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Schools can often be a place where we ‘learn’ stories about who we are. Some of the stories we ‘take on” about ourselves are helpful. Helpful stories gear us towards courage then competence and then confidence. Helpful stories tell us that we are capable of brilliance, that we are unique and resilient and filled with unlimited potential. These stories also tell us helpful things about failure and how important it is, if we ever want to achieve great things.

Sack the Teacher!

The child asked, “Should I try this?”

The teacher replied, “You won’t like it, no one will like you, you’ll be really bad at it, you’ll look stupid, don’t even try it.”

The child believed the teacher and gave up before they started.

You might be thinking what a dreadful teacher. How did they ever get a job teaching that poor child?

The truth is the child gave them a job.

GREAT CULTURE.
Goat Track Theatre has won lots of awards as a company in our thirteen years but the one that has meant the most was the national award for ‘Best Team and Culture.’ It was a significant accolade because everything we do at Goat Track is a team effort. At the time we received this award I was asked what I thought defines great team and culture and my response is the same today as it was then.

“Flip the Script”

People often don’t like the idea of affirmations. An affirmation is a piece of positive self-talk that affirms the person speaking it. In overly simple terms, instead of saying “I suck,” you can say, “I rock.”

It’s a pretty, harmless idea, really. Some would even say it’s a beneficial one. But you would not believe how many people resist the idea of speaking more positively about themselves or to themselves.

“What have you done with my daughter?”

Annie’s mother was clearly unprepared for the massive shift that had occurred in that hour. The child standing before her, didn’t have any of the attributes of the shy girl that she had dropped off earlier. In fact, she looked more like a super-hero. And that’s exactly who she had been playing for the last hour – a superhero.

I hope your child makes lots of mistakes this year.

Let me explain.

One of the things children are most scared of is making a mistake. It could after all result in looking silly or even being mocked by others. That’s why most young people avoid making mistakes like the plague. Unfortunately, the way they often do this is by deciding to not do anything new at all, which pretty much guarantees they will remain stuck exactly where they are (wherever that might be.)

When young children are learning new skills, you will sometimes hear them say,

“I can’t do it.”

Words are powerful. And if words like these are left unchecked they can quickly become unhelpful beliefs. When we hear words like these at Goat Track we find it helpful to introduce younger children to the idea of ‘the Genie.’

I give you permission to be creative.

This will mean trying things you haven’t tried before. Sometimes this will feel great and other times it will feel like you are the biggest joke on the face of the earth. Both of these feelings are fine, even though one is generally thought to be better than the other.

It is always amazing to watch children as they create a new character on stage. In an instant they become transformed into someone else. New posture, new voice, new attitudes and skills. They are no longer themselves but a wholly, new creation. Obviously, in a theatre setting, we come to not only anticipate but expect such transformations. Whilst often remarkable, they remain commonplace.

“I think we have a problem Andrew. Can you help us?”

I walked over to one of the groups that were playing a warm up game for the ‘improvisation’ class.