One of the great things about cosplay is that it’s experienced differently by everyone.
Which is TERRIFYING if you want to teach cosplay.
This was one of the biggest challenges I encountered while designing a cosplay curriculum. And over time, the curriculum has evolved – I’m pretty happy with it’s look and feel right now but I’m sure there are changes to come.
I based the curriculum around a couple of philosophical pedagogical pedestals that firmly anchor my practice:
- All kids should be able to make something.
- All kids are excited and scared to learn.
- I can’t teach each student individually.
- Learning will be messy.
This is absolutely not academic pedagogy: this is the real-life, in the classroom and in your face pedagogy that teachers actually grapple with. AND, it’s important because these are the authentic parameters that curriculum must consider.
So, here’s how this looks in my classroom:
- There is no sage-on-the-stage. My role is behind the scenes. I welcome kids to the class, share/explain the format of the class and order supplies. If a student is stuck and asking questions, I happily answer. I often work on my own project to model different techniques.
- Students pick their projects from a menu of options. If they are new, they begin with “beginner” projects. As kids gain more experience, new projects become available to them. Students who complete all projects move on to the process of designing and creating their own project.
- Students aren’t graded. At least, not traditionally. Each kiddo is going to move at a different pace, just like adults complete projects at different speeds. Instead of grading, I track attendance and project progress. Are they showing up regularly? Are they using their time to make forward progress every day?
- Workshops are offered upon student request. Sometimes, students legitimately get stuck on a project and don’t know how to move forward – this could be a skill-based hurdle or a psychological road-block. When several students ask the same question, its time for a workshop. This is a 15-20 minute meeting at the beginning of class where I model a skill or strategy that students can use to grapple with their own hurdles. Sometimes workshops are planned because I can anticipate student challenges, and sometimes workshops are organic. Teachers like to call these opportunities “teachable moments.”
As a new-to-cosplay teacher looking at the above pedagogy, I’d definitely be feeling defensive.
“What about?…”
“Have you considered?…”
“What if?…”
Yep. That’s me too. I’d be asking every question possible to poke holes in this pedagogy. So let me share this nugget of classroom peeping with you:
Every day, my students show up to class early, get started with their projects before I ever walk into the room and remain on task for 40-50 solid minutes. EVERY. DAY.
My cynical self would automatically respond to this by saying, “That’s because its an easy class.”
Well, yes and no.
I have to remind myself that rigor looks different for every kid at every moment. For some students, staying with a single project for an entire quarter is rigorous. They want to see the project through to the end, and rather than give up, they keep on truckin’. For other students, moving from project to project is rigorous – each project offering an opportunity to focus and improve in some skill set.
This is where my role as a facilitator is especially important. My job isn’t to lecture, my job is to dialogue with students on a daily basis. I ask them questions, make suggestions, find comparisons, model a technique…etc. Sometimes, I just leave them along, because they need the quiet space to think, consider and try something.
My argument is this: whenever a student is motivated to work a project that takes them through a creative process, they are going to experience rigor. And as a result, they are going to grow.
So. There it is. The outline of my practice teaching cosplay. Like I mentioned earlier, it isn’t perfect – but it seems to be getting some pretty good results for now. If you are interested in teaching a cosplay elective yourself, remember that pedagogy isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of deal. Consider what works for you and make adjustments as you go. There is no such thing as perfection in teaching. However, there are lots of opportunities to try new things, make mistakes and then try again.
If you are interested in seeing what this all looks like, check out the next section: Structure.
