We do TONS of group work in drama class, and it’s important for students to have the opportunity to work with a variety of their peers. Working with different classmates allows students to…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMI have yet to meet a student who didn’t cringe (inwardly or outwardly!) at the start of a new semester or the first rehearsal when they hear their teacher say, “Ok, let’s go around the…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMIt’s a new school year and in the hustle and bustle of getting classrooms organized, learning students’ names, and completing all the start-of-term tasks, please take a moment to pause, …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMIn improvisation, one of the first rules that drama students are commonly taught is to always say, “Yes, and…” to continue the story. Basically, agree with presented concepts to keep t…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThe following warm-up exercise is simple, but can evoke some powerful feelings and reactions. It’s a great exercise to help students develop their self-awareness and practice consent and …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMConsent can be a touchy subject in the classroom. Many students immediately think that consent refers to intimacy, such as embraces or stage kisses. While that is an important part of consen…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMWe’ve got another prompt collection here for you! These prompts are all animal-related — thinking about unusual animals, moving like animals, speaking like animals, encountering animals,…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMOne of the biggest predictors of a student’s success in the drama classroom and their school productions is whether or not they’re putting in the work on their own outside of the in-scho…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMPicture this scenario: You’re in drama class with your students. They’ve been divided into small groups, each group has a scene to work on, and you’ve given them the instructions: “Y…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMHave you ever had a student come up to you after drama class or rehearsal and say, “I can’t do (xyz) that we’ve been working on. It’s too hard!” That can be difficult to hear, espe…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThis article was inspired by a situation that happened to me. Recently, I was directing a production of Disney’s Descendants: The Musical with a cast of 23 amazing students in grades 8, 9,…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMTeachers are special people. Yes, you are! You do so much for your students and wear so many different hats. But teachers are human as well. You may feel frustrated with your students’ app…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThe following is a choice board exercise about making tough decisions, within a theatrical context. Students will select one of the six activities below to complete. Some of the options are …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMA choice board is a visual tool that teachers can use in their classrooms to allow students to… make choices! Choice boards consist of two or more options of activities for students to com…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMStarting your class with bell work or a journal prompt is a great way to get students into the drama class mindset. Some teachers like to have students brainstorm a list of ideas or respond…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThe phrase “educate yourself!” gets thrown around a lot, especially online. It’s tough when, as a teacher, you are trying to learn more about topics you’re unfamiliar with so you can…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMTime is one of the biggest challenges for a drama teacher trying to put on a production. There’s never enough rehearsal time. Some rehearsals drag on forever, while others speed by in the …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMindfulness is all about being fully present in the moment without judgement. Practicing mindfulness is helpful for drama students, because it can help them combat pre-show jitters. Instead …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMBeing organized before a performance keeps everyone calm and prevents offstage drama. A great way to stay organized is to create a pre-show checklist — a list of all the tasks each theatri…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMGiving and receiving feedback are skills that take practice. Students may worry that they will offend their peers or hurt their feelings while giving feedback. It also takes practice for stu…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMClear relationships onstage make characters’ interactions that much more interesting and engaging for the audience. The audience needs to know immediately how one character relates to anot…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSometimes when your students do a playwriting assignment or an improvised scene, they’ll need a prompt to help them choose what kind of relationship their characters will have. Many studen…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMFor the following exercise, students will start by individually creating and analyzing a new character (or analyzing an existing character). Then with a partner, they’ll come up with a sce…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMTheatre is all about communication and collaboration. Students come together to tell a story and create a collective experience for an audience. When students are working together, it’s im…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMWriting monologues is a skill that takes practice. When students are learning how to write monologues, it’s easy for them to fall into the trap of writing a story spoken by one person. Sto…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 03:40PMThis exercise is a great icebreaker game and a fun way for students to get to know each other. Students are challenged to figure out what famous character they are and who their partner in t…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMemorizing lines should happen as early and quickly as possible in the rehearsal process. The sooner your students get their scripts out of their hands, the easier it will be for them to get…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThis warm-up exercise is simple, but sometimes that’s just what you need — a simple yet fun warm-up that gets your students up and moving around. This exercise is also quiet — no speak…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMWhether you’re a new drama teacher or you’ve been at it for years, please don’t try to go it alone. We’ve said many times before on the Theatrefolk blog that theatre is a collaborati…
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMWhen choosing a show for a class or school production, the first thought teachers usually have is about the practicalities. There are many important things to consider. Is it an appropriate …
SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AMThe first week of a new term is a busy one. Teachers need to introduce themselves, go over rules and procedures, learn students’ names, and establish a sense of trust, community, and safet…
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