Improv For Educators
Wed, June 17, 2026 @ 10:00 AM EDT + 5 more • Multiple prices
All Included Dates
Description
Bring improv into the classroom and into your every day life!
This six-week, in-person class is designed specifically for educators who want to sharpen the skills that make great teaching possible. Improv isn't just about being funny. It's about thinking on your feet, reading a room, adapting when things don't go as planned, and connecting with the people in front of you. Sound familiar?
Whether you want to build more confidence in front of a group, become a more responsive and present teacher, manage the unexpected with ease, or simply recharge and play during the summer, this class is for you. No improv or acting experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and an open mind. No show at the end, no pressure to perform. Just six weeks of practical, joyful skill-building that you'll feel on day one of the new school year.
Why Improv Works for Educators
Why Improv Works for Educators
Improv training with Crossroads directly supports many of the skills Indy teachers are expected to develop and demonstrate throughout their careers:
- INTASC Standard 3 (Learning Environments): Improv builds the ability to create flexible, responsive, and engaging classroom environments by training educators to read a room and adapt in real time.
- INTASC Standard 6 (Communication): Every improv exercise strengthens verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, and the ability to think clearly under pressure.
- INTASC Standard 8 (Instructional Strategies): Improv develops the capacity to pivot when a lesson is not landing and find a new approach on the spot.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Improv builds empathy, self-awareness, and relationship skills that educators can model and bring directly into their classrooms.
- Professional Growth: This course may be documentable toward Indiana Professional Growth Points (PGP) for license renewal. Participants are encouraged to check with their district's professional development coordinator for eligibility.
- Burnout Prevention: Structured play and creative engagement are well-documented tools for reducing educator burnout and restoring energy and enthusiasm for the classroom.
🗓️ WHEN
Wednesdays | 6/17 - 7/22 | 10am - 12pm
📍 WHERE
Polk Stables, 1533 Lewis Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
💵 TUITION
Early Enrollment: $199 - Save $50 through Sunday, May 31st!
Regular Enrollment: $249
Polk Stables, 1533 Lewis Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
💵 TUITION
Early Enrollment: $199 - Save $50 through Sunday, May 31st!
Regular Enrollment: $249
💳 PAYMENT PLANS
Want to split your tuition into smaller payments? We got your back! We offer a simple 4-payment plan spread over six weeks, so there's no need to pay it all up front. Choose “Pay With Payment Plan” at checkout. Please note: All payment plans include processing fees.
➡️ Installment Plan: Four payments over 6 weeks. Option ends with early enrollment deadline.
➡️ Split Plan: Pay 50% now and 50% in one month.
➡️ Flex Plan: Miss the installment plan window or need a bit more flexibility? We also offer payment plans through AfterPay by request. Email [email protected] for details.
🗣️WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT MIKE
"Mike manages to give very clear, direct feedback while still being supportive. I get better with each class I take with him."
"Mike's class made me feel like a real improviser. It was clear he valued our time and took our learning seriously."
"I would take any class if he was the instructor."
"Mike is a gentle, thoughtful teacher who makes room for questions and reflection. He has a gift for offering specific, meaningful encouragement that makes you feel seen and supported. I also deeply admire his leadership style, he manages the class with warmth, respect, and intention."
"I thought the course itself was super enjoyable and Mike was a great instructor! He made the concepts easy to understand for a newcomer and provided clear and respectful feedback for everyone during the exercises. He fostered a very safe and collaborative atmosphere which is just what you need."
"Would definitely recommend any courses taught by Mike!"
"Mike manages to give very clear, direct feedback while still being supportive. I get better with each class I take with him."
"Mike's class made me feel like a real improviser. It was clear he valued our time and took our learning seriously."
"I would take any class if he was the instructor."
"Mike is a gentle, thoughtful teacher who makes room for questions and reflection. He has a gift for offering specific, meaningful encouragement that makes you feel seen and supported. I also deeply admire his leadership style, he manages the class with warmth, respect, and intention."
"I thought the course itself was super enjoyable and Mike was a great instructor! He made the concepts easy to understand for a newcomer and provided clear and respectful feedback for everyone during the exercises. He fostered a very safe and collaborative atmosphere which is just what you need."
"Would definitely recommend any courses taught by Mike!"
