Comments for The Kinko Blog

Comment on Costco Chronicles by owen

owen — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:59:31 +0000

The worst part is that Karen and Richard are allowed to have children, who learn that that is an acceptable model of behaviour. Then, it is my job to retrain the kid out of it; it’s not even the kid’s fault – let’s call him Mark – but budging is basically a parent-learned trait.

Stupid budgers. GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE.

One of these days i’m going to use my teacher voice on an adult and scare them back to grade six.

Comment on Manifesto Part 9 1/2 by jason

jason — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:51:41 +0000

Yes! I agree. My dream all along has been to 1. perform lots with people I like working with, 2. developing other improvisors and watching them experience the thrill of a great show. So, yes, I’ll get my babysitting situation sorted out and show up more. And, classes of some sort in January!

Comment on Planning vs. Improv by owen

owen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:37:49 +0000

Interestingly, the same goes for teaching. I actually don’t do long-term planning, or really, short term planning. What I do, however, is remarkably similar to this!

1. The first five minutes of any class is an attempt to connect with the people in that room, that day, that minute. What is going on? What can we accomplish?

2. It’s easy as a “teacher” to forget that while you may be at the helm, there’s actually 18-33 of you crewing the boat. Taking suggestions and listening to students’ ideas of what we should do that day have not only saved my butt when I’ve been uninspired, but also made sure that the class is more meaningful for more people than just me.

3. It’s funny how much you can do anything and MAKE it successful, where it’s much more difficult to making NOTHING successful. I don’t even panic anymore when I don’t know what my plan is for teaching the class that I’m five minutes into. It’s the good kind of scary.

Hmm… maybe this can be my master’s in like, 10 years. When I’ve got it down to an artform. “Improvising your lesson” or something… wait, that sounds like a self-help book. Will they give me an MEd for a self-help book?

Comment on Jill Bernard is Awesome. Again. by mandy

mandy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:23:19 +0000

I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times: Jill Bernard is the shit.

Comment on Editing by mandy

mandy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:12:37 +0000

1) Yes, Owen. I AM FAMOUS.

2) Jill Bernard is one of the most honest and hilarious improvisers I have ever met. Kudos Shawn for finding this and posting it. Any chance you get to see Jill in action (or perhaps even bring her to Calgary for a workshop… hint hint… Owen, I’m talking to you) you should take it.

3) Jill and I are going to start an improv duo called Tinnitus Sisters, as we are bonded by our tinnitus afflictions.