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 […]
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, […]
Why Masks Help Reluctant Students Shine in Drama Class
Why Masks Help Reluctant Students Shine in Drama Class There was always room for creativity in my drama classroom. That is part of my mission—to approach theater from every angle, not just through acting. And like every drama teacher, I knew that student—the one who quietly hoped I wouldn’t call on them. They avoided eye […]
Why Drama Is the Ultimate Life Skills Curriculum
Drama Is Life Skills: How the Classroom Becomes Real-World Practice I believe drama class is life skills. One of my favorite classroom memories explains exactly why Drama Is Life Skills: How the Classroom Becomes Real-World Practice — and it doesn’t involve a standing ovation. It involves a triangle. The Power of Being Needed Years ago, […]
Black Theater Artists to Explore: Beyond the Famous
Black Theater Artists to Explore: Beyond the Famous It’s February — and if you’re like many drama teachers, you’re balancing packed schedules while trying to make Black History Month meaningful and authentic for your students. Over the years, I’ve noticed the same pattern: we want to go beyond the familiar names but aren’t always sure […]