Drama Notebook

Are you in charge of putting on a short play with children or teens? Even if you have a background in theatre, this may be a daunting task. Here are a few tips to help you succeed!

Whether in a classroom, rehearsal, or the audience, traditions and rules make theatre experiences more enjoyable for all. Begin the year by introducing theatre etiquette and establishing classroom agreements.

In January I will be teaching a drama class for grades K-5. In the past I taught K-2 or 3-5 – now they are combining all the grades together. Do you have any advice on how to plan out the class so that I have appropriate games for all of the ages?

Let me start off by saying that I do not actually believe that there is such a thing as a ‘shy’ child. There are students who are cautious about joining in or performing right away. These are often the kids who are outgoing and creative at home, but who take a lot of time to warm up to others in groups.

If you are new to teaching drama, these activities will help set the tone for a successful drama class experience. If you have been teaching for years, the activities on this list can help you feel inspired by trying something new!

It feels appropriate that my first blog on Drama Notebook is a tribute to my mentor, Dr. Tom Gressler. He’s a wiry little man with wild white hair and piercing blue eyes. He looks like Einstein…or a magician, and he has the creative genius and magical ways about him to match.

I am very happy to reach your platform. I am Corine, initially a social worker and a stage director, I am very recently teaching drama in a school – for kids grade 1 to 5. Unfortunately, these kids have focus problems, catching their attention and triggering their interest is very hard.

I’m getting ready to teach two elementary drama classes that start after the first of the year. I have taught a little high school drama but this is my first venture with elementary students. I will have a 2-3 grade class and a 5-6 grade class of about 16 students each. My objective is to have a lot of fun and prepare a short play (about 15 minutes) for each class to present. I will take any suggestions you may have to offer!

I’ve been asked by the local education office here in south west Ireland to teach drama to at-risk youth in a local outreach centre. Youth Reach helps kids with problems such as substance abuse, literacy problems and basically kids who have slipped through the cracks in our education system.

I work for a nonprofit organization in Cleveland that works with low-income middle school students. I have worked with them for a year as a drama teacher, and I have taught three different sessions of drama. I have used up almost all of my drama ideas, and since I will be teaching almost all of the same kids again this summer, I am trying to find new, creative ideas to keep them engaged.