Aside
from that, it's up to the individual. Maybe you just want to teach
the cascade and a few variations. Perhaps you've been juggling for
50 years and want to get rid of some of those old devil
sticks. Run a devil stick workshop!
Loon's juggling club at Lowell Elementary is now divided into
a beginning, intermediate and advanced workshops. The monetary
rewards are really nothing compared to
the joy of turning someone on to juggling.
And
if you think doing your first show was
a rush, wait until you see someone you've taught
do their first show... and hear their first applause.
Smiles don't come any bigger, on them
or on you!
The
Juggling Way to Fame
Two
such successful students are David and Daniel North. They
took the Juggling Enrichment Program at Hawthorne
Elementary when they were 10 years old,
dreaming of performing before crowds, pictures for
the media, fame and fortune.
Almost
all of it came true. (They're still waiting for the money! )
In
the workshop the boys learned the basics of
diabolo, contact juggling, devil sticks and balancing, but
what really caught their interest was the cascade. They diligently
practiced and were up
to 50 throws and catches by the third week. By the end of the workshop,
they were doing
simple tricks such as a two person juggle. This was
especially eye-catching since the boys are
identical twins. Their first performance came
a week later at a gathering of after-school programs in front
of a crowd of
about 250 parents and peers. "The Karate Kids of Juggling"
were the showstopping finale.
That
was only the beginning, though. Last February
their teacher took them to Madfest, the
Madison Area juggling festival. A reporter from
the local paper was there to cover the action, and the boys
managed to not only catch her attention, but her camera and pen as
well. They ended up being interviewed, and the story was printed -
along with their picture - the next day. They even taught the
reporter how to juggle. "She was pretty good," David said.
"She caught on quick. But she still needs some practice."
Don't
we all, David. Don't we all!
Top
Ten Tricks and Tips for
Teaching Trajectories...
1.
Be flexible.
2.
If you raise your voice, you've lost control. Wait for them to be
quiet. (Exception: "YES, THAT'S IT!! YOU DID IT!!!).
3.
Have a basic format in mind for what you'd like to get done. Don't
let the noise and confusion throw you off track.
4.
Be prepared to throw the aforesaid format out the window if it
doesn't work. (See # 1).
5.
Make the workshop a positive experience. Don't set anyone
(including yourself) up for failure.
6.
If a student is having trouble with a concept, break it down into
little parts. Then break those down, too.
7.
Often a person who is stuck in a rut will throw from the dominant
hand. Make them switch hands.
8.
Teaching various ways to start and stop a pattern helps students
feel they are in control.
9.
Positive Reinforcement. POSITIVE
reinforcement. Positive REINFORCEMENT. Don't let a negative come
out of your mouth.
10.
Keep in mind: everybody is an individual. People begin at
different levels, learn at
different
speeds, and therefore require different teaching strategies.
Again, see # 1.
