William F. Natale Jr.
I have found that role playing is a very useful tool in helping children to act out their own values and to become more aware of what it is like to be in another’s shoes. There are many techniques and styles used in role playing. I will discuss three.
The most common form of role playing that I use is to place certain children in a certain situation and give them a setting. They then take the situation and act it out in front of the room with the freedom to take it in whatever direction they choose. For example:
Bob, you are a father who has just come home from a long tiring day on the job. In addition, you were hollered at by the boss today and you got a parking ticket. Nancy, you are a twelve year old girl who broke the bedroom window of the house while playing baseball. Okay, take it from there.
Another type of role playing is what I call free drama. This type is not as structured as the above but interesting revelations can be made. Students are free to get up and act on their own situations by creating their own settings.
A third and tamer version of role playing I call picture talk. I show the group a large poster depicting, for example, a little boy crying. Students are asked to volunteer to tell a story about the picture or to tell what might have happened to the person. I have found this excellent in teaching children empathy and understanding others. Another variation of this is for me to start the story and have a student finish it.
