Teachers more experienced than I in middle-school education may find the following section to be of limited help. However, for my work with this age group, the following is at least as important as the lesson plans themselves. The section addresses my specific needs.
Preparation and strategy are the groundwork of successful classroom experience. A theatre class is no different. What is distinctive about theatre is that it uses the student’s own body, voice, ideas, and emotions. Furthermore, theatre classes may allow unusual freedom—potentially the freedom to express daily life through presented and represented action. Thus, preparation and strategy must address two major concerns: 1) the cycle of peer pressure and apathy present in students, and 2) the effective management of the greater freedoms present in theatre classes.
To address these two main concerns, I submit the following strategies and resources.
Extra Class Time
If I can judge by last year’s experience, my elective Theatre class will consist of between eight and eighteen students. The class will meet twice each week. More class time would provide greater continuity and promote greater success. If I doctor the schedules of those students in my elective class, it is possible to add one more class meeting each week.
That is, our school policy requires all 8th grade students take a Theatre class. Those required classes meet once each week. In addition to the required class, students may elect to take a Theatre class that is more advanced. Thus, a student who chooses Theatre as an elective meets once in his/her required class, plus two more times. My desire is to make sure that students in my elective class all take their required class at the same time. By arranging to meet as a group once more every week, I will gain up to ten more class meetings per marking period. Not only does the increased frequency promote continuity, but I expect to positively affect student apathy and discipline. When group dynamics are extremely important, then meeting once more each week gives me 50% more time to work with them.
Classrooms
Rather than starting the year in the theatre classroom, I plan to meet my elective class in a room with desks and chairs. I prefer to spend the first three or four weeks of the year in a “regular” classroom in order to introduce the freedoms of theatre class gradually. As a teacher I will be better able to focus on the students and material rather than having to deal with distractions due to the setting. Furthermore, in this setting I wish to prepare students for successful use of the theatre classroom.
Contract
One method of preparation is to require each student to read and sign the following contract. In addition, I will require that each student have a parent or guardian sign the contract which will be returned to me. In fact, before moving into the theatre space, a student must return the signed contract. I hope this will initiate student responsibility and link it to the ritual process of moving into a new space. This is a first step toward the student’s sense of ensemble and parental involvement. See below.
Student violations of the following contract will result in detention, progress report to parents, and, if necessary, failing grades and further action. I base grades on each student’s ability to fulfill this contract. Attitude, behavior, and participation is 75% of your grade. The remaining 25% is the quality of your work. I give extra credit and take overall improvement into account. Also, see my end of the contract below.
In Mr. FARRELL’s theatre class
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1) I agree to try my best every time we meet.
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2) I agree to respect others as they are to respect me. I agree to no lewd comments, dissing, excessive teasing or general rudeness to students or teachers.
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3) I agree not to disrupt class or cause distraction because I want to learn, and I respect the rights of others to learn.
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4) I agree to come prepared to class with my homework.
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5) I agree to participate. Over the year this means keeping a “me-journal,” acting, and writing a short play.
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6) I agree to cooperate and to follow instructions.
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7) I agree to open my attitude inside the theatre classroom.
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8) I want to explore the imagination.
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9) I want to have fun, play, and work hard.
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10) I want to see plays on field trips with my classmates and agree to be on my best behavior.
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11) When I make a mistake in attitude, or action, I agree to correct it as soon as possible.
AS ________________’s parent/guardian, I agree to be sure
___________________ lives up to this contract.
Student’s signature_____________________________
Parent or guardian’s signature_____________________
daytime phone____________ evening phone__________
address_______________________________________
In our classroom, I, Mr. Farrell
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1) agree to give my best to each student.
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2) I agree to treat each person as an individual and to be as fair as possible.
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3) I hope to guide students’ imaginations and to help them represent their world using Theatre.
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4) When I make a mistake, I agree to correct it as soon as possible.
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5) I agree to have high expectations because I want my students to grow and to learn and to feel strong.
signed_____________________
I plan to distribute copies to the students, and, as their first assignment ask for them to be returned with appropriate signatures. I will make an extra copy—one for my file marking contact with the home, and one for each student to keep in the front of his/her notebook.
Rewards
In addition to the previous preparation measures, I will maintain a reward system in my record book. Individuals and the class as a whole may receive bonus points. They receive points for their timely entrance, for all having their assignment, etc. I will make it a point to connect points with desired behavior, to award points for correct daily use of vocabulary words, to go on theatre field trips, and also, to consider a party to celebrate completion of their plays.
Supplies and Materials
I will maintain a supply of paper, pencils, erasers, and notebooks for students to purchase from me. In addition, students will need: 1) a box of hats, scarves, vests, and costume pieces; 2) a box of simple percussion and musical instruments; 3) a box of handprops; 4) a large roll of paper; 5) materials for mask-making; 6) general books of photographs—primarily photos of people. See the bibliography for specific books or scripts.
Syllabus
The final preparation strategy is the syllabus and schedule which I will give students. The remaining strategy comes under the heading of Activities and Lesson Plans.
ACTIVITIES and LESSON PLANS
I have divided the 20 week period into four sections—Introduction, Starting Points, Development, and Completion. The period of Introduction acquaints students with me, the space, my expectations, their classmates, and the Theatre realm. Fundamental to this section is developing a positive learning environment for students. A positive learning environment means a space and conditions in which students feel safe. If students are concerned about comments from peers, then they turn off and retreat into silence and apathy. If students persist, aggressive acts of frustration and anger can erupt. Further, to the degree a student fears failure in the eyes of him—or herself, peers, teachers, parents, then the greater the student apathy becomes. This apathy takes the form of “dumbing down”—a passive-aggressive response that pretends to be less intelligent, talented, skilled, aware, etc. than a student truly is. Indeed, “dumbing down” also has racial undertones, for to perform at high levels of achievement and to actively participate is to validate the power structure of the status quo which has been white. Often black students deride other black students who perform well—for “acting white.” I have heard specific comments in my classes, but more often, this “anti-assimilationist” attitude of willful ignorance is an unspoken undercurrent of the classroom experience. These attitudes can gut a class that depends upon participation and personal risk. Thus, to develop a positive learning environment is absolutely vital.
