Creative Playdate for Two: Act Out & Draw a Custom-Designed Story With a Friend
Drawing, acting, storytelling and practicing friendship skills and social skills are all part of this semi-private lesson, custom-designed to match learners' interests.
Meredith J. Berlin
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(432)
What's included
1 live meeting
20 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
This class is an opportunity for two friends, siblings or cousins to have fun together, creating a collaborative story while practicing friendship and social skills. Each session is custom-designed for the specific learners participating, based on interests they share in advance on the classroom page or at the beginning of the session. Our time together may include acting, drawing, dancing, discussion and/or creative drama games, depending on the interests and preferences of the learners. I am a professional actor, director and writer as well as an experienced teacher and facilitator. My objective is to create a joyful, safe and creative space in which every student is valued and free to experiment and explore. Each 20 minute session includes: -Fun game to get our voices and imaginations warmed up. -Introduction to the custom-designed story. This may take the form of a letter from a character who needs help, looking at some pictures for inspiration, reading or telling a short story, or meeting a puppet who has questions for us or needs our advice. -Creative play as characters, discussion and/or drawing and sharing our drawings. -Exit the story and closure (discussion,sharing something we learned or remember from our time together). PLEASE NOTE -- THIS IS A SEMI-PRIVATE LESSON, DESIGNED FOR TWO LEARNERS WHO ALREADY KNOW EACH OTHER. Here's how the process works: 1. Find a friend or family member who is free on the same day and at the same time as you. 2. Each learner should sign up separately for the same lesson. There are exactly two spots available for each time slot. You can message me to request a time and set the session up as a private class, or if one of the publicly published times works for you, go ahead and grab it! 3. There is a place on the classroom page for each learner to share a bit of information about their interests. For example, an activity or animal they like. I will use this information to build your custom-designed story. Family members who have a particular friendship or social skill goal in mind for the session are welcome to message the instructor through the teacher tab. Sign up for as many sessions as you want! I can create a continuing story for your learners or a new story for every session, depending on what the learners prefer. Thanks so much, and I look forward to creating with your learner. -Meredith ither from previous Outschool classes or You may sign up for a single session or if you prefer, I can work with you to schedule a series of meetings.
Other Details
Supply List
Please have drawing supplies on hand, as we often draw and share ideas in this class.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined April, 2020
5.0
432reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! My name is Meredith. My favorite thing to do is CREATE in community, and that includes collaborating with my community of learners here on Outschool. I love providing students with tools to communicate effectively and tell stories through writing, acting, movement, improvisation, drawing and design. I feel inspired as I watch their skills grow during our work together. I enjoy using my imagination and 30 years of teaching experience to plan each new class and customize the curriculum to match my students' interests and learning goals. Working in partnership with families and students is important to me, because as a parent I know how much it means to have a teacher take the time to really get to know my child and help them get the most out of an educational experience.
PLEASE NOTE: For most of July and August of 2023 I will be taking a break from teaching any live online classes. I look forward to seeing you in late August or September!
When I'm not teaching you can find me acting, directing or writing plays and books.
Some of my favorite acting roles include a monster, a fairy, a movie star and a queen.
I also like to play with my cat, draw, dance and take long walks by the lake near my home in Seattle, Washington, USA.
I grew up in New York City and received my BA at Yale College. I have performed and taught in many towns and cities in the United States. Some of my most inspiring experiences have been my years with Living Stage in Washington, DC and at Seattle Children's Theatre. I have also written a chapter book: "The Ghostlight Kids Get Hooked," an adventure that takes place backstage in a theater.
I would say the skill that most defines me as a teacher is listening carefully to what each student has to offer and weaving that into the direction a class is taking, whether that means centering a story on students' suggestions or recalibrating a lesson plan on the spot. My oldest child (now an adult) is neurodivergent, and I find that my experiences with my child and other ND students has made me a good partner for learners with a wide range of learning styles.
In addition to teaching creative drama, acting and Improv I have taught Math, Language Arts, Health Ed concepts and Science concepts to small groups of learners. I have training in trauma informed practices as well as techniques for teaching Social Emotional Learning through the Arts. I have experience leading friendship groups and community service projects.
I have been teaching for over 30 years and every day is a new, exciting adventure. I learn as much as I teach!Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$12
per classMeets once
20 min
Completed by 16 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 4-8
2-2 learners per class
