When I first started teaching Drama, in 1993, I was still an undergraduate. My first ever class was a workshop on Kathakali, as the assessment for one of my second year modules, where we painted the kids’ faces green and made percussion instruments. Once I qualified as a teacher, in 1996, I immediately went off to Minnesota to spend the summer working as the creative movement and art teacher at a summer camp for people with severe learning disabilities – a ‘in at the deep end’ experience that taught me so much. Later that year, my first class as an NQT was spent with Year Seven, making up shapes to accompany Lewis Carroll’s ‘The Jabberwocky’. I don’t know who was more scared – them or me – it was also their first class at secondary school.
One thing I really needed when I first started, was a ‘pick up and teach it’ resource, for the days when things don’t go to plan, or when the thing that I prepared wasn’t working. So I created one, back in 2002, and because of my experience in Minnesota, I aimed it at teachers working with students with special needs. I’ve since had a chance to rewrite and republish that guide, in four parts. Here they are. Clicking the cover images below takes you to Amazon. Or, to view them on iBooks, click here.
Schemes of work included in book one: Foundational Drama Skills, Storytelling, Communication, and Using Props and Costume. You’ll also get a bonus section on putting on a radio play using the Babushka story.
You can download a free extract from Book One in the series, containing the scheme of work on Foundational Drama Skills.
In this second book in the series you’ll find the following schemes of work: Improvisation, Rhythm, and Atmosphere. You’ll get a whole set of activities on introducing Shakespeare.
The third book in the series is coming soon. Don’t forget you can go here to download an extract from Book One.
You’ll find other free downloadable resources for Drama teachers here.