So here's the steps I go through when I'm planning an improv class.
Whether it's a drop-in, elective or part of a longer course - what do I want to convey to my students this week? What skill set am I imparting? If the class is part of a course then I'll have worked out all the themes in advance. So if I'm teaching a course on improvising Science Fiction B-movies, my topics might be - Crew cohesion, B-movie dialogue, Playing monsters, Narrative structure, Improvised special effects etc. Remember to teach the areas the class will need most practice with earlier in the course. It's always worth knowing what you're shooting for and I've found a class appreciates a clear steer on what they are learning that week.
I got this from Andrew Berkowitz of Improv Boston. Once you have your topic - think about the Atomic skills. That is the individual skills that make up the larger skill set. So if your overall topic is Ensemble work then your atomic skills might be: listening, moving as a group and scene painting. I think three is a good number of atomic skills to work with in a 2.5 - 3 hour class but if you absolutely positively feel you need a fourth, that's going to be fine. I just find it helps to have clarity as to the overall goal and the individual skills that make up that goal.
I write little introductions for my classes - a series of talking points, not an actual script, although I enjoy the incongruity of starting an improv class with prepared words. If I'm new to the students then I'll talk a little about me, then I'll introduce the topic and tell them what skills we'll be practicing.
I always plan a boundaries and accommodation section. The reasons could fill many pages but in brief: in order to allow people to improvise safely, the teacher must hold the space in such a way that students feel secure. One of many ways you can do that is reiterate any absolute boundaries for your class - no violence (real or imagined), no punching down, no peer feedback etc. It's then useful to go round the class individually and ask if they have any personal boundaries they'd like to add and whether they have any accommodations - that is a brief check-in to let the class know how they are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally and if there is anything we can do as a class to alleviate or mitigate those circumstances. What can we do to allow you to enjoy the class more? If you're want to do this in the most holistic way possible, it's also great to send an email to your students before class to allow them to discuss any concerns they have privately. It's also at this point that you should introduce any tools the class will use if they're triggered or upset by a scene. I'm beginning to use "Time out" as a way for students to stop scenes that make them uncomfortable.
Warm-ups should be a low bar introduction to the topic you've chosen. You can always choose a warm-up just for fun or because you haven't done it in a while but I would argue that the gold standard version is to choose games that start to warm-up the right emotional, mental and physical muscles. If you're doing a class on creating distinct characters then there's little point doing a bunch of storytelling warm-ups. Your class would be primed for a different class than the one you're about to teach. So think about those atomic skills and choose warm-ups that compliment those aims. Another thing to think about is the 3 Bs - Body, Brain and Bond.
Body: A game that gets your students' bodies moving.
Brain: An activity that gets people thinking and creating.
Bond: Something that helps build a connection between participants.
So if I was doing a workshop on emotional connection, I might choose the following exercises:
Those exercises would mean everyone would end the warm-up section of the class primed and ready to go - but all three games also have an element of connection or emotional commitment - so what comes next won't seem out of place. But what does come next?
I'm glad you asked.