CONCERNS OF ONE TEACHER.
Framing: shaping and managing information. As mentioned with act one, scene one, the information for this pre-planning meeting was shaped by the principal and me. With the recess schedule, I was more in control of coordinating it, but the principal wanted it to look a certain way. In fact, I had created separated schedules –a master schedule, a lunch/recess schedule, and a specials schedule—because that was how it had been presented to me the previous year and because I didn’t want the teachers to have to relearn a new schedule format. However, when I brought those separated schedules to the principal, she told me to combine them all. She told me to use a format that had been created a few years ago, so all of the schedules were on two combined pages. It was difficult to reformat them all and squeeze the three schedules onto two pages, but I was asked to make it happen, so I did. In other words, the recess schedule (along with the other schedule information) was framed and shaped by the performance team in a new way for the teachers. They received it well, but there were some questions –as evidenced by this interaction.
Scripting: planning the performance. I am confident as I deliver this
information because I created the schedule and can speak to the decisions I made. When the principal comments in panels 4-6, it made me pause, but she is part of the
performance team, so it did not throw me off script. I was a little thrown off, however, by the individual nature of the question, but not entirely surprised. I was cognizant that the rest of the audience is waiting for this specific question to be done. Normally, a teacher will wait to ask something individually if it only pertains to him/her. Using the clipboard as a prop to guide my discussion helped, but it was also awkward because I couldn’t really show the teacher the fine details –I couldn’t leave my fixed spot and abandon the rest of my audience.
Rhetorical Devices: use of metaphors, analogies, stories, sensory language. I don’t employ any figurative language devices during this performance, but I do create an “if” story for the teacher to consider as I walk her through the recess schedule rotation. I say “If you look at the rotation…”, so I am essentially creating an imagined narrative for her to immediately participate in while I go through the answer. She is the character in the play of “look[ing] at the rotation.”
Casting: characters in the performance, protagonists, antagonists. As mentioned in scene one, I consider the teachers and staff in the meeting as protagonists. In fact, I even consider the teacher who asked the question as a protagonist –even though she has somewhat thrown me off script. From my work with her, this type of confusion and publicly-asked question is typical, so I don’t consider her actions as antagonistic or contrary to my efforts.
Directions and Staging: physical appearance, props, setting. My physical appearance and the setting remain the same in this scene. The only prop that is used with more emphasis is the clipboard (with the folder attached), which I lift up and turn around to show the teacher the answer to her question on the recess document. This prop shows
that I have everything together and ready for the discussion. In addition, it is a comforting prop for me, as well. I know that if I stumble with the script or my lines, I can just look down and find a cue in the document so I can continue.
Impression Management. I don’t use exemplification, and in fact, I am not interested in promotion in this performance either. I am greatly concerned with the teacher retaining “face” in front of her colleagues and the principal. She has asked a somewhat basic and individual question in a public setting, and this action could have been regarded as a waste of time for everyone else. While I could have pushed the question aside or suggested an individual conference to address her question, I decided to go through the answer in that setting with patience and care. I consider this face work because I am showing everyone that the teacher’s question (and the teacher) is worthy of our time. It is a good question, and it deserves attention and clarification
Improvisation. In some ways, the entire script is improvised because I had not anticipated the question. Therefore, the principal and I could not have rehearsed for this moment. The lines are individualized for the teacher and improvised –as is the moment when I turn the clipboard around and show the teacher the answer. I decided to make this physical move because the teacher was still struggling with verbal explanation.
Act IV, Scene 3: Explaining the 3rd grade class schedule and IE2 schedule during Pre-Planning
Table 10
VERBAL TRANSCRIPTION: GOING OVER THE 3rd GRADE CLASS AND IE2
SCHEDULES*
(Stage directions: same as scenes 1 and 2. The IE2 schedule is a part of the master schedule when students with support services –such as speech, Early Intervention Program time, and small group intervention—are pulled out of the regular classroom. Each grade level has its own IE2 time in the schedule, and we tried to tie it to either Specials/Exploratory time or recess.)
Character Words Actions
Me have the IE squared (gaze up and to the right side of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is up – with pen—and index finger is extended in a hook shape and moving slightly out and to the right)
tied to either the, (gaze up and to the right side of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is still up –with pen—and index finger is extended in a hook shape and now moving slightly in and to the left, head tilts laterally to the left)
tied to specials, like the end of specials
(gaze and head go down to the clipboard, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is still up – with pen—and index finger and hook shape are slightly closed at shoulder level)
or the beginning of (gaze is still down to the clipboard, while head comes up slightly, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is still up –with pen— and index finger and hook shape open again and move outward to the right)
lunch something tied to something else
(gaze and head up and to the center of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is still up –with pen—and index finger extended in a hook shape and moves slightly in and to the left, and then up)
so it wasn’t just floating out there
(gaze and head up and to the center of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand –with pen—and index finger extended in a hook shape moves in and up, out and up, in and down, and up and out)
so that’s why the IE- squared
(gaze and head up and to the center of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand –with pen—moves down with the hook shape closed to a point and then moves back up and in, head tilting laterally to the left on
“IE-squared”)
was going to be kind of floatin’ out there
(gaze and head go down to the clipboard, left hand holds clipboard, right hand is still up – with pen—and index finger and hook shape are closed and moving inward towards my face)
for third grade (gaze is still down to the clipboard, while head comes up slightly, left hand holds clipboard, right hand moves out, up –with pen—and index finger and hook shape still closed and then slightly in)
that’s why we (gaze and head up and to the center of the audience, left hand holds clipboard, right hand –with pen—moves up and out)
Figure 17
MULTIMODAL TRANSCRIPTION: GOING OVER THE 3rd GRADE CLASS AND IE2
SCHEDULES
MULTIMODAL INTERACTION ANALYSIS TRANSCRIPTION: GOING