TP-14.4

1 | AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Agood teacher, like a good comic, should always be aware of what their audience is doing at all times. Are they engaged and, if not, can I be flexible enough in themoment to tailormy lesson to fit the needs of all those gathered beforeme?Can I get themback on trackwith a question theyweren’t expecting? Can I bring them inwith awell-crafted change in direction, tone, thought or activity?Your audience is the sole reason you are there so,whether they are captive or not, they need to feel wanted, valued and a necessary part of the ongoing action of a lesson. 2 | DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL Every comic who has ever stood up has fallen flat on their arse at least once, if not multiple times, during their career. Look at each lesson as an opportunity to learn, develop and improve. You are, as they say, only as good as your last job. It doesn’t matter how good the lesson was last week; it’s your performance when you deliver the next lesson that counts. Just keep trying new stuff out. Nobody dies. You’ll never know whether it works or not if you don’t give it a whirl. 3 | GOOFF ON A TANGENT Riffing is the ability to explore an idea, go where it goes, build off other people’s input and see where that takes you. It’s a way of working that gets all kinds of neurological connections firing and promotes the art of ‘first thoughts’. The great thing about riffing is this: if it works, make a note and keep it in for next time, and if it doesn’t work, get rid and pretend it never happened. Riffing helps to build up content, ideas and thoughts and helps to develop great working relationships. FEATURES TEACHING T I PS 4 | ACCEPT FEEDBACK Many comics will record their sets so that when they get home they can replay it and see what worked. Teachers have a ready-made feedback system called ‘students’. Never forget that pupils have had the pleasure/misfortune of sitting through hundreds of lessons and are adept at knowing what worked, what didn’t and, crucially, why.While some feedback may be hard to take, it is imperative for our own personal growth that we learn to use it and move forward. 5 | TRY CALLBACKS In comedy, a ‘callback’ is a joke or comment that refers back to a previous joke in the set that worked. For instance, when I’m performing I may ascertain early on who the naughtiest person in the room is. Whenever something vaguely naughty occurs, I can give a nod towards that person – something that will almost certainly get a laugh of recognition. The skill is to set up something in advance such as a phrase, activity or relationship that you can keep coming back to throughout the session. This will not only elicit a laugh but will also ensure pupils remember it. 6 | STRONG FINISH All good stand-ups constantly hone their sets until they have what we call a ‘bulletproof act’. Comedian Frank Skinner once said that if you have a strong opening and a strong finish, the middle will take care of itself.What this means is that you can try out new material in the middle because you already know you’ve got them eating out of the palm of your hand, and even if this new bit doesn’t work too well, at least you know you’ve got that big finish that’ll knock ’em off their feet and leave ’emwanting more. A good comic can command even the rowdiest of audiences, so utilise some of their tricks to keep your pupils on side, says Dave Keeling 6 STAND-UP tips to use in class DAVE KEELING hasbeenaprofessional actorand ‘stand-up educationalist’for morethan20years. Thisisanextract fromhisnewbook, IndependentThinking onLaughter(Crown HousePublishing). www.teachwire.net | 11 @mrappealing crownhouse.co.uk