Manic Mondays, by Michele Miller

Hello Friends, 

Through my experiences as a teacher I have felt like I’m always ‘on’.  As a high school theatre teacher I would constantly be running a theatre game or scene while also making asides to students who were not adhering to my classroom expectations.  In the following monologue from my one woman show, How to Be A Successful Teacher, the chaos of Monday morning is exhibited through theatre games, coffee guzzling, and students working together.

Enjoy!                          

 

TIME:                         Monday morning, 7:45 am.

AT RISE:                     Mrs. M enters with a large coffee cup and shoulder bag that is stuffed with books and teacher items. She puts her bag down, looks at the clock and takes out a small notebook. She begins writing on a fold up dry erase board that has a sign on the top of it that says “DO NOW BOARD”.  She begins writing on the board. She writes 1. Enter classroom and stand in circle for warm-up. 2. Put away hats, cell phones, and electronic devices. 3. Warm up led by teacher. She then looks at clock, looks at board and erases the board and writes: 1. Put cell phones, electronic devices, and hats away. 2. Stand in a circle 3. Wait for Mrs. M to lead warm-up. She looks at clock again, looks at board, takes a swig of her coffee and erases the board. She writes 1. Enter classroom. 2. Put cell phones, electronic devices, and hats away. 3. Stand in circle. She then erases the word ‘stand’ and replaces it with STAND. She puts her notebook in bag, looks at classroom door, and takes a swig of coffee. During the following monologue she gets increasingly faster with every ‘Good morning Good morning’. Students are entering the classroom as she speaks.

MRS M

(Energetic and Fast.) Good morning.  Good morning. Good morning. Cell phones, electronic devices away, hats off, follow the Do Now board.  Good morning, good morning Cell phones, electronic devices away, hats off, follow the Do Now board.   Tamika your hair looks nice today. You’re welcome. Good morning, good morning, cell phones, electronic devices away, hats off follow the Do Now board.  Tyree your hat is off, thank you. What’s that Tamika? I’m sorry you’re tired but I promise after our warm-up you will feel very energized and awake. Good morning, good morning cell phones, electronic devices away hats are off follow the Do Now board, Sharese your cell phone is away. Follow the Do Now board honey. The Do Now board. It’s right in front of you. No not your right, no not hear the counter, right here, (MRS. M directs her to where the board is.) See right here.  There you go very good.  Good morning good morning cell phones, electronic devices away, hats are off, follow the Do Now board, Tyree I said your hat is off.  Jaquan follow the Do Now board please. It’s right in front  honey, no not in front of the door, right in front here, next to me, as soon as you walk in see, there ya go. (To Jaquan) Yes we are standing in a circle. (Noticing the students have sat down.) No, no no no no, we aren’t sitting in a circle we are standing in a circle I put those chairs on the side for a reason, Tamika I know you’re tired but please stand up you will feel much more awake after warm-up. Sharese your cell phone away. (Getting faster.) Good morning good morning cell phones, electronic devices away hats are off follow the Do Now board come on guys we’re all standing in a circle ok? Hats are off, thank you again Tyree, keep that hat off. Ok we ‘re all standing in circle, (Putting coffee down.), everybody we’re standing, come on guys were standing in a circle and we’re going to start with a reach up.  (Starts to reach her arms up.) Good morning good morning come in everybody cell phones, electronic devices away, hats are off follow the Do Now board..  Sharese I’m not going to say it again that cell phone is away. Ok we’re going to reach up, everybody. Everybody! Everybody we are reaching up to the sky and we are going to drop our fingertips, good morning good morning come on in, drop our wrists no were not roiling down fully yet Jaquan ok, drop our arms, no we’re standing up Tamika, ok, drop out, now drop our arms fully, drop our head, and our shoulders. Ok now we are going to roll down Jaquan. 8, 7, Sharese  cell phone completely away, 6, Good morning good morning come in follow the Do Now board, 5 Tamika stand please, 4 cell phones electronic devices away, 3 Tyree your hat is off, 2-

 (CONFESSIONAL.MRS. M speaks to a camera)

 

MRS M

I teach theatre and dance to high school students, grades nine through twelve, in an inner city. I love teaching theatre and dance, I love it.  Yes I do think it’s apparent to my students that I love teaching.

(CLASSROOM. In the following monologue Miss M uses the audience as the students to play Zip Zap Zop. ) 

MRS. M (Cont.)

(Still energetic.) Rolling back up in 5, 4,3,2,1. Ok that was great! That was a great job everyone. Good, good, ok now we are going to play zip  zap  zop. Does anyone remember? Tamika we are still standing honey, you just did so good, come on stay with me stay with me. Ok, does anyone remember how to play zip, zap,  zop? No? No? Ok that’s ok I’ll reteach-(Majeeda enters on cell phone.) Majeeda why are we late? Ok ok ok calm down honey I’m just asking, because you’re not allowed to walk in on your cell phone.  I understand that the bus dropped you off late but  no cell phones in class ok so please put it away, ok great thanks. Ok come in and join us we are playing zip, zap, zop. So nobody remembers how to play that’s ok I’ll reteach. (Turns to Majeeda.) Honey I don’t know why  those are the exact words, I didn’t make it up.  I’m sorry you think they’re corny Majeeda but those are the words, zip zap zop. Sharese your cell phone is away. I don’t care that it’s your mother, your mother knows you’re not supposed to be on your cell phone in class and if it’s a problem you can give me the phone and I can speak to her. Ok? OK putting it away, thank you. Ok zip zap zop, ok so everyone say ZIP, ZAP, ZOP. (Waits for class to respond.) zip, zap, zop, ok good. I know I know they’re corny but those are the words for the game. The whole point of the game is to work together as a team; focusing and concentrating.  Focusing and concentrating as a team, ok?

MRS. M (Cont.)

So we start by standing in parallel, remember parallel is with our feet underneath our armpits and are hands together-Tyree why is your hat on? We’re not doing a scene about hats. We are not going to do a scene later about hats. We will never do a scene about hats ever in this building because there are no hats allowed in this building, ok? So please take it off. Thank you very much. Ok so start with our feet in parallel and our hands together and I’m going to send Tamika, who’s still standing a Zip, and when I send it to her I’m going to clap my hands together like this. Ok good, but no Jaquan not in their face like that we don’t want anyone getting hurt remember keeping this safe space. Ok so I send Tamika a zip, ZIP, now Tamika you send someone a zap. Zap. Good, now Majeeda you send someone a Zop. Ok good now you send someone a? A zop. Good, ok good now Jaquan you start it again, send someone a Zip, good, Zap…Zop. OK good let’s start again. (To Sharese.) Your phone is not in your pocket right its away, away in your bag where I can’t see it. Thanks, ok Sharese why don’t you start. Zip. Zap. Zop. Ok it’s ok if you mess up the words, don’t yell at each other. If you mess up the words you mess up the words, you just start again. The order is Zip, Zap, Zop. Everyone say it back to me again, Zip, come on everyone, Zap, Zop. Ok, good job. Ok so let’s start it again, Tamika. Zip. Zap…Zop. Good, Zip, ok, ok, ok who was that too Tyree, ok it’s ok Majeeda it’s ok, Tyree you have to make eye contact with her so she knows your sending it to her. Ok so send it again Tyree. Good, Zap.  Remember pay attention don’t look at the floor, stay in it stay in it. Good Zop. Zip, Zap, Zop.  (Getting faster.) Zip, Zap, good, Zop. Zip, zap zop, zip, zap, zop. Great, great!! That was great, see you all did it together as a team, as an ensemble. Great job! Jaquan, how’d you get Tyree’s hat on?