Imagine: On the Job with Kayla
“Excuse me, sir? Where’s the library?” It’s Monday 1:05pm, and I am walking the sunny grounds of Lexington Elementary for the first time. I love first days. Despite anxious jitters and wondering if the pink accessories I chose to match my work shirt are over the top, I am super excited to meet my new playmates. As I enter the dimly-lit library, I am greeted by a flurry of fairy-like voices. Who are you? Are you ‘Imagine’? What are we gonna do? And so it begins. First days are what I like to think of as “convincing days”. My job of the day is to convince these curious children that I am interesting and fun. So I respond with, “My name is Ms. Kayla.” “Yes, I am from Imagine!” And “We are going to act and play theatre games!”
Cut to the end of three classes spanning three different age groups. I am alone. I am sweating. I mutter a soft “wow” to myself as I scrub marker smudges off of glossy white tables-tops. Wow. As in, I have my work cut out for me this trimester.
Being a social and emotional learning theatre teaching artist for 4 years has taught me that each residency is different. Every school has its own social environment because children have unique personalities, interests, and backgrounds. My time with children has given me ample experience sharing space with many types of behaviours. Although the first day often takes a lot of effort, I never get discouraged. We just met each other. We will get into a rhythm soon enough. Besides, there hasn’t been a behavior type I haven’t met before; children just take time to adjust to newness.
For many children in this generation—the generation where online gaming has replaced outdoor adventures with the neighborhood kids until sundown—“play” holds a different connotation. No matter the age, guiding children in seated circles, taking turns listening to one another, looking others in the eyes, exploring movements without fear of judgement is no easy task. Heck, getting them to want to be there can be difficult. Do I have to? Can I go on my laptop? and This is boring! are all common phrases I hear before I start every class. “Nopity nope nope! You don’t even know what we’re doing yet! C’mon, there’s a spot for you right here!” It is a constant game of reeling the fishies in.
My first day eventually becomes my first week and I feel as if I have ridden a rollercoaster. One that slowly takes you up an incredibly high peak, then shoots you down so fast that you feel you’ve left your stomach at the starting point and you find yourself being flipped into a giant loop. Hair messy, throat sore, heart pounding. Sometimes rollercoasters are fun; most of the time anxiety-inducing. That's what this week was like for me. My hair is messy from demonstrating games, my throat hurts from repeating directions, increasing the volume of and tone when I am being ignored. My heart is pounding because I have had SEVERAL conversations with children about keeping their hands to themselves and how profanity and rude comments are not tolerated. With each interaction, it feels as if my pleas for kindness and positive reflections do not register: Why? No I’m not!!! But they did it too! Why should I listen to you?
And yet, the seven hours I spent with them this week gives me a lot of hope. Funny enough, as soon as I set boundaries, I see an increase in interest. Communicating that if they cannot play with kindness, they will have to take a breather and watch for a bit. Somehow it works. Maybe they needed a breather to regulate; “Uhm Ms. Kayla, can I play? Please?” a boy asks. “Are you ready to respect the ensemble?” I ask. “Yes. Can I go next?” I cannot help but smile; I think he needed a breather and a spotlight. Don’t we all?
As the weeks progress, I learn that the younger kiddos love juggling scarves, the class plushie they named Mr. Panda, and making puppets. I also learn that grades 4 and 5 “lock in” during low stakes competitive games like team charades or creating costumes out of large pieces of butcher paper with only 10 minutes on the clock. When a challenge is presented to them, they love proving they are capable of meeting it. Even the hardest days become learning experiences for me. The day the 2nd graders were throwing markers and flipping chairs taught me they needed rest. Lights dimmed, ocean noises playing softly, and 18 little bodies sprawled out on the carpet, bellies slowly breathing in and out. Sometimes we need peaceful regulation.
Watching and listening has become my strongest asset at this placement. Giving the kids an opportunity to be heard creates ease. Most of the time children do not follow directions because they truly are “bored”. That boy that is always flipping his chair upside down to sit in between the legs actually needs to move his body. So, yes, maybe when he asks “Ms. Kayla, can we play Name Zombie?” that is exactly what we should be doing. And the girl that always talks over me, rolling her eyes when I ask her to stop gossiping is surprisingly an amazing improv actress. “Ms. Kayla, do you know that game where people have to come up with an idea to make the person sitting on a bench leave?” “You mean Park Bench!?” “YEAH! We played that last year with the other Imagine teacher!” We turn an impulse toward gossiping into an improv scene and flipping chairs into a game of embodied imagination.
The final weeks at any placement are bittersweet. Now we have a groove, they make perfect seated circles on their own, they understand Ms. Kayla does not like unkind actions, and they are having fun creating visual and performance art! But like the fairy godmother or Mary Poppins, as soon as we achieve that beautiful playful bliss, it's my time to leave. "Te recordaré” one of my shy Spanish speaking students tells me.
I look into her big brown eyes and take her small hand, giving it a gentle squeeze I tell her, “I’ll remember you too.”
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Kayla Adorno (she/her) has been a teaching artist and performer with Imagine since 2023. She is a full-time theatre artist, lending her talents as a playwright, actor, teaching artist, and production team member. Since receiving her B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University, with an emphasis in Youth Theatre, she has dedicated much of her career to mentoring young artists across San Diego. She has performed and worked with theatres such as TuYo, Bocón, Moxie, and The Old Globe. When she is not helping to tell stories, she enjoys exploring all things music.