Performing at School, a plea from the heart

[ibm_usa]

Where I come from '15 year old kids' go to school to learn & don't ask their teachers to 'play with them under the desk' . Well it's obvious you won't change so we'll have to agree to disagree I hope one day you'll see the point of our advice.

Russ

I went to school to learn back when I was considered a geek, I had no friends and I was always alone, now since I go to school to socialize only, now since I have become immortal amongst the student body through my talent of magic I am very well liked.

[laserbrain69]

Guys,

I see on here time and time again, threads which say "What can I perform at school now that cards are banned?" or "How can I get rid of my cards in a hurry, because I'm not supposed to have them" - or one of a number of School Rules that are being broken.

It's great to perform at school and get feedback from your friends, it really is - heck, if we couldn't get feedback from those we choose to call friends, we'd have a hard time improving.

Having said that - if your school has made it known to you that your magic is not welcome, whether it's just that you only perform cards, or that the school doesn't welcome you creating a disturbance or a large gathering of people - Why would you go and break these rules?

Rule breaking doesn't make you more of an underground magician, or more of a rebel - it just angers those that have authority, those who are able to make your life a little worse (whether it's extra homework or a detention).

Instead of this, if you're after feedback, why not spend one evening a week at a local Children's Hospital?

If you spoke to them first and arranged something, I'm sure they'd welcome the entertainment.

Why not volunteer to entertain at an Old Folks Home? Again, plenty of real world performing chances there, but it's maybe something you wouldn't have considered first.

School is there for learning, and by flagrantly flaunting the rules there, you damage all of our reputations - whether you mean to or not.

Every time you have a deck of cards in your hands, or every time you approach someone to show them a trick, you're also carrying my reputation, you're carrying the reputations of everyone here - right the way up to Brad - Please make sure you do us all proud and act with dignity and manners towards your spectators, or those who are asking you to discontinue your performance and move on.

If only one person gets something from this thread, then it's been worth my time.

Thank you.



Brendon.

Wow. Well said. I don't think that I could have put it better myself. Being 15, and addicted to magic, I perform all the time at school. I am quite lucky though, because our headmaster used to do magic, so he almost encourages me to do it, however not in class.

Thanks for a beautifully written essay, and well done.

[CrossMagic08]

I agree with your message completly

Forunatly at my school cards are allowd and i have a few teachers who love to watch em perform andonly about one that wont let me take cards out in class, also i dont interupt classes i perform in study halls when i walk down the halls during my own and im very well known from my magic, i also perform during lunch and when i we go on class trips, im very lucky and futher more i have a few pupils or rather younger kids that brin in cards that try to learn off my performances, freshman in my school as i am a senior myself.

im sorry for the many mispellings, i havent typed in a long time and im not sure how to use the spell check with my mac mouse.

[balisistreet]

Guys,

I see on here time and time again, threads which say "What can I perform at school now that cards are banned?" or "How can I get rid of my cards in a hurry, because I'm not supposed to have them" - or one of a number of School Rules that are being broken.

It's great to perform at school and get feedback from your friends, it really is - heck, if we couldn't get feedback from those we choose to call friends, we'd have a hard time improving.

Having said that - if your school has made it known to you that your magic is not welcome, whether it's just that you only perform cards, or that the school doesn't welcome you creating a disturbance or a large gathering of people - Why would you go and break these rules?

Rule breaking doesn't make you more of an underground magician, or more of a rebel - it just angers those that have authority, those who are able to make your life a little worse (whether it's extra homework or a detention).

Instead of this, if you're after feedback, why not spend one evening a week at a local Children's Hospital?

If you spoke to them first and arranged something, I'm sure they'd welcome the entertainment.

Why not volunteer to entertain at an Old Folks Home? Again, plenty of real world performing chances there, but it's maybe something you wouldn't have considered first.

School is there for learning, and by flagrantly flaunting the rules there, you damage all of our reputations - whether you mean to or not.

Every time you have a deck of cards in your hands, or every time you approach someone to show them a trick, you're also carrying my reputation, you're carrying the reputations of everyone here - right the way up to Brad - Please make sure you do us all proud and act with dignity and manners towards your spectators, or those who are asking you to discontinue your performance and move on.

If only one person gets something from this thread, then it's been worth my time.

Thank you.



Brendon.

Well for one thing it depends on the person performing, For Example a kid who works with close up at a school enviroment these are the main points

• Keep up your grades (most important)
• Stay within limits
• If performing for a class, plan ahead with that teacher(Fridays Always works the best)

If you follow these standards this should be no problem performing in a school enviroments.

[The_Illusionist]

My school does not think me doing magic is breaking the rules. In fact they encourage it. Just today I entered a talent show sort and thing and performed Tagged by Rich Ferguson. Everyone loved it and no one had any idea how it was done. It was great.

[LiQuiDBuLL3TZZ]

Guys,

I see on here time and time again, threads which say "What can I perform at school now that cards are banned?" or "How can I get rid of my cards in a hurry, because I'm not supposed to have them" - or one of a number of School Rules that are being broken.

It's great to perform at school and get feedback from your friends, it really is - heck, if we couldn't get feedback from those we choose to call friends, we'd have a hard time improving.

Having said that - if your school has made it known to you that your magic is not welcome, whether it's just that you only perform cards, or that the school doesn't welcome you creating a disturbance or a large gathering of people - Why would you go and break these rules?

