Curriculum & Lesson Planning

My first blog post at Theatrefolk went live 10 years ago (check it out here). Since then, I’ve realized that the most valuable lessons aren’t always about curriculum, rehearsal strategies, or...

These games and exercises are my go-to activities for teaching beginning drama students. They’re fun, engaging, effective, and give students a well-rounded overview of topics such as drama...

Intimacy direction isn’t just about staging romantic content onstage — although that is one component of the role. It’s about creating a culture of consent, clarity, and safety in any moment of...

What do you do when you enter the drama classroom, ready to teach, and half your students aren’t in