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Everyone engages in make-believe at some point, but not everyone can bring those fantasies to life. Teaching drama requires a unique blend of creativity and skill. Whether you're a novice drama teacher or looking to enhance your existing techniques, there are valuable exercises and strategies to help you succeed.
Key Steps
Guiding Actors of All Levels
Introduce Name and Personality Sharing. Whether you're instructing seasoned actors or beginners, starting with an introductory activity is essential. There are numerous engaging approaches to achieve this.
- Experiment with a name and gesture exercise. Participants should state their name while performing a gesture that reflects their personality.
- Encourage everyone to repeat the name aloud and mimic the gesture in unison.
Encourage Creative Greetings. Pair up students and prompt them to greet each other in character. Provide different character types and encourage rapid switches between them, highlighting the dramatic impact of seemingly mundane interactions.
Involve Participants in Course Planning. Initiate a discussion about students' expectations and goals for the course, catering to both experienced and novice drama enthusiasts. Guide the conversation by asking about perceptions of drama and personal acting experiences.
Integrate Pantomime into Every Class.
Incorporate non-verbal acting exercises in each session to emphasize the importance of physical expression in drama. Organize group pantomime activities based on roles or settings, promoting collaboration and creativity.
End Sessions Dramatically. Conclude classes with unique, dramatic farewells from each student, emphasizing vocal and behavioral expression. Lead by example with an exaggerated sign-off, encouraging classmates to follow suit.
Facilitating Improvisation Workshops
Emphasize Improv Training. Incorporate improvisational exercises prominently in your curriculum. These exercises enhance acting skills, promote collaboration, and foster quick decision-making, crucial for stage actors to maintain composure under pressure.
Infuse Exercises with Improvisation. Introduce additional rules mid-action to inject improvisational elements into exercises. Use phrases like 'memory loss' or 'the world ends tomorrow' to challenge students and add dramatic twists to their performances.
Integrate Imaginative Elements. Incorporate imaginative prompts like 'the attack of the blob' to stimulate creativity and spontaneity in students' performances. Encourage them to adapt to new scenarios without verbal acknowledgment.
Explore Non-Verbal Communication. Encourage students to communicate through sounds rather than words. This exercise fosters creativity in vocal expression and encourages participants to mimic and modify each other's sounds.
Engage in Silent Communication. Challenge students to convey emotions silently through facial expressions and body language. Direct the scene's progression to evoke different emotional responses without relying on verbal communication.
Encourage Collaborative Speaking. Form small groups and initiate a sentence-building activity where participants collectively sound out each word. This exercise enhances listening skills and fosters a sense of unity among students as they synchronize their voices.
Integrating Drama into Education
Highlight the Educational Value of Drama. Whether teaching a dedicated drama class or incorporating dramatic elements into other subjects, recognize drama's ability to facilitate understanding of complex topics. Role-playing historical or social-political scenarios encourages deeper comprehension.
Engage in Interactive Skits. Utilize skits to explore various perspectives on complex issues, applicable across all educational levels. Through role-playing and debates, students can express their thoughts more freely and develop empathy for differing viewpoints.
Utilize Online Resources for Drama Teaching. Access online guides and websites for assistance in teaching drama, even with minimal experience. These resources offer a wide range of activities and lesson plans tailored to different educational contexts, ensuring comprehensive support for instructors.
Access Free Resources for Lesson Plans. Explore various organizations offering age-specific drama lesson plans for all school levels, such as those provided by state educational departments. Websites like Theatre Folk and Drama Resource offer additional activities and tips for drama teachers.
Enhance Educator Skills through Drama. Embrace the opportunity to improve teaching abilities and foster better student interactions by incorporating drama into your curriculum. Participating in drama exercises together can enhance comfort and communication in the classroom.
Show Patience with Students. Acknowledge that some students may be hesitant to participate in drama activities and avoid forcing them. Encourage their involvement through feedback and suggestions, gradually building their confidence in acting.
Establishing Classroom Discipline
Implement Clear Rules for Drama Class. Establish specific guidelines tailored to the unique dynamics of drama classes. Involve students in rule-making to foster a sense of ownership and inclusion, promoting a supportive and creative learning environment.
Establish Clear Consequences for Misbehavior. Maintain consistency and promptly address any infractions in your drama class. Enforce consequences for breaking rules to prevent disruptive behavior from escalating.
Implement Creative Responses to Misbehavior. Address misbehavior with imaginative and educational consequences. For example, have students reflect on their actions through exercises like pantomiming their behavior and making an 'actor's promise' to participate positively.
