Observation: Fran Johnson leading fit-up of Caucasian Chalk Circle 13 June, 10am-12pm

Safety. This is paramount today. The students are all in steelies (of course), and hard hats are popped onto heads when people go into the grid. The loading doors are open into the workshop and the back of the theatre--uninvolved students from other courses can't help but look in, so spotters and crossing guards are deployed in hi-vis while scenery is being moved. Smart!

There are about 20 people on stage, mostly electrics and technical and production management students. The scenic construction students must work safely around these varied and energetic activities. Noise is constant but also not as high-impact as the workshop typically is. The noises are more erratic, though, and the students are prone to being distracted by it.

Many first-year students, particularly GS, are on their first real fit-up.

Second-year construction student CS is HOD, and FJ wants her to be in charge of the other students. This is challenging for her, as FJ is right there and seems to know what he's doing. She is anxious about being in charge and doesn't really seem to have a clue what comes next. She does, but she's acting like she doesn't.

FJ repeatedly expresses his trepidation about this to other non-students on stage. Has his confidence taken a blow?

Fit-ups at Central are not the most efficient undertakings. But that's not really the point of them, is it? Everyone gathers 'round to observe GS trimming a flooring panel, under FJ's guidance. He's measuring to remove the obvious excess, one step at a time, to fit a floor panel around the proscenium, and the second years have stopped what they're doing to listen in. It is a worthwhile teachable moment, but don't you have something else you're supposed to be doing? The students respect and like, but do not fear FJ. They appear very comfortable around him, ask him questions and tell him their concerns and worries.

FJ pauses a moment to offer CS some reassurance. "It's like spinning plates, doing a fit-up: if you aren't sure what to do just look around and monitor what you've got people doing. If they're not doing what you asked them to do, check and see if they're doing something useful. If not, give them something useful to do."

GS's communication immaturity continually poses a challenge to FJ. It is difficult to be sure he understood you, as he starts saying "yeah, yeah, I got it" before FJ's finished talking or reached the crux of his point. He seems impatient to be free of teaching. FJ responds to this tendency similarly to me: you can see on his face he's not confident that GS understood, and repeats "does that make sense? I'm not making it clear." while GS tries to dismiss him. Is there a better way to deal with this attitude among clever, well-liked undergraduates? He's not giving him sass exactly, nor is he being oppositional-defiant, but he routinely cuts people off before he actually understands what they're trying to teach him, inhibiting his own learning.

Excellent use of chunk-based teaching: FJ breaks down the process of fitting the sheet materials around the proscenium into individual steps, and sets GS to do each step, then come back. Start Simple: cut the sheet length to the longest point needed. Now measure how deep the kick-out is based on the available overhang. GS whines that surely this has been done before--why don't we keep a template? The classic "we don't keep a template specifically so you have to learn how to do it. You're not going to have a template for every theatre you work in in your career." gets a uniform groan from everyone, and then a laugh.

FJ is teaching GS primarily, which makes sense. The other students, however, crave his attention. CS resists decision-making: she continues to try to get FJ to instruct them. Tough love here.

RM savours opportunities to teach. He wants to be seen methodically showing a first year TPM how to safely use the circular saw. JM has been inducted on this tool but he's listening anyway. Positive engagement with PPE all around, which is great to see.