Purpose:

Improv for Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Learners: A Creative Way to Develop Affective Skills shows the connection and benefit of improv to the social, emotional, and cognitive development of students. Improv is supportive of all students. It is especially supportive for students who have an IEP or a 504 Plan as well as students who are gifted, twice-exceptional (2e), culturally and linguistically diverse, low-income, LGBTQIA+.

Content:

Improv for Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Learners: A Creative Way to Develop Affective Skills is an engaging, hands-on professional development. Together we experience improv in an emotionally safe and collaborative environment.  We unpack the benefits of improv as it relates to the development of students' social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Throughout the session, we engage in improv activities. After each activity, we debrief and make connections to the social, emotional, and cognitive development of students.

Outcomes:

Anyone who attends the professional development will leave understanding how students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development is supported through improv. 

Some skills are: 

• Making and maintaining friendships

• Developing self-advocacy skills

• Asking questions and commenting appropriately

• Recognizing and being open to another’s perspective

• Reading body language

• Understanding vocal cues

• Interpreting and portraying emotions

• Building self-confidence and self-regulation

• Promoting attention

• Building resilience and tenacity

• Being present in the moment

• Managing perfectionism