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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to Teach Research in Drama Class the Easy Way
I’ve taught drama long enough to see the pattern—students come alive during movement, voice, and collaboration, but hesitate when it’s time to open a book or dig into background research. How to Teach Research in Drama Class the Easy Way grew out of that exact challenge, offering ways to turn research into a creative tool […]