Rule breaking doesn't make you more of an underground magician, or more of a rebel - it just angers those that have authority, those who are able to make your life a little worse (whether it's extra homework or a detention).

Instead of this, if you're after feedback, why not spend one evening a week at a local Children's Hospital?

If you spoke to them first and arranged something, I'm sure they'd welcome the entertainment.

Why not volunteer to entertain at an Old Folks Home? Again, plenty of real world performing chances there, but it's maybe something you wouldn't have considered first.

School is there for learning, and by flagrantly flaunting the rules there, you damage all of our reputations - whether you mean to or not.

Every time you have a deck of cards in your hands, or every time you approach someone to show them a trick, you're also carrying my reputation, you're carrying the reputations of everyone here - right the way up to Brad - Please make sure you do us all proud and act with dignity and manners towards your spectators, or those who are asking you to discontinue your performance and move on.

If only one person gets something from this thread, then it's been worth my time.

Thank you.



Brendon.

Great post. my school doesnt care if we do magic... as long as we are not gambling. haha. i always draw crowds in the halls and the teachers just tell us to move along...its all good.

[Dentian]

Well our school doesn't even care about cards or gambling we are free no rules. So i guess i can show magic at school before class and at lunch times.

[GutsGoldGlory]

My high school ranges from 7th grade all the way up to 12th. All of the six years I was there I practiced magic. Not once did I bring a deck of cards to school. It wasn't that the teachers were strict about bringing cards there. Heck, if you wanted to you could probably play cards, gamble, and down a six-pack with your buddies. My school's teachers were pretty laid back. Just don't do it in class, wait till lunch or a free period.

A buddy of does magic. He goes to the same school as I do. He is good and knows what he is doing. However it seems that when he performs, the people with the typical high school mentality are going to be watching magic to learn how it is done and expose it. It seems like they weren't watching him for the sake of watching magic, but to turn to the person next to them and say "did you see how he did that one? he took the card and he..." Even if they tell the person the wrong way to do the trick, they don't care. They just wanna show that they know everything. I've seen them even try to mess up the kids trick on purpose.

It may be different in your schools but I just couldn't imagine myself performing for these jerks. When I perform I like to perform for people that are interested in watching magic, and enjoying themselves. Anyway I am sure the topic of "picking the right crowd" leads off into another thread posted on these awesome forums, so i'll let you find your way to that.

If your school isnt like this, or you want to perform for just a few people you know just wanna watch magic for fun, then pick a time that is convenient for all of you. Not while the teacher is in the middle of a lesson. Not in the middle of a hallway while class is in session. Try a lunch period, a free period, a study hall, or before/after school.

Good luck guys,
3G's

[Archangel2]

Ptenbob, what can I say about your post that hasn't already been said about sliced bread, it's great man. As a 17 year on in High school I know all too well the reprecussions from performing at school. This year even I decided some 2-3 weeks into school that I was done performing during education hours.

I was not only constantly getting in trouble but my grades began to suffer the slightest bit and that's when I knew it was time to stop. I had a lot of moments when we were doing something important and the slackers in class would insist on talking to me and trying to convince me to do a trick so that I was so distracted I couldn't learn.

Like you said, school is for learning, everywhere else is for magic. As a final thought, for those of you who are considering performing in school, just try to imagine the level of satisfaction you have to keep, apart from being distracted all day, the students expect to see something new and if they don't they quickly drop you, drop you like you're hot. So thanks for posting this ptenbob, I'm positive that a lot of people will find this information beneficial.

I am a retired High school teacher and I used to always carry my cards with me at school. I would often perform for the class when it was appropriate. Usually I would do some effects in the last days before a break when many students were absent anyway. I figured it was a way of rewarding the students who did come despite their peers' absence. Sometimes as an incentive to a class, I would offer to show them a trick after they had finished an assignment or a test or the homework for the day. I was not ever breaking any rules I ever heard about and I sure knew I could not keep it secret that I sometimes did this. I felt as long as I chose appropriate times, there was never any harm done. I remember having at least two students whom I taught some tricks to who continued doing some on their own. I feel I gave them an introduction to a lifelong hobby if they so chose to pursue it. No harm done there I feel. There is no question that some students remember me more for the card tricks I did than for some of the lessons I taught. Being human in a classroom is never wrong. School is many things, not the least of which is learning how to be a person with various sides.

[Gary T.]

if people are told that theyre not allowed to perform at school, they must be doing something wrong, maybe its because i live in a small town, my school only has 1 level and 1 building in comparison to some that you see that are like 3 stories high, regardless, most of the people at school love my magic..... as long as im not performing IN class when im supposed to be learning.

one day, i was performing for a table at lunch, totally impromtu, i had no idea i was gonna be performing until a guy called me over to his table and ask me to show them some stuff, anyway, i had JUST finished triumph, when i hear a voice behind me calling for me, it was a teacher, "great, im in trouble now" i thought, i left my cards on the table and started to walk to the teachers table, and the teacher goes "bring your cards, i wanna see!" lol, i even have 1 sub that lets me perform in class when every1s done with their work...

so it may be different in a big school i dont know, whatever the case, i believe the reason your not allowed to perform in school is because your not performing CORRECTLY in school, my rules to performing in school? perform when its appropriate, and dont play with your stuff in class, and the teachers shouldnt mind, performing at lunch is cool, and on "free days" is usually alright, just dont be pulling out your cards in class and they probably wont make a rule against it

[I:C]

yes in my school is very hard the performance because is big and multi school are close and no i profesional even