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Faire prep
Jan. 31st, 2020 12:16 pmI am on cast at local renaissance festival - Scarborough Renaissance Festival. I am also the director of the History program out there. (wheeee).
While the faire does not start until April, we start workshops this week. Tomorrow. Ahh!!!!! We start teaching on Sunday.
That makes it time for the annual pre-faire panic. The whole thing: am I ready? Am I good enough? Are they going to pay attention? Is my staff ready? Will they teach the lessons the way I intended them to be? Etc. etc.
The last few years have been a roller coaster. I took over from a good friend, after putting in a proposal with his permission. Another member of then-staff also put in a proposal. I was chosen as director. The other then-member quit cast because he didn't get the position as director. He spent last season coming around and undercutting my teaching during faire.
He is back this year on cast. He's been warned by management about his behavior, but we will see. I know he's going to be picky. I know he's going to be bitchy.
But I also know a few other things: I have had people come up to me and say "I don't remember a better History program out here." "I am SO glad you are teaching history!" A lot of positive things about the program in general. I am doing less lecture and more hands-on, more SHOWING than TELLING. More DOING than TELLING. It makes a difference. I've managed to drag some of my instructors into my way of teaching - which is WAY better than just lecture.
While the faire does not start until April, we start workshops this week. Tomorrow. Ahh!!!!! We start teaching on Sunday.
That makes it time for the annual pre-faire panic. The whole thing: am I ready? Am I good enough? Are they going to pay attention? Is my staff ready? Will they teach the lessons the way I intended them to be? Etc. etc.
The last few years have been a roller coaster. I took over from a good friend, after putting in a proposal with his permission. Another member of then-staff also put in a proposal. I was chosen as director. The other then-member quit cast because he didn't get the position as director. He spent last season coming around and undercutting my teaching during faire.
He is back this year on cast. He's been warned by management about his behavior, but we will see. I know he's going to be picky. I know he's going to be bitchy.
But I also know a few other things: I have had people come up to me and say "I don't remember a better History program out here." "I am SO glad you are teaching history!" A lot of positive things about the program in general. I am doing less lecture and more hands-on, more SHOWING than TELLING. More DOING than TELLING. It makes a difference. I've managed to drag some of my instructors into my way of teaching - which is WAY better than just lecture.
