant to be more conversational, offering responses like, “It is a beautiful 78 degrees and sunny, a perfect day to dress light and take a walk in the sunshine.” But how do you program AI to be conversational without repeating the same response to the same question? To solve this dilemma, every member of the Assistant coding team was put through improv training. Why? Because, by its very nature, improv is a tool for building communication one block at a time, with each participant adding the next layer.
In a time when conversation seems to involve simply waiting for the other person to finish talking, cooperative, building block interactions produce much better results. Improv training accomplishes this by first focusing on deep listening skills, then crafting responses that respect all participants. There are eight classic rules of improv that have been handed down since the 1950s. In future articles, I will examine each with respect to educators.
I will also suggest ways to make improvisational thinking and communicating part of your daily routine. Simply reading about new techniques is worthless unless they can be put to use. To that end, I will borrow principles from my other great passion, the martial arts. There is an old Samurai adage, The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. To help you be more successful in the next battle, I will be asking you to sweat by making improv techniques a daily practice.
I look forward to sweating with you.