This book reflects the changes in technology and educational trends (cross-disciplinary learning, entrepreneurship, first-year learning programs, critical writing requirements, course assessment, among others) that have pushed theatre educators to innovate, question, and experiment with new teaching strategies. The text focuses upon a firm practice-based approach that also reflects research in the field, offering innovative and proven methods that theatre educators may use to actively engage students and encourage student success. The sixteen essays in this volume are divided into five sections: Teaching with Digital Technology, Teaching in Response to Educational Trends, Teaching New Directions in Performance, Teaching Beyond the Traditional, and Teaching Collaboratively or Across Disciplines. Study of this book will provoke readers to question both teaching methods and curricula as they consider the ever-shifting arts landscape and the potential careers for theatre graduates.

In the world of secondary theatre education, the impetus for change can arise at any moment because the needs of our adolescents and the conditions under which we teach them are in constant motion. How do successful theatre teachers keep pace with change while continuing to create student-centered, life-changing educational experiences? As a veteran theatre educator, Joan Lazarus recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all answer; that's why, in researching Signs of Change, she interviewed 100 different members of the field to see how real teachers cope with the shifting demands of theatre education. Lazarus gives you a glimpse of active, dynamic professionals in motion-hurdling obstacles, tweaking ideas, or completely overhauling their curriculum in response to the challenges their programs face. You'll go behind the scenes and discover theatre education innovations that work, methods to make them happen in your school, and inspiring stories of how these changes will improve both your teaching and the lives of your students. Change can come without warning and it can seem scary, but it can also stimulate a level of professional growth you never imagined possible. With her emphasis on best practices, hands-on activities drawn from her interviews, and rock-solid educational theory to back it all up, Joan Lazarus will change how you look at your practice, and how you look at change.

Why teach drama? How can a newcomer teach drama successfully? How do we recognise quality in drama? Starting Drama Teaching is a comprehensive guide to the teaching of drama schools. It looks at the aims and purposes of drama and provides an insight into the theoretical perspectives that underpin practice alongside practical activities, examples of lessons and approaches to planning. Written in an accessible style, the book addresses such practical issues as setting up role play, how to inject depth into group drama, working with text, teaching playwriting, as well as common problems that arise in the drama classroom and how to avoid them. The third edition of this popular text has been fully updated to take account of recent developments in policy and educational thinking and includes: The implications of drama’s place in the curriculum and the way in which drama practice relates to, and in many ways has anticipated, such concepts as dialogic teaching, engagement, community cohesion and diversity; Guidance on different approaches to drama; Advice on how teachers can achieve and recognise quality work in drama; A discussion of drama concepts including applied theatre, ensemble and rehearsal approaches; A new chapter on teaching Shakespeare and an additional section on play writing; Suggestions for further reading. Written by a leading authority in the field, this textbook emphasises the need for quality drama education and will be valuable reading for trainee teachers who are new to drama and teachers who wish to update and broaden their range.

The boom in interest in theatre studies at school and in further and higher education signals a new interest in the relationship between the theory and the practice of performance. The best tool you can give the learner is a good theory, and from this collection of theories, learners can choose the tools that best suit their approach to theatre studies. They range from reception theory and semiotics, to the anthropology of the audience and the carnivalesque to hermeneutics and computing.

As schools have become more aware of their role in addressing personal and social issues, the importance of ‘values and attitudes’ have begun shaping education and curricula worldwide. Drama in Education explores the six fundamental pillars of the national curriculum guide of Iceland in relation to these changing values and attitudes. Focusing on the importance of human relations, this book explores literacy, sustainability, health and welfare, democracy and human rights, equality and creativity. It demonstrates the capability of drama as a teaching strategy for effectively working towards these fundamental pillars and reflects on how drama in education can be used to empower children to become healthy, creative individuals and active members in a democratic society. Offering research-based examples of using drama successfully in different educational contexts and considering practical challenges within the classroom, Drama in Education: Exploring Key Research Concepts and Effective Strategies is an essential guide for any modern drama teacher.