Improv: Can anyone do it?

Whenever I taught an intro level improv class, I would always tell my students that "anyone can do improv." A bold claim? Perhaps. But I feel that this claim is justified.

First of all, the fact that the students are even IN the class shows that they're at least somewhat motivated to learn. Having motivation is the biggest key, in my opinion. It's the instructor's job to simply not kill this motivation (and hopefully encourage it).

Every student is going to face difficulties at some point in the course. For some, the concept of "Yes And" might be a tough one to figure out. Many students need to have the instinct to ask a lot of questions ritually beat from them. The goal, of course, is to create an environment where it's okay to make "mistakes" and to encourage students when things aren't going well.

No two students are going to learn exactly the same way. Hearing an improv concept explained one way might sound like a foreign language. Sometimes the instructor will have to explain or demonstrate these ideas multiple different ways. Sometimes it will even require learning from more than one instructor. This is by no means the fault of the beginning improviser. It is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure the learning.

What does it take to be a good improv instructor?

1. Be a good improviser yourself. Perform every chance you get. Perform with good improvisers and weak improvisers. Learn how to adapt to different players' styles. Take every workshop you can. Get notes from your director/coach on your performances and rehearsals. Discuss your shows with fellow players. Watch shows that aren't your own. Read books and blogs of experienced improvisers. Take classes, even intro level courses. Know the fundamentals of improv.
2. Be patient. Doubly so in beginner classes. Most have never done improv before meeting you. They will make mistakes that make you cringe on the inside. Don't try to fix everything right away. Focus on one fundamental concept at a time, and let the pieces fall into place.
3. Have fun. Enjoy what you're doing. If teaching improv comedy ever starts to feel like work, you're doing something wrong. The instructor should laugh the loudest. Nothing makes an intro level student feel better than knowing they did well enough to make the instructor laugh.
4. Praise often. Before class, during each exercise, at the end of every class, in your Facebook status updates... every chance you get. There has never been an improv class in the history of civilization that didn't have something positive come out of it. Accentuate it. Brag about your students.
5. Take notes and keep them. Not just from other classes you've taken and other instructors you've learned from (although those are extremely valuable), but notes on classes you've taught. Not just the good stuff that happened, but the bad, too. What worked in a lesson? What didn't work? Being able to refer to this later will help you refine your classes and build stronger improvisers.
6. Develop an arsenal of exercises. Know what exercises can help focus on and bring out different skills. However, don't rely on just the exercises. Be able to spot good and bad examples, and help your students to know the difference.

I feel that any improviser who wants to better their own skills needs to teach improv as well. Like going from Jedi Padawan to Jedi Knight to Jedi Master, an improviser should seek to further themselves. Not only is this valuable for those taking the class, but you learn more by teaching others. It forces you to recall and reinforce the fundamentals of improv yourself. You learn to evaluate a scene and recognize the good and bad points. You will find that your own performances are enhanced from the experience of teaching.

One goal of mine is to open an improv training center in the city of Nashville. However, more important than training new students is to train new instructors. The next generation of improvisers depends on this.