Calling All Theatre Teachers: Should I set classroom expectations or include my students?

Welcome to our video series, Calling All Theatre Teachers! In this series we’re going to answer questions that drama teachers have about stepping into a theatre program.

QUESTION: Is it better to come to the start of school with classroom expectations all ready to go, or should you include students in setting expectations?

Watch the video to see Laramie’s answer to this question. He is definitely on one side of the questions, particularly when it comes to beginning students.

Click the link below for a Community Building, Expectations and Procedures document.

How do you set expectations for your class? Do you include your students in the discussion?

This series is hosted by Lindsay Price and Laramie Dean. Lindsay has been in theatre education for 30 years, writing plays and classroom resources specifically for middle and high school through Theatrefolk (Check out Lindsay and Laramie’s The Ultimate Classroom Playwriting Resource) and co-creating the Drama Teacher Academy.

Laramie has been teaching theatre since 2003 and writing since he could first wrap his fingers around a pencil. (Check out Laramie’s Theatrefolk plays!) Currently he’s the theatre director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana, where he’s worked for the last 12 years.