ENGAGE . INSPIRE . CONNECT

Real Plays

What are real plays?

Real plays are re-enactments of what can or has happened in a variety of situations, with the intention of increasing awareness, skill, and strategies in a low-risk environment. At REiL Learning, we lead and focus real plays on accessing and implementing creative responses in challenging moments, especially those where we're unsure about how to proceed.

Is it an acting experience?

Overall, no. Some people do get into their roles portraying a child or student, and you can see some great acting, but that’s not the main intention. At the heart of a real play is the opportunity to engage in a scenario, to try out different responses, and to experience what it would be like to say or do something in a situation that we’ve encountered, or are afraid to encounter. Real plays are social emotional-learning activities where we get to practice - in real time - what to do or say in challenging situations.

Why engage in real plays?

Real plays increase participants’ confidence regarding how to respond in tricky situations and build connection by seeing team members' skills and strategies in action. Additionally, real plays ground us in the understanding that we're not the only ones dealing with certain behaviors. What a relief! Real plays offer participants the opportunity to brainstorm a multitude of ways to respond, which expands creativity and confidence, plus bolsters calm for our nervous systems, in that we get to practice our responses in a supportive environment.

Following each real play, we discuss:

What were the challenging behaviors?
What strategies or approaches did the teacher/EA/administrator use?
What worked?
What gaps exist? I will often jump in to demonstrate an alternate way to respond, and to support and deepen the conversation and strategies.