This week, I explored the following strategies that I thought might work well in my classroom context. These included the fishbone thinking strategy (Michalko, 2001, p. 27), losing control to strengthen the creator (Goldberg, 1990), thought walking, (Michalko, 2012), and designing cross-curricular lessons that will promote multidisciplinary lessons (Mathews & Reddy, 2019).
The thought walking process (Michalko, 2012), is one that I hope to implement in a Drama class. For example, when giving any new script to students, they always need to consider how to get into character. After reading through the script, how might their character react to certain situations? How might they get along with others while out on a walk? How might they carry themselves in a space? Not all plays need to be performed on a traditional stage setting, so this thought walking activity could be conducted inside the school or outside on school grounds.
While considering how I might use the thought walk, I connected it to a previous activity I have done in my own training. A variation of the thought walk in Drama is also known as “walking the grid" (Drama Notebook, 2020).
It can be conducted in any environment, and focuses on listening and looking, with no verbal communication between actors. Though this activity is meant to be done silently, students can still consider their character, actions, and critical and creative thought processes while paying attention to the space they are walking. There are limitations to their movement. Students can sit, stand in a spot, jump, or walk in straight lines but they should not bump into one another. If students find themselves about to walk into each other, they should either stop, or turn away to avoid this. The activity helps them develop spatial awareness, coordinate with their peers, and work through unexpected scenarios (Drama Notebook, 2020). From my own experience walking the grid, it has allowed me to collaborate with fellow actors without the use of words, and think about my character on a deeper level.
References Drama activity-space walk. Drama Notebook. (2020, April 30). https://www.dramanotebook.com/drama-games/space-walk/
Goldberg, N. (1990). Wild mind: Living the writer's life. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Mathews, S. M., & Reddy, P. J. K. (2019, January). Teaching Strategies to Foster Creativity in the classroom. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338005183_Teaching_Strategies_to_Foster_Creativity_in_the_classroom
Michalko, M. (2001). Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius. pp. 19-49. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Michalko, M. (2012, November 19). Thought walking. The Creativity Post. https://www.creativitypost.com/create/thought_walking
Toronto, October 2023
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