Coming into the
Dramatic Arts portion of the Arts Curriculum course, I felt anxious,
uncomfortable and uneasy about my participation. Being drilled with lectures,
and lack of interaction made drama feel like a foreign concept to me. It made
me weary of not only participating in this class but having to engage as a
teacher in the learning process with my future students. However, after
completing the 6 week course, I have had a complete paradigm shift. I realize
now from being able to experience both the student and teacher perspective that
the facilitator (whether it be student or teacher) is not there to make you
feel uncomfortable. The facilitator’s role in dramatic arts is to scaffold you
through the discomfort and unease of the learning process and into a place
where your creativity can thrive.
At the beginning
of this blog I commented that “I had been conditioned to behave a certain way
within university classes; this was outside of that conditioning”. Well I say,
Hallelujah! Finally, a university class that has practical application to our
teaching experiences! Not only was information presented to us, but the
strategies were also taught and experienced by us as student-teachers. This
kind of hands-on learning is exactly what the Learner’s Theory indicates, that
you will remember 90% of what you teach others. As student-teachers we have
gained a wealth of knowledge from participating in the strategies of our colleagues
as well as teaching them.
One of the most
important things that I have taken away from this course is the notion that
while drama is a subject, it is also a tool. Drama is an outlet for
self-expression and deep reflection. It is an effective tool because it allows
students to participate physically, socially, emotionally and physically.
The strategies
that teachers choose to implement into their lessons require students to think
critically, problem solve and to draw upon their creative potential. Drama can
be used as a tool to help students develop their social skills through
cooperation and collaboration with groups. However, it also provides an outlet
through which students can express their inner thoughts into reality. Through
role play, and imaginative production, drama can be used as a tool to develop
empathy, and understanding of others perspectives. Using drama as a tool is
about making students aware of their strengths and in a meaningful way
incorporating these to bridge an understanding of abstract concepts in a
variety of subjects. The strategies that are associated with drama provide
opportunities for every student to learn, succeed and showcase their abilities
with any subject.
Participating in
this course has given me a multitude of strategies and resources to implement
in my future classroom. I hope to inspire in my students a love for drama
because at the center of drama is communication. What I’ve learned is that drama
allows students to communicate with and understand others in new ways. I hope
to encourage my future students to communicate in a variety of ways by putting
themselves into others’ shoes to understand and accept multiple viewpoints.
Furthermore, by participating in drama I hope that my future students will
develop a more positive, confident self-image, just as I have. By being allowed
to succeed in a comfortable, safe environment students have the ability to work
on their weaknesses, to make them strengths. And to work together and cooperate
as a class is to develop the greatest art form of all – collaboration. By
engaging in drama strategies, I anticipate that my students will develop an
intrinsic motivation to learn through active learning that incorporates all of
their learning styles. Furthermore, I am optimistic that my student’s depth of
understanding will increase through their enriching education and challenge of
the traditional academia.
Through this journey, I can no longer view Drama as the enemy. In fact, I now see drama as an essential aspect of my teaching philosophy. It is critical for teachers to engage students physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. Drama is the perfect tool to accomplish this type of well-rounded learning.
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