Unmasking Drama: Engaging Small Classes
Today, let’s discuss Unmasking Drama: Engaging Small Classes. Picture this: You are ready to teach on your very first day of classes. Excited, you double-check the student roster. Hmmm. At last check, there weren’t too many students signed up for your class. However, you knew that in the last days of summer, usually some stragglers sign up. In walk two students. Even though your roster listed these two students’ names, you are certain there are more arriving any minute.
You wait five minutes. The two students look uncomfortable and you are apprehensive. You think, “What can I do with a class of two? How can I still make this class engaging? “ Disappointed, you throw out your plans for the first week of class.
Unmasking Drama: Engaging Small Classes
Does this sound like you? I’ve been in this position before. Teaching drama to a small group is a unique challenge. Unlike math or even art, drama thrives on human interaction, group dynamics, and ensemble work. So, what do you do when your “ensemble” consists of just two or three students?
Occasionally, a teacher will email me begging for help with teaching their class. They have a small class of students. The question to me is usually the same: Is it possible to teach drama to a small group of students?
My answer is always a resounding, yes! I’ve taught several classes with only one or two students. These were home school students in a huge enrichment program. Your success depends upon a few things, some of which are somewhat out of your control. However, there are many things you can control, and with a little creativity, you can turn a small class into an enriching experience.
Unmasking Drama: Engaging Small Classes
1. Limited Ensemble Dynamics
With fewer students, it’s harder to create the rich, spontaneous interactions typical in larger ensembles. Each student’s contribution is magnified, and the diversity of ideas and energy might be more limited. At times, I’ve noticed that when a student receives too much attention, they can become overly dependent on me when struggling with a concept.
2. Individualized Needs
In a small group, differences in skill levels, personality, and confidence become more apparent. This is where the teacher’s level of exhaustion comes into play. You must tailor lessons, provide personalized feedback, and ensure that each student’s unique needs are met without compromising the group’s overall progress.
3. Risk and Vulnerability
Drama often involves improvisation and exposing one’s vulnerabilities. In a small setting, students may feel overly visible or pressured, making it tougher to foster a safe space for experimentation and risk-taking. (If one student resists and you only have two in the class, your chance of success has dropped by 50%!)
4. Building Group Cohesion
Developing trust and a sense of community is essential in drama. With fewer participants, it requires extra effort to ensure that all students connect and collaborate effectively. Absenteeism, students not learning their lines, or unfinished projects can bring your class to a standstill.
Solutions & Strategies for Success
Quick Fixes for Small Classes
- Lean into one-on-one coaching: Treat it like a personalized drama mentorship.
- Adjust group exercises for two or three people: Focus on duologues, monologues, and character studies.
- Expand beyond acting: Let students explore directing, playwriting, and design.
- Use multimedia tools: Record performances, create podcasts, or study filmed theater.
Now, let’s look at how I put these strategies into action.
Emily’s Story: Adapting Drama for One Student
Emily was a wonderful homeschool student in my drama class. Several other students were signed up but dropped at the last minute. Since I had previous teaching experience with Emily and knew that if I canceled the class, she’d be crestfallen.
Inventory the Student’s Interests
To begin, I interviewed Emily to discover which aspects of theater interested her most. Ha! All of it! We discussed book titles that had been dramatized, musicals she liked. Additionally, we considered whether she wanted to be realistic or fanciful in her set and costume designs. By giving Emily opportunities to choose the differentiation, I knew that we’d be more successful than had we not done so.
Creating a Personalized Curriculum
Since I was teaching Emily once a week from August to May, we structured our plan together. Here’s what it looked like:
Lesson Plan for a One-Student Drama Class
- August: Icebreaker games and warm-ups that work for two people (e.g., Add a Word storytelling).*
- September: Read the play version of Peter Pan aloud.
- October: Studied and designed costumes for Peter Pan. Emily even sewed Peter Pan’s hat!
- November: Explored set design and built a model of the Peter Pan set.
- December: Watched the Peter Pan musical and compared it to the play version.
- January & February: Studied stage properties. Emily designed and built a cardboard broadsword using an instructional video.
- March: Studied stage makeup and designed a look for Captain Hook.
- April: Selected a three-person scene from Peter Pan to perform. I invited two girls from another class to rehearse with Emily.
- May: Performed the scene for Emily’s parents and she wrote a reflection about her experiences during the year of learning.
*Generally, we began each class with a warm-up exercise of some kind that tied to the subject of the day.
If you are in need of particular lessons for this plan, check out: Dramamommaspeaks Store
Alternative Approaches for Small Classes
Rotating Focus Each Class
Another way to teach a small drama class effectively is to structure your lessons to explore different aspects of theater each session:
- Acting & Performance: Scene study, monologues, improv games.
- Technical Theater: Costume and set design projects.
- Theater History & Playwriting: Reading plays, writing scenes.
- Production Elements: Sound design, lighting concepts, directing techniques.
Creative Drama Exercises for Small Groups
Here are a few engaging activities tailored for 1-3 students:
- “Mirror, Mirror”: One student mimics another’s movements to build focus.
- “What are you doing?: Take turns informing each other something they must do that is physical, “I’m mopping the floor.”
- Table Reads: Read and analyze famous plays.
- Monologue Swap: Perform the same monologue in different tones/moods.
- Character Walks: Move around as different characters to develop physicality.
Final Thoughts: Reframing Small Classes as an Opportunity
Thus, as you are aware, teaching a small drama class can feel isolating or discouraging. But it also offers a unique opportunity for deep, personalized instruction. Most importantly, the key is to lean into the strengths of a small class, offering students individualized coaching, creative freedom, and opportunities to explore theater beyond acting.
Your Turn!
- Have you ever taught a small drama class? What creative solutions worked for you?
- What are your favorite duo or trio scene studies? Drop your recommendations below! Or Email me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com
I hope this blog post, Unmasking Drama: Engaging Small Classes Effectively has been helpful to you. Need more ideas? Check out my post on How to Use a Hybrid Lesson in Your Drama Classroom Tomorrow.
We’re Live! Radio Theater #101