Bumbling Bea: A Middle Grade Novel
A Heartwarming Middle-Grade Novel About Friendship, Courage, and Finding Where You Belong ⭐ 4.9-Star Rating | 63 Reader Reviews | Ages 8–12 What if fitting in meant losing yourself? Watch the official Bumbling Bea trailer on YouTube. Meet Bumbling Bea, a relatable middle-school girl navigating friendships, awkward moments, and the challenges of growing up. Full […]
Why Puppets Still Matter in Today’s Drama Classroom
Why do puppets in the drama classroom still matter today? When many people hear the word puppet, they immediately picture preschool classrooms or children’s television. While puppets certainly have a place there, they have also become one of the most sophisticated forms of theatrical storytelling. From Broadway productions to television, film, and educational theater, puppets […]
30 Ways to Use Radio Theater in Any Subject
30 Ways to Use Radio Theater in Any Subject When people hear the term radio theater, they often assume it belongs exclusively in a drama classroom. After all, theater and acting seem like natural partners. This post expands on ideas I recently shared in my Edutopia article about radio theater and student engagement. While that […]
Engaging Reluctant Students in Drama Class
Engaging Reluctant Students in Drama Class This blog post, Engaging Reluctant Students in Drama Class, began with considering every drama teacher eventually faces: students sitting in class who never intended to be there in the first place. When I taught a large middle school drama class which was a pre-elective, more than 500 sixth graders […]
Directing Youth Theater: 10 Dos and Don’ts
Directing Youth Theater: 10 Dos and Don’ts Directing youth theater is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as an educator or theater arts person. It is also one of the most challenging. Over the years, I directed hundreds of productions and worked with students of all ages, personalities, and ability levels. Along […]
Teach Playwriting with Norman Rockwell Paintings
Teach Playwriting with Norman Rockwell Paintings When I taught playwriting, one of the biggest challenges was helping students move past the blank page. That’s why I began to teach playwriting with Norman Rockwell paintings, using images filled with character, emotion, and story to spark student ideas. Instead of asking students to invent everything from scratch, […]