As we get closer and closer in our education to having a
classroom of our own I can’t help but picture what I want my classroom to look
like. If the classroom is for teaching drama I would love for it to be a big
open space with room to move around and spread out, maybe even an actual
theatre. If it’s my history classroom, I love the idea of having historical
artifacts, posters and the flexibility to change the room, even if it’s just a
bulletin board, to reflect the era I am teaching. When I picture my history
classroom I also picture it transforming and becoming a part of history. I want
my students to feel like they are a part of history and are within the time
period we are studying, and if this mean flipping some desks around to form
trenches, I am all for it. Teaching and history specifically, goes beyond what
gets written in textbooks. It is about the personal experience, the atmosphere
and things like the sights, sounds and smells. I want to be able to bring these
experiences to my classroom and to do that I plan on bringing my second
teachable drama into the mix.
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| www.teachingphotos.co.uk |
Drama and theatre can go beyond the stage. There
are many techniques, values and skills that the subject can bring to any
classroom, like public speaking and confidence. I want to bring drama into my
classroom to take the students back in time, much like what happens on stage in
a period piece. Drama focuses on the human experience, the thoughts, sounds,
sights and atmosphere within the context of what they are performing. So why can’t
this come to my history classroom? I want students to be able to see and feel
what the people in history experienced and this may be done through staging
with props, maybe even costumes. If we were studying a period of war,
propaganda posters may line the wall and a call to arms can be made. Soundscape
is another amazing drama tool that can be used to set the tone, and this can be
as simple as playing music of a bustling street or the sounds of war. I could
even go as far and suggest something that can frighten anyone… role playing.
Yes I said it. Role playing is a great opportunity to have students step into
the shoes of others. One of my main lessons in history is that the people we
study are not just us in funny clothing with no technology, they are completely
different people. They had different morals and values and this is important to
realize when studying history. Role playing can let students see that, and it
could be done just through studying and reading letters from the war or having
them draft their own Remembrance Day play. Drama can take many forms within the classroom
and it doesn't always mean staging a play.
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| www.meaningcentered.org |
By combining drama and history I can
create an integrated curriculum. I can use drama techniques and skills to
enhance my history lessons and in turn get students who feel connected to the
learning material and feel more confident in their speaking skills and learning
style. This integrated style allows for various learning styles to come into
the classroom and thrive, it is just about finding the right blend of both
subjects. With integrating drama
especially, you have to know your students well. You have to have established a
rapport with them and let them know they are in a safe environment. There needs
to be a gradual build into these techniques and as a teacher you need to know
how far you can go before the classroom becomes out of control, or the class is
not at ease.
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| www.pebblepad.com.au |
I see my classroom as more then writing notes and talking about
what went on in history. I want students to experience it, and build a
connection to the subject matter. A classroom should be an open environment
that can transform for the learning being done, so why not turn it into trenches
or a speakeasy (without alcohol of course).
Here is a link to an article on edutopia.org by Matt Levinson. It is about how a teacher integrated "Simulations" into a history class. He calls it "simulations" I call it drama, but I know the word drama can be scary sometimes. It is a great example of role playing in a historical context and how he incorporated a research element as well. Enjoy! http://www.edutopia.org/blog/simulations-can-change-history-classes-matt-levinson
