Lessons for instructor-student interactions in physics from the world of improvisational theater

Abstract

A considerable share of the literature on physics education and on education more broadly focuses on the principles which should guide the design of courses and of classroom activities. In this short article I wish to place more attention on the unplanned aspects of teaching: specifically, the spontaneous interactions that occur between instructors and students in settings like office hours, recitations, and when students ask questions during lecture. Because by their nature these interactions require thinking on one's feet, and depend upon the interplay between instructor and student, they share many characteristics with improvisational theater (improv). I document three foundational principles from improv literature (active listening, "yes-and," and the "button") and describe how they relate to established principles from physics education research. I provide examples of how each principle can be used to bring solid pedagogical practices to the unstructured space of instructor-student interactions.