Yet, a teacher cannot simply establish a safe place by fiat, especially when the culture outside the classroom contradicts those aims. To create a safe place takes time. Toward this end, I need to provide a classroom that resembles other classrooms, so students will “know how to behave.” But because the object of my class is for students to engage in creative play using Theatre disciplines, I must provide students with a kind of structured freedom. The balance of discipline/freedom is the line I walk as a Theatre teacher.
Disciplined Activity and Cognitive Learning
In each of the four sections (Introduction, Starting Points, Development, Completion) I will initiate activity with familiar and structured activities that emphasize “boring” lessons. Like other classes, I expect my students to keep up to date with our class work. Each student will keep a notebook. In it, a student will place our contract, the syllabus, vocabulary words, assignments (including “me” pages), and handouts. Except for “me” page journal entries, their notebooks should resemble notebooks from a science class. Their notebooks record the extrinsic signs of our class. Students must arrange materials and entries in a dated, chronological order. As an example of material for the notebook, I submit the following list of vocabulary words.
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Audience etiquette
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Director
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Playwright
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Style
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Community
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Concentration
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Form
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Imagination
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Pantomime
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Classicism
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Tableau
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Improvisation
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Romanticism
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Playing areas
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Set
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Cooperation
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Up/Downstage
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Scene
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Realism
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Discipline
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Character
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Stage Manager
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Script/Notation
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Actor
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Scene
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Act
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Floor Plan
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Given Circumstances
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Point of Attack
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Synopsis
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Naturalism
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Scenario
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Exposition
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Symbolism
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Dialogue
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Conflict
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Expressionism
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Plot
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Goal/Objective
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Epic Theatre
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Climax
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Denouement
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Absurdism
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Resolution
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Diaphragm
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Kabuki
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Projection
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Articulation
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Noh
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Phrasing
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Pitch/Tone
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Prologue
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Comedy
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Blocking
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Multi-media
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Tragedy
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Choreography
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Mixed forms
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Thrust/Proscenium, etc.
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Cue
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Renaissance
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Medieval
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Elizabethan
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Restoration
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Melodrama
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Monologue
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Farce
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Modernism
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Action
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A typical lesson plan for the Introduction section would include having students write out definitions of the words above. The activity is familiar to them. Let them hate it. That’s ok. As we gain a common vocabulary for classroom use, they’ll impress themselves with their knowledge. As a supplement to the vocabulary, I will introduce practical information regarding Theatre. This information will cover “stage types,” “theme, “scenario,” “actor/character,” “objective,” “given circumstance/exposition.” Between three and six weeks into the school year, we should make the transition into the Theatre classroom. In this transition period I will introduce “Antigone” for students to read.
Creative Activity and Remembering How to Play In addition to the familiar type of classroom activity, I wish to introduce the element of freedom to our class. This is the heart of my curriculum’s purpose. The freedom consists of the creative expression and interaction of students as they present and represent their lives and imaginations. Here is the activity that does not focus on the student’s Theatre technique or cognitive learning or extrinsic goal, but instead focuses on total organic growth and fun. These activities will consist of interpersonal games and Theatre games. Initially, any game—even whiffleball or kickball—that holds student interest is valuable for establishing a safe, creative environment. For, in play, the students become themselves most completely. They learn fundamental rules and how individuals interact within a game environment. Games may include tag, freeze tag, freeze statues, freeze variations, blind man’s bluff, gossip, musical chairs (use their music), mirror game and mirror variations, mime ball throwing and tug-o-war. These are games for the Introduction section although at times during the year it may be wise to go back to them.
Related to the games and opening the students to freedom through their interaction is a structured discussion. Frequently students go to classes with the same faces for years and nonetheless know very little about their fellow students. In addition, kids of this age sometimes feel locked into a particular “mask” of behavior and personality, when in truth, the individual has outgrown or wishes to outgrow those limitations. To address these issues I plan to use lessons based on Robert Biral’s curriculum unit (1980) using drama to break boundaries. In it he proposes a structured discussion based on 74 questions. The questions he has gathered serve to dispel prejudgments. In addition, the questions stimulate the formation of values. Here are some examples:
Who is the person most relevant to our times?
What is the best movie you have ever seen?
What is the title of the last book you read?
When you think of “reality,” what comes to mind first?
What is the ugliest thing you know?
What is the most beautiful thing about people?
Both the questions and the discussion serve to open the students to creative expression, especially in the development of plays which will occur over the next 16 weeks or so. Indeed, some questions are sure to inspire scenarios for improvisation.
In the Introductory Period I have divided my activities into categories of either the Cognitive or the Creative. These two categories will serve me throughout the remainder of the course. I see the two categories as a type of stimulus and response. In the Introductory Period I wish establish each type of activity, then to bridge the activities by introducing the idea of “theme” and by giving students practical information regarding stage types. The fun-damental theme of our unit is the Individual vs. Society. Sup-plementing the major theme, I propose secondary themes of Failure/Success, Reality/Fantasy, Confidence/ Hopelessness, Desire-Wish-Value-Attitude. I will introduce these themes in questions for discussion and connect them to our reading of “Antigone”. Regarding stage types, I will give them information about proscenium, thrust, arena, corner thrust and other forms of the stage. Then, when we move into the Theatre classroom we will construct makeshift forms of these stages from chairs, platforms, boxes, and cloth.
