Lewis & Clark Moodle

Change is constant and race is a social construction. These two concepts are the crux of chapter one, and they are used to describe why humans distinguish between races and how this practice is a result of misconception, as we have more similarities than we do differences. In class, we discussed the importance of being an observer rather than a judge when it comes to learning about other cultures. We also discussed the necessity of the immersion of oneself into a culture to truly understand it from a relative perspective. These are concepts originally elaborated by Franz Boas after he spent time with the Inuit people and discovered that they have a developed culture featuring many strengths and abilities that European and American societies did not have. The current conflict between Israel and Palestine is an exact example of the misconceptions described in chapter one, in that people on both sides of the conflict refuse to acknowledge the extraordinary similarities the two societies share, and they both believe they are the better "race" or group of people with an intrinsic right to the land they live on. So if one group of people is no better than the other due to an inability to fairly compare one person to another, then are their beliefs and values, their practices and traditions, also never better than another? If one group preaches the value of life and love while the other preaches murder and hatred, are those two groups still equal?

Hey there, 

I can't see anyone's posts yet! Here is the one I tried to upload. My administrator interview got rescheduled by the administrator until June. I will find someone else this week. 

It has been challenging to find time this week when Eli and I have been free at the same time. The time we have spent together we have focused on listening to each other in the scene and worked on letting the emotion of the scene influence how we say a line. It is a challenge to stay present in the scene and not let the mind take over. Rather we must work to let our body's natural inclinations take control. I think continual practicing of our lines so that they flow without thought will help to combat this problem. 

After a rocky start, we have started to get our handholds locked in as we make our difficult climb to making The Motherfucker with the Hat a working performance.  getting repetitions in and performing for friends has not only been entertaining for everybody involved (our friends get a kick out of our fight scene), we are getting more used to performing in front of people.  initially, a common problem that we were having was the fact that when we stumbled onto a rough  spot in our scene, we both had opinions about how to fix that specific spot.  unfortunately, we were both positive that we were correct, and would not be able to compromise or decide which party was making more sense or correct.  as practices have continued, it has become easier to see both sides of an argument, drop our pride, and continue on with whatever just seems to work.

Zack and I have been working diligently on our scene. I feel pretty grounded for the beginning of the scene, but as it progresses we move into material we aren't as familiar with. I think with more rehearsals the groundedness will improve. My voice has its good days and its bad days. I would like to work on projection without loosing the integrity of what I am saying. Zack is fun to rehearse lines with and I think we are progressing. The physicality of our scene is developing. I am working on creating a space in which I can feel comfortable to release gut reactions (such as when Zack slams the door). I look forward to our performance tomorrow and hope all goes well.

I found that I am an otter. A silly, furry, shellfish loving otter. The lion tailed behind by 6 points. I am absolutely not a golden retriever, this is a fact that kind of makes me sad but since I like otters I am overall content with my newly identified self. The cons of an otter are as follow and I agree: there is such a thing as too much energy, I have a need for social recognition and at times I avoid details. It is mentioned that my energy level can manipulate others which feels horrible since it is not me but my energy level. Also, I like coffee so it is tough to tame this challenge. This does get in the way sometimes---when do I halt and stay put so others can catch up and when do I trudge forward dragging them behind? On the pros list I feel my enthusiasm, compassion and high level of responsiveness aids in building relationships so if I am dragging them they are usually half smiling and mostly want to come but then again maybe my energy has manipulated them into thinking so, hard to tell. 

The Gregoric Style Delineator yielded similar information in the form of a Concrete Random personality trailed by Abstract Random. Some things I notice:  I absolutely use insight to skip details and find the big picture. Intuition and reading others does play a big role in how I strategize. I definitely want teachers to be ethical, just, genuine, flexible and tolerant in the classroom-above all else. I fear mediocrity. I fear losing so sometimes I ‘drop out’. I fear being involved in meaningless activities or relationships. When I read the list of ways I might harm an organization I know should be cognizant of the following: substituting personal vision for the organization’s...this is the only one that seems to fit something that might happen. Also noted was being unscrupulous but I feel extremely confident in my moral compass. It is also mentioned sexual impropriety but I’m too tired despite my otter tendencies.  

