Presence, Play & Failure: What Comedians Can Teach Educators About Great Teaching
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Every educator has experienced it.
The lesson that falls flat.
The technology that crashes.
The awkward silence.
The moment your carefully crafted plan goes sideways.
The best educators aren't the ones who avoid these moments.
They're the ones who know how to respond.
Comedians do this every night.
They read the room, adapt in real time, recover from failure, and build connection with complete strangers.
These may be some of the most important teaching skills nobody ever taught us.
A six-week live online experience exploring presence, play, and productive failure in teaching.
Why Educators Need This NOW
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Does this sound familiar?
You spend hours preparing a lesson only to watch it fall flat.
You worry about looking unprepared when something unexpected happens.
You find yourself relying on the same teaching approaches because they feel safe.
You want students to take risks and embrace failure, but secretly struggle with those things yourself.
You feel pressure to always have the answer.
If any of these resonate, you're not alone.
And you're exactly who this experience was designed for.
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An Exclusive Professional Development Experience
This six-week experiential learning experience invites educators to explore what the worlds of clowning, comedy, and improvisation can teach us about great teaching.
Working alongside professional performer, educator, and clown Chase Jeffels, participants will develop three transformative capacities that directly impact teaching practice.
Teaching With More Confidence, Creativity, and Connection
Before This Experience
You may find yourself:
- Over-preparing because uncertainty feels uncomfortable
- Worrying about making mistakes in front of students
- Playing it safe in your teaching
- Feeling pressure to always have the answer.
After This Experience
You may leave with:
- Greater confidence navigating uncertainty
- Stronger classroom presence
- Increased creativity and flexibility
- A healthier relationship with failure
- Practical tools for building connection and engagement.
Why Learn From Comedians?
Every time a comedian walks onto a stage, they enter uncertainty.
They don't know exactly how the audience will respond.
They can't predict every interruption, distraction, or unexpected moment.
Instead, they learn how to:
- Stay present
- Read the room
- Adapt in real time
- Recover from failure
- Take risks
- Build authentic connection
Educators face these same challenges every day.
The difference is that comedians intentionally train these skills.
This experience brings those practices into teaching.
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What you'll experience
Over six weeks, participants will engage in:
- Experiential learning activities
- Practical applications for teaching practice
- Play-based exercises
- Improvisation techniques
- Group discussion and connection
- Guide reflection
Why Play Matters
Research consistently shows that play supports learning, creativity, adaptability, and resilience.
When educators become more comfortable with uncertainty, experimentation, and imperfection, they create learning environments where students feel safer doing the same.
Participants often discover greater capacity to:
- Adapt to change
- Stay open to new possibilities
- Increase creativity
- Reduce fear of failure
- Build stronger connections
- Develop resilience
Program Details
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Duration: 6 Weeks
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Format: Live Online
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Weekly Commitment: 2-Hour Sessions
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Investment: CA$350
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Includes: Certificate of Completion
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Upcoming Fall 2026 Cohorts
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Wednesday, September 30, 20267:00 PM EST
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Sunday, October 18, 202612:00 PM EST
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Course Lessons
For Endless Testimonials
Please Visit Chase's Website
Meet Chase Jeffels
For over a decade, Chase has explored the intersection of clowning, improvisation, failure, connection, and human development.
His work helps people become more present, more adaptable, and more comfortable with uncertainty.
Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d'Étude du Mouvement (Laboratory of Movement Study) in Paris, France, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier (teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson).
Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d'Étude du Mouvement (Laboratory of Movement Study) in Paris, France, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier (teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson).
Chase has also studied with a host of notable teachers in clown, bouffon, and idiot work, including Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, Kevin Krieger, Deanna Fleysher, Jaime Mears, Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, and Gordon Neill. He is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School classical conservatory program.
As a performer, Chase’s work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, performing UCB-style longform improv infused with his own clown sensibility. He is also one half of West 2 West — a duo known for their innovative blend of clown sketch and clown improv, merging physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.
As a performer, Chase’s work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, performing UCB-style longform improv infused with his own clown sensibility. He is also one half of West 2 West — a duo known for their innovative blend of clown sketch and clown improv, merging physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.
In his solo work, Chase continues to push the boundaries of comedy through Goofing — a punk-inspired mix of clown, riffing, and improvisation that explores connection, risk, and laughter through failure.
Follow along @thegoofmethod
Follow along @thegoofmethod
“I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do.”
Great Teaching Isn't About Being Perfect
It's about being present when things don't go according to plan.
It's about adapting when circumstances change.
It's about creating space for curiosity, experimentation, and authentic connection.
For six weeks, you'll step outside traditional professional development and experience what comedians, improvisers, and clowns have been practicing for years.
Join us and discover how Presence, Play, and Failure can transform your teaching.
Write your awesome label here.
Write your awesome label here.
Write your awesome label here.
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