​Classroom Clowning

Many of us remember the "class clown" from our schooling years, but perhaps not many witnessed professional clowning introduced within our coursework. I visit schools and put on shows- some silly and abstract, some specifically tailored for lessons, and always educational. Silly, eccentric entertainment allows students to think outside the box and learn through discovery. Children are great at this- young brains thrive on discovery with limitless possibility. But as they grow older, cram more information about the world into their heads, and bend to structure and routine, they begin to follow societal patterns to assimilate- this is an evolved defense mechanism that makes us tolerable business partners, but often forsakes our independent imaginations.
In clowning, I remind kids to leap without that safety net of social norms and see world around them in a playful, beautiful light. This lends itself to appreciating their surroundings: when a chair is not simply a chair but also a dancing partner, a crown, a musician, or a pet with a mind and behavior of its own, students can open their eyes to merge physics and thought, and appreciate the world through a different lens.
This work applies to humans of all ages, but that's a longer psychological discussion.

Educational Variety Clown with Sherman Elementary, San Francisco