ABOUT MIKE MARBACH
Mike Marbach (he/him) is originally from Philly and now resides in the Hoosier state. He is the founder Crossroads Comedy Theater and the Executive Director of Crossroads' operations in Indianapolis. Mike has been studying, performing, and teaching improv since 2005. He has taken classes with iO Chicago (the iO Theater), The Annoyance Theater, and the UCB Theater in NY as well as numerous workshops from improv instructors from across the country. Some of the people Mike has had the honor of studying with include Susan Messing, Mick Napier, Mark Sutton, Jill Bernard, Joe Bill, Charna Halpern, Scott Adsit, Mike O'Brien, Noah Gregoropoulos, Jet Eveleth, Jason Chin, and many more.
Mike served as Class Registrar and Education Director of Philly Improv Theater (PHIT) from 2009 - 2017, a position in which wrote the core curriculum for the improv program, created new courses, trained instructors, and taught dozens of classes over those years. Mike then took the title of Artistic Director which he held until 2020 when the theater closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He created and directed the long running Philly shows Study Hall: Comedy Inspired By Lectures and Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie, and the sketch comedy epic A Nightmare on Jawn Street. Mike also directed directed the award winning improv teams Asteroid! (retired) and the Future, which still performs together 10 years later. He also performed in his own weekly show The Seltzer Hour featuring Mike Marbach and Friends and his reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in over 50 different celebrity impressions is yearly tradition in Philly. On the sketch comedy side Mike helped develop sketch writing curriculums and performed on the Philly sketch comedy team "Dog Mountain." Mike also conceived, wrote for, and directed the hit 2019 Sketch Comedy epic "A Nightmare on Jawn Street" and wrote for its 2022 follow-up, "A Nightmare on Jawn Street: Liberty Hell."
Mike also runs the Crossroads Comedy Theater Podcast Network, which features comedy and pop culture themed shows covering topics such as Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Comic Book Movies, Lord of the Rings, sketch comedy props, with more to come.
During the pandemic, Mike moved to Indianapolis to be with family and started Crossroads Comedy Theater. Mike wrote new curriculums focusing on all the things he loves about improv and sketch comedy. He's looking very forward to getting Crossroads going in the "Crossroads of America." “Philly is now in the great hands of people that actually live there. I am in Indy and it’s time to focus on doing what we can to add to the already lively comedy and theater scene here. It may take some time, but I know people will love what we have to offer.”
Mike Marbach (he/him) is originally from Philly and now resides in the Hoosier state. He is the founder Crossroads Comedy Theater and the Executive Director of Crossroads' operations in Indianapolis. Mike has been studying, performing, and teaching improv since 2005. He has taken classes with iO Chicago (the iO Theater), The Annoyance Theater, and the UCB Theater in NY as well as numerous workshops from improv instructors from across the country. Some of the people Mike has had the honor of studying with include Susan Messing, Mick Napier, Mark Sutton, Jill Bernard, Joe Bill, Charna Halpern, Scott Adsit, Mike O'Brien, Noah Gregoropoulos, Jet Eveleth, Jason Chin, and many more.
Mike served as Class Registrar and Education Director of Philly Improv Theater (PHIT) from 2009 - 2017, a position in which wrote the core curriculum for the improv program, created new courses, trained instructors, and taught dozens of classes over those years. Mike then took the title of Artistic Director which he held until 2020 when the theater closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He created and directed the long running Philly shows Study Hall: Comedy Inspired By Lectures and Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie, and the sketch comedy epic A Nightmare on Jawn Street. Mike also directed directed the award winning improv teams Asteroid! (retired) and the Future, which still performs together 10 years later. He also performed in his own weekly show The Seltzer Hour featuring Mike Marbach and Friends and his reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in over 50 different celebrity impressions is yearly tradition in Philly. On the sketch comedy side Mike helped develop sketch writing curriculums and performed on the Philly sketch comedy team "Dog Mountain." Mike also conceived, wrote for, and directed the hit 2019 Sketch Comedy epic "A Nightmare on Jawn Street" and wrote for its 2022 follow-up, "A Nightmare on Jawn Street: Liberty Hell."
Mike also runs the Crossroads Comedy Theater Podcast Network, which features comedy and pop culture themed shows covering topics such as Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Comic Book Movies, Lord of the Rings, sketch comedy props, with more to come.
During the pandemic, Mike moved to Indianapolis to be with family and started Crossroads Comedy Theater. Mike wrote new curriculums focusing on all the things he loves about improv and sketch comedy. He's looking very forward to getting Crossroads going in the "Crossroads of America." “Philly is now in the great hands of people that actually live there. I am in Indy and it’s time to focus on doing what we can to add to the already lively comedy and theater scene here. It may take some time, but I know people will love what we have to offer.”
When not doing Crossroads things Mike likes to watch tv / movies, listen to audiobooks, go bowling, or work on new celebrity impressions.
Location
Polk Stables, 1533 Lewis St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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