A Miming Activity(A Repost which has been edited)

Recently, I attended a course on how to teach literature to secondary school students.  The invited speaker was a large Malay man who had once been featured in an American education magazine.  He taught us many things through activities such as  jigsaw-reading, poster-drawing, poetry-writing ,singing and a forum.

On the final day of the course, the speaker showed us how to use miming as a means to familiarize the students with different characters in novels and short stories.

             Six teachers were randomly selected to take part in this activity. I was shocked when the facilitator announced that I would be the sixth person to perform in the skit. It was not an honor but a disgrace.  I had never acted in front of anyone before.

 The facilitator gave each of us a card, with the name of the character we should mime. The name on my card was Pak Pandir, a funny character who is the Malay version of Mr. Bean. Pak Pandir epitomizes the most absurd and outrageous things in the world.  I could feel the blood draining from my face.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the speaker in a deep voice. " Those holding the cards have eight minutes to think of how to mime their characters. When the time is over, each of them will act in front of you and you have to guess what character he or she is miming."

              "Lo, how privileged you are," said one teacher, nudging me with his elbow.
              "You have been quiet throughout the course. Finally we are able to see you act," chirped a young female teacher.

               I could only answer them with a wry,bitter smile.

               As a quiet, introverted person, I found it too humiliating to bring the character to life through silly gestures. I did not want to become a laughing stock. I was beside myself with fear and panic!

              Soon the miming show began. All five teachers before me could present their roles with no problem. They sent everyone into fits of laughter with their actions. I could not imagine myself acting like a fool as they had: crying like a baby, sashaying around like a proud evil queen, hobbling sideways like a crab, loping like a buck and walking lumberingly like the Hunch back of Notre Dame. When it was my turn, everyone grinned at me, expecting me to make a fool of myself in front of them. Their stares petrified me and I stood motionless at the center of the room.

              "C”mon, Lo, start miming now," prompted the speaker.
              "I can't," said I, looking pleadingly at the man. "I don't know how to delve into my character."
              " I have given you eight minutes to think of how to act.  I'm sure you can do it," said the speaker, oblivious to the mercy-seeking expression on my face. "Unleash your inner talent now."
             "I can't," I replied . " I don't know the character on my card well."
             "Are you sure?" asked the speaker, looking at me in disbelief.
             "Yes! I am." I said, trying to sound firm.  I knew that my reason was not convincing.   Pak Pandir is a household name in Malaysia.

"Don't chicken out, Lo," persuaded the speaker." Teachers are supposed to be good actors."

                Sensing that the facilitator was actually taunting me, I said adamantly: " I really can't do it. I mean what I say. "

                Every participant in the room fell silent.  The speaker stared at me for a few seconds and said, "Okay, you may go back to your seat now. Give me your card."

               I gave him the card and returned to my seat. Dozens of eyes were following me. I tried to feign an air of nonchalance.

               "Okay, everyone," the speaker said in a raised voice."I will act on Lo's behalf. Sometimes we need to offer someone a helping hand."

               With that, he started his miming. He cocked his head jerkily from left to right and put an 'air hat' on it. Then, he acted as if he had tripped over something and then he fell. He struggled up comically, pretended to pick up a stone and tossed it into what seemed like an imaginary sea. Everyone except me laughed and clapped his or her hands. A few female teachers doubled over with laughter. When he had finished, he bowed chivalrously.

"Who am I" asked the speaker.
               "You are Pak Pandir!" shouted one lady.
               "What a genius acting!" shouted another lady, in a voice full of admiration.

               The speaker looked very pleased and bowed a few more times. The room was filled with cheers and clapping and he soaked up the adulation smugly.

                "Ladies and gentlemen," said the speaker,"what is the moral of this activity?"
                "Be confident to assume new roles and responsibilities," opined a lady.
                "Yes," said the speaker." We can teach our students to be positive when taking up new roles. What else?"
                " We can help uncover hidden talents. Our students will become more creative," said a male teacher.
               "You're right," said the speaker."We can help our students to tap into their creativity."
                "I like what we did just now. It encourages mutual learning. I am sure my students will enjoy it," remarked another teacher.

                 "Yes," said the speaker, " the activity enables the students to identify the personality traits of different characters in literary texts. As a teacher, you should tailor your activities in such a way that they are student-centered.  To make the students grasp the concept of your teaching, you have to act first.  Remember, do not let your character confine your creativity. As the fore-runners of education, we should be proactive, innovative, resourceful and brave when facing challenges."

                The course came to an end on a high note.  Many participants shook hands with the speaker. I did not shake hands with the man because I was not happy with what he had said in his closing speech.  He seemed to be hinting that I was not positive enough.

Mmm, did he really mean that? Was I, in fact, too negative?