Preparing Staff for "Being a Screenwriter2"

Training Tips

Introduction

Welcome to the staff training notes for Being a Screenwriter2, a series of 10 hands-on lessons in creativity and literacy. This program is ideal for after-school programs, summer and vacation camps, scout troops, church youth groups and anywhere that young people gather.

Who can teach Being a Screenwriter2?

Any responsible, enthusiastic and well briefed group leader, teacher, volunteer, parent, or other motivated adult can teach Being a Screenwriter 2. The text is easy to read and understand, the set-ups are detailed and uncomplicated, and the processes and procedures are clearly explained in the Lesson pages. Adults act as coaches and mentors, and guide learners as they proceed through the lessons.

What special skills does the instructor need to teach Being a Screenwriter?

No special technical skills are necessary to teach Being a Screenwriter2. Instructors should be well organized, motivated and observant individuals. Volunteers--such as other instructors or parents--can be helpful in ensuring that all students are proceeding through their activities and making progress in their understanding. Being a Screenwriter2 is fun, so enthusiastic and positive instructors are essential "cheerleaders" in the learning process.

Being a Screenwriter requires students to do a lot of writing. But I’m no English teacher!

No worries, mate. There are no right answers in this course, no bad ideas, no unacceptable characters, no settings too outrageous or plot lines too complex. Instead, the emphasis in this course is to free the creative impulses of the participants, to let them think outside the box, and to let their imaginations run wild.

Don’t concern yourself with controlling students or with making sure they’ve dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s. It’s more important—in this course—to help students feel that the time they are investing in unleashing their inner screenwriters is time well spent, that their ideas are worth listening to, and that their license to be creative is the reward of literacy.

Well, how will students know that they are doing the right thing?

Writing is a solitary activity, in the end. Still, in this course, we encourage students to talk with one another, to envision projects collectively, to cooperate with one another, and to share their accomplishments, concerns, and products.

One way students can benefit from one another is to ask for feedback. But here we urge you to be cautious. As a rule, it’s helpful, when students are sharing their work, to remind other students that their feedback must be positive. Negative feedback will not benefit these writers. All of the participants are developing writers, and none is ready or qualified to “critique” another student’s writing.

So keep it light. Keep it positive. And tell students that these are the rules: You can only give feedback if the writer asks for it. All writers may be invited to share their work, but no one should feel that they must, and sharing (reading aloud) is not in itself an invitation for feedback. And any feedback we give one another must be of the “encouraging and positive” variety. Offer a few “stems,” such as “I heard a terrific phrase—“ “I think your character of the bad guy is really diabolical!” “The conversation between your protagonist and his sister was so revealing! Tell us more about where you want to go with that ….”

Before you know it, every student will catch on and want to share.

How can instructors most effectively deliver the lessons in Being a Screenwriter2?

Teaching any lesson in Being a Screenwriter is easy if the instructor is well prepared. Follow these steps before every lesson.

  • Read the entire lesson before you teach so you know what sort of outcome you are trying to achieve.
  • Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary and background information.
  • Identify the corresponding pages (where appropriate) in the Student Activity Book and review them so you know how to guide students to "fill in" their part of the activity. This step is essential because much of what students accomplish in the end is the product of their cumulative effort.
  • Open the Course Kit and locate all of the materials you need for each lesson.
  • Set up your classroom so that it s easy for students to work in groups.
  •  Set up your demonstration area with all appropriate materials at hand.

Review the entire lesson with any volunteers who will help you teach the lesson.

Once your lesson has started ..

Before you begin each lesson, review the previous lesson by reminding students of the materials and processes they’ve most recently explored. It’s essential to activate students’ prior knowledge, and to stimulate their memories to help them make sense of what they are learning.

Preview-the-Train-the-Trainer PowerPoint Here!

Download the complete PowerPoint and training script below:

Being a Screenwriter2 Staff Training Being a Screenwriter2 Staff Training