After each Class Acts performance, teachers
are emailed a link to a brief survey about their experience. They are asked to share their comments, as
well as the comments of their students.
Below are the highlights of responses received for shows in the
2011-2012 Class Acts season. Many thanks to the students, teachers, artists, staff, volunteers and our series sponsor, PNC Bank for making this great season possible.
Students were very engaged. I saw many instances of carry-over of
concepts over the next few days. One
student commented, "He was hilarious." When I responded, "Yes, he was
funny." she said,
"No--hilarious!" I heard
several students quote the presenter throughout the day.
-
6th grade teacher attending
Garry Krinsky: Toying with Science
Both the students and I loved the
performance and it was a gateway to discuss important issues back in the
classroom. It made me laugh and it made
me cry. Excellent performance!
-
4th grade teacher attending
Danny, King of the Basement
The topic coincided perfectly with our
Unit of Inquiry about Heroes. Within
this unit we are studying Civil Rights. The actors made the characters we have only
read about or seen pictures of come alive.
It was very meaningful.
-
3rd grade teacher attending
The Color of Justice
I thought the performance was great!
It really kept the students on the edge of their seats (literally) and tied
right into our unit on simple machines!
-
3rd grade teacher attending Garry Krinsky: Toying with Science
I really liked the connection to
children's literature. My students
enjoyed seeing stories that they had read "come to life."
-
3rd grade teacher attending Fancy Nancy and Other Story Books
I had seen Gary Krinsky's performance
before and was excited to see him return because it is one of the best Class
Acts I've seen. He makes the learning
seem like a magic act and kept all of the students’ attention the entire
time. My students said he was
awesome. I watched them laughing and
staying focused the entire time.
-
3rd grade teachers
attending Garry Krinsky: Toying with
Science
The Class Acts performances can often
bring history and literature to life.
The students can see the fun in learning when it is something live
presented to them. It is a nice option
to have to supplement school.
-
Homeschool parent of a 6th
grade student attending The Color of
Justice
My students enjoyed the production
immensely and look forward to seeing another production soon! One student said that she wanted to be on
stage with the actors and wanted to be the main character's little sister. :)
-
6th grade teacher attending
The Color of Justice
My students and I LOVED the
performance. They talked about the
puppets all the way back to school and during our lunch. The children commented on how the puppets
looked so real. Some shared how the
puppets looked like the illustrations in the book.
-
1st grade teacher attending
Treasured Stories by Eric Carle
This presentation fit in perfectly
with our Science curriculum. Mr. Krinsky was very entertaining and kept the
attention of all the kids and teachers. :)
They all thought it was really cool!
-
4th grade teacher attending
Garry Krinsky: Toying with Science
My students were very engaged and
entertained. They loved the connections
to the literature that they have already read.
-
1st grade teacher attending
Fancy Nancy and Other Story Books
I loved that it was set to music! The
kids were highly engaged throughout the entire production! This is the second year we have attended a
Class Acts performance at Sangamon Auditorium. I have been greatly impressed by
the professionals and organization of the day. It is often difficult for me to
find field trips that all of my students with Autism and other disabilities
will enjoy and be engaged with. They were engaged throughout the performance
this year! My students have enjoyed both shows and I look forward to taking
them to view another!
-
Teacher of a K-3 special education
class attending Fancy Nancy and Other
Story Books
Their comments were very simple. They
said "it was good." It was a bit hard for some of them to understand
the story as they are all students with special needs and lower cognitive
ability. However, bringing them to the play is a great way to help them
practice their social and daily living skills.
-
Teacher of 7th-8th grade
learning disabled students who attended A
Thousand Cranes
Excellent! Enjoyed the smaller atmosphere. Brought a tough and serious topic to real
life for students. Really like the
feeling of learning outside the classroom.
It provides a different outlook to education, and it provides variety
rather than just reading a textbook.
They bring lessons to life.
-
Homeschool parent of a 6th grade
student attending Through the Eyes of a
Friend: The World of Anne Frank
The topic
was excellent. I hope it helped open
some of my students’ eyes (and hearts) so they will be more understanding of
their peers that are living in poverty.
Many students never get the opportunity to attend a play and they are in
awe of the whole experience.
-
5th grade teacher attending Danny, King of the Basement
Students related what the characters
went through in the play to their own lives and their friends. They felt empathy for the characters. For some it was the first play they had ever
seen.
-
4th-5th grade
teachers who attended Danny, King of the
Basement
Our school has a high percentage of
poverty children who would never get to see anything like that if we did not go
to the class acts. Thanks so much.
-
Kindergarten teacher attending Treasured Stories by Eric Carle
My son came home and wanted me to read
The Very Hungry Caterpillar to him right away, and many times since then. My second grader loved that they showed how
they moved the puppets after the performance. She was sitting there the whole
time guessing about how it was done, so she loved seeing "behind the
scenes." My almost 5-year-old would
break out into spontaneous clapping he was so into the story. The production
was so well-done the entire audience was interacting without any prompting at
all...a great early theater experience.
-
Homeschool parent attending Treasured Stories by Eric Carle
I loved the performance! The actors were fun and kept the children
entertained...adults too! I saw many of
our students laughing throughout the performance...I think that says it all.
-
Teacher of a 3-year-old preschool
class attending Fancy Nancy and Other
Story Books
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