Although Chris' greatest passion is writing plays, a close second is sharing her love of creativity with others. Colleges that produce Chris' work often ask her to lecture or conduct workshops with their students--invitations she enthusiastically embraces. Chris also enjoys working with younger students. As a teaching artist and part-time substitute teacher, Chris has conducted improvisation-based playwriting workshops for students in elementary and middle school targeting not only language arts, but also history and science. In short, Chris adapts workshops to meet the needs and expectations of sponsor organizations.
Here's what educators (and a student) say:
“…One of the students who participated in the play is diagnosed as a stutterer. He began the year shy and quiet and was reluctant to speak in any group situation. I was amazed to watch him perform on the day of the play. He appeared comfortable and spoke freely in front of a crowd of at least 70 people. This student reported that he was unafraid because the lines in the play were child generated and it was “really fun” to work with Mrs. Swanson.”
--Speech Language Pathologist, Elementary School
“I had the opportunity to observe Chris’ improvisational approach to teaching in action. One of the many improvisational exercises she did with my third graders focused on the various animal classifications. The students work in pairs while acting as different animals and applying characteristics of that particular animal into dialogue while trying to convince superiority over the other animal. It was wonderful to see my students’ enthusiasm, and I was especially amazed to see some of my shyest students come out of their shells as they were actively engaged in these improvisations.”
--Third Grade Teacher
“Chris is a tremendous teacher and playwright who loves sharing her craft and talents with young people. Whenever she substitutes for me, I plan time during the day for her to challenge my students to shine by creating skits about topics as diverse as planets, economics, ecosystems, and biographies. On one occasion, I actually observed Chris working with my students as they enthusiastically took a topic and incorporated it into engaging skits, using facts and humor. Chris didn't impose her own thoughts on the students, but rather, offered them guidelines for structure, while allowing them the freedom to think ‘outside the box.’”
--Fifth Grade Teacher
“Chris is a rare find. When she subbed for my middle school English classes, she volunteered her lunch time to run an improv workshop with students. Students began packing their lunches just so they could spend more time with her. The lessons Chris taught carried over to the classroom. When we read stories aloud, students would tell each other to ‘change your intonation so you capture the character.’ WOW! They began to ask questions about character and motivation. This type of thinking was a direct result of Chris’ interaction with students. She not only has the talent of creativity, but she knows how to bring out creativity in others. Once that connection is made, there really is no limit to where the kids might go!”
--Middle School English Language Arts Teacher
“Chris…accepted an invitation to visit my Introduction to Theatre class as a guest artist. She spoke on her creative process as a playwright, an inspiring lecture that my students referred to throughout the semester…She is a gifted artist and teacher who is passionate about her craft and helping others succeed.”
--University Professor
“I have this opinion and it’s learning just isn’t fun…Improvisation is a whole different thing. It’s the thing we look forward to during the day. It makes us excited because we’re learning about playwrights and how a play works, but we also get a good laugh when we express ourselves as characters. I cry and my stomach hurts because I laugh so hard…As kids, we can all tell you’re committed and love your job as a playwright.”
--Fifth Grade Student
Here's what educators (and a student) say:
“…One of the students who participated in the play is diagnosed as a stutterer. He began the year shy and quiet and was reluctant to speak in any group situation. I was amazed to watch him perform on the day of the play. He appeared comfortable and spoke freely in front of a crowd of at least 70 people. This student reported that he was unafraid because the lines in the play were child generated and it was “really fun” to work with Mrs. Swanson.”
--Speech Language Pathologist, Elementary School
“I had the opportunity to observe Chris’ improvisational approach to teaching in action. One of the many improvisational exercises she did with my third graders focused on the various animal classifications. The students work in pairs while acting as different animals and applying characteristics of that particular animal into dialogue while trying to convince superiority over the other animal. It was wonderful to see my students’ enthusiasm, and I was especially amazed to see some of my shyest students come out of their shells as they were actively engaged in these improvisations.”
--Third Grade Teacher
“Chris is a tremendous teacher and playwright who loves sharing her craft and talents with young people. Whenever she substitutes for me, I plan time during the day for her to challenge my students to shine by creating skits about topics as diverse as planets, economics, ecosystems, and biographies. On one occasion, I actually observed Chris working with my students as they enthusiastically took a topic and incorporated it into engaging skits, using facts and humor. Chris didn't impose her own thoughts on the students, but rather, offered them guidelines for structure, while allowing them the freedom to think ‘outside the box.’”
--Fifth Grade Teacher
“Chris is a rare find. When she subbed for my middle school English classes, she volunteered her lunch time to run an improv workshop with students. Students began packing their lunches just so they could spend more time with her. The lessons Chris taught carried over to the classroom. When we read stories aloud, students would tell each other to ‘change your intonation so you capture the character.’ WOW! They began to ask questions about character and motivation. This type of thinking was a direct result of Chris’ interaction with students. She not only has the talent of creativity, but she knows how to bring out creativity in others. Once that connection is made, there really is no limit to where the kids might go!”
--Middle School English Language Arts Teacher
“Chris…accepted an invitation to visit my Introduction to Theatre class as a guest artist. She spoke on her creative process as a playwright, an inspiring lecture that my students referred to throughout the semester…She is a gifted artist and teacher who is passionate about her craft and helping others succeed.”
--University Professor
“I have this opinion and it’s learning just isn’t fun…Improvisation is a whole different thing. It’s the thing we look forward to during the day. It makes us excited because we’re learning about playwrights and how a play works, but we also get a good laugh when we express ourselves as characters. I cry and my stomach hurts because I laugh so hard…As kids, we can all tell you’re committed and love your job as a playwright.”
--Fifth Grade Student