When I read about the variety of leadership behaviors and approaches, I most closely identify with the collaborative. I think this comes from coaching. Coaches are collaborators. I would like to develop my non-directive skills. To listen and clarify and not always feel like I need to problem solve, this where the leading the vision to much as noted prior might be remedied. I think it is critical to up the level of teacher commitment first. This probably comes from a combination of approaches but it is essential as noted in the article-the apathetic, detached teacher is not going to move forward no matter what the style. Perhaps, my energy level can manipulate them into caring.

After taking the personality profile "test" i was highest in Otter. I was pretty happy as I read through the description, "motivator, can inspire others, visibility" but then as I read through the Strenghths out of Balance I saw...well, what was out of balance. My first reaction was, "WHAT?! I am not pushy! I don't lack follow through." then I started thinking about the colleagues I work best with; those that are very detail oriented, that are patient, that are...well you get the picture. I look at my building admin and see the need for balance. At one point a prof from LC came in and the comment to our administrator was, "This is all very informative data. But who ARE these kids?" This struck a cord with me in regards to getting to know the individual kid and not just the number on a spread sheet. Sounds basic, but I know it's easily forgotten as state report cards are issued or districts are comparing schools. 

My second highest was The Lion.  Again, in my haste I saw Takes Charge, problem solver, Confirmational...then the Too Direct, Too Busy and Become a great listener...hmmmm...I think my background as a director is where this comes from however I realize the need for balance in directing my students and allowing them to find their own way to the goal, as long as it's too the goal we both agree on. I think this flexability is imperative in an administrator. One size doesn't fit all. As a young director, I remember the ease to "show" someone how to do it, but as I grew I realized the importance of letting them discover it one their own. 

I've taken the What color Is Your Parachute test in college, and dismissed it mainly because my girlfriend at the time would refer back to it and say, "See!? I TOLD you! You ARE a ____ colored parachute." However regardless of color, animal or whatever they serve an important reflective piece for me now that I'm older and not so "lionish".  I see where it is I am in my staff as well compared to others that I work well with or don't. I believe surrounding yourself with those that work well is great, but recognizing the strengths of the people you DON'T neccessarily work well with is invaluable in building a staff community.   Just like it is with directing a show....

From rehearsal to rehearsal, Eli and I are becoming more comfortable with the scene. Going off book was challenging, as we both had long sections to memorize; but now that we have memorized our lines, it is easier to work on nuanced aspects of the scene. Listening remains a struggle for both of us. I can improve on listening and reacting to Eli's lines and movements. His aggression toward me can't be completely brushed off; he must demand my attention and intimidate me with his lines and movements. We must both find a way to feel the high stake nature of the scene. In rehearsal we have tried to relate the unfamiliar situation of the scene to a high stake scenario personal to us, one we might become involved in. In future rehearsals we will work on trusting each other further, especially in regard to each other's creative ideas and criticism. 

I had to come home last week for a family emergency so Zach and I expected not to see each other. We have, however, talked on the phone to rehearse lines. We are going to call each other tonight to rehearse lines too. I am starting to relate to my character and understand what makes her aggravated/ calms her down.  Our scene has a ton of potential and I hope it shows that in the next week.  Zach and I will be on campus this Saturday and Sunday so it will be the perfect time to rehearse in addition to the phone calls. Zach is still having trouble with the lines, but since he has more lines with me I am forgiving. 

-Madison 

Weekly Blog #1:

So far this week, our rehearsal sessions have been pretty successful. We are both becoming much more fluent with our lines, and this is greatly improving the movement and believability of our scene. Knowing our lines better will also help with in class work, because we can put our full attention on the task at hand instead of worrying about several things at once. This has been our biggest problem so far and it has hindered us from getting any real, concrete work done. An overall challenge we have is staying focused when rehearsing. I think that we need at least a full hour of uninterrupted practice in order to stay on target and to get good. Hopefully, practicing in the Black Box instead of the dorms will help with this problem. We are quite hopeful for the scene, and we recognize that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.