Previously in Class 1:
The crocodile protectors had recived secret information regarding the Notsobig Crocodile: despite their best efforts, he had been captured and taken to an unknown location. The clues they received told them he was in jail in the UK. They had decided that they really needed more information about where the crocodile was: through C.C.T.V or something similar.
The aim:
- To use children's ideas to move the fiction on (by providing them with images of where the crocodile was)
- To attempt to step in and out of two or three different roles
- For the children ultimately to rescue the crocodile from jail
The reality:
I started this session with a plain grey wall on my interactive screen and myself in role as the Notsobig Crocodile. I've come to learn that when I am the only adult in the room, trying to be a crocodile, the best approach is just to be the crocodile and ignore all else around me; at some point, the children will gather. And they did. I sat on the carpet looking as sad as I imagined an imprisoned crocodile would look and started muttering to myself about how hungry and fed up I was. I acted as if the children weren't there* (incidentally, later on one child referred to this as 'that video we saw of the crocodile' which was pleasing). I then began to draw a barred window on the grey wall and to narrate what I could see - a large river, a big wheely thing, some boats, lots of red buses.** I also graffitied my guard onto the wall and miserably added another tally to the days I had been imprisoned. The children gradually became more interested and concerned for the crocodile as they identified what was going on.
I stepped out of role and the children told me what they had seen. Gone are the days of them saying 'it was really you!' or 'we saw you!' - instead it was all about the crocodile. This is good. They began to prepare for a rescue mission*** of epic proportions, taking varying approaches from the hopeful letter-writing to the guards ('he's kind please let him go') to the more ambitious attempt to build a remote-controlled drone complete with crocodile harness. When the children felt prepared, the rescue mission began.
I watched to see what they would do. Some caught a train to London, others launched their drones, a small group followed a map of London all the way around the school field. They all seemed invested in the fiction. It took me a while to decide what to do but then it came to me: I saw two children who had discguised themselves as prison guards and asked them what their plan was. They were going to trick the actual prison guards into letting them have the key to the crocodile's cell. I decided that if I were to be the actual prison guard, that might help.****
Me: What if I were the guard? What would you say to me?
Child: Oh hello, please could we have the key to the cell?
Me: To the crocodile's cell? That's closely guarded, I'm not sure...
Child: But then you could have your break and we'll guard him
Me: Ok, thanks, I'll take a 10 minute break
Child: That's okay, you can have 20 minutes (comedy)
I liked that.
This provided the next steps in the fiction: the children had they key and were heading to the crocodile's cell. Then some boys came along that had the notes for the guards. They'd taken the time to type them on the laptop and print them out (not always easy for six-year-olds) so, still in role as the guard, I read them. I agreed they could take the crocodile some food.
Which is why, two minutes later, I was the crocodile again, on the carpet in front of the interactive screen/jail cell wall. The children successfully fed me fish, burgers and strawberry ice cream before smuggling me out of the jail and onto a train direct from London to our village school (naturally).
When we had reached safety with each child on board the school-chair-train, I revealed to the children that while in prison I'd overheard guards talking: there was to be a trial soon: Trunky the Elephant v. The Enormous Crocodile. The children gasped. They began chattering excitedly, all immediately on the side of The Enormous Crocodile. It seems that they have, after all, become Crocodile Protectors.
Notes:
* Possible dramatic convention no. 2: The role present but framed as a film
** Use of iconic representation
*** Tension: danger known in advance, expected and planned for
**** Dramatic convention no 1; the role actually present
Levels of concern and investment were high today which was pleasing: they haven't always been during this particular mantle
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