The best sort of Teacher PD is sweary, fun and includes a fully stocked bar
Presented by: Expressions Media
Reviewed: 23 February, 2024
There is a group of people who rarely get an opportunity to gather, and when they do, it is usually for some professional development (PD) that meets the AITSL standards, promotes a growth mindset, makes us focus on scaffolding and differentiation, and every other education buzzword under the sun.
This Fringe, teachers are booking in droves for Extra Curricular’s specialty consultancy, and the end of session feedback is glowing. It’s sweary, it’s niche, and it’s way more fun than any PD I have done before.
Written specifically for a teacher crowd, Libby and Matt (and Staff Band) deliver a high-energy PD session in cabaret format that takes jabs at everything from sports days to parent-teacher interviews, and that one grub who steals your mug in the staffroom. Filled with mostly original song (and a buzzword rap set to Vanilla Ice’s Ice, Ice Baby) that have the audience nodding and cheering as everything rings true, it is clear that this show is written by people in the know… members of that unique enclave known as “educators”.
Reviewing this on a Friday night after a long week of teaching high school, it was clear I was with my people – teachers from all walks of life; public or private, early childhood to secondary, even the maths teachers got a shout-out. The collaboration between Libby and Matt (who met as teachers – she’s a drama teacher, he’s a legal studies teacher) is both musically and lyrically excellent, with high-energy numbers that have audiences grinning throughout. Supported by a “staff band” on bass and drums, it is first and foremost a comedy cabaret, tapping into all the quirks that the education industry has evolved (or devolved) into.
The packed-out audience was full of teachers (or possibly the odd spouse of a teacher) and the act makes no claims to cater for anyone else. Would the gags hit quite as well to a non-teacher audience? Probably not… most of the skill demonstrated is the eliciting of nods and “it’s funny because it is true”. This doesn’t diminish however from the powerhouse vocals of Libby Trainor Parker, or the great banter between all performers on stage and even in the audience.
A definite recommendation to teacher friends who need to let their hair down… plus you get a PD certificate that aligns with AITSL standards 6 and 7 – although no guarantees if the TRB recognises such accurate delivery of “7.4 engaging with professional teaching networks and broader communities”, but it’s a solid “above standard” grade for these trainers.
Reviewed by Hayley Horton
Venue: Prompt Creative Centre
Season: 25 February – 3 March
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $32
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/extra-curricular-af2024
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