Workshops for Teachers (and Other Grownups)

The Spirit of Japan: Teaching about Japan through Folktales

For K-8 teachers. How can we develop children’s interest in, appreciation of, and respect for a culture different from their own? Folktales can be an engaging tool to provide students with an understanding of history and the universality of human culture. Come prepared for great stories and new ideas for your classroom!

Motoko will discuss basics of Japanese folklore, history, and religions, and ways to incorporate arts into classroom teaching. Participants will also write and tell their own adaptation of Japanese folktales. The format includes performance, lecture, and participatory activities. Participants will receive bibliography and other resources.


Bodystories: Mime and Movement for Storytellers

Come ready to move and have fun! Using mime, movement, and improvisation, Motoko will guide you through exercises that will enhance your “physical eloquence.” Whether you tell professionally or with kids in the classroom or at home, this workshop will help you “activate” your storytelling!

This workshop is for storytellers of all levels of experience. Through gentle exercises and fun theater games, participants will begin to grasp basics of mime (defined as “physical eloquence”) and to explore freedom of their own physical expression. The format is 80% hands-on, participatory exercises, and 20% theory and discussion. Participants will receive bibliography for further study.


Stories R Us: Personal/Family Storytelling for Adults

Why tell stories? To enjoy, to share, and to show that we care! Using fun games, prompts, and exercises, and using her own experiences as examples, Motoko will guide you through the beginning of what could turn into a life-long journey! Come and enjoy this opportunity to tell outrageous truths, and fabulous lies!

This workshop will teach participants how to create coherent and engaging stories out of their own life experiences. Reflecting upon their personal changes and growth, they will also explore ways to transcend facts to reach the truths. The format includes demonstration, lecture, and plenty of hands-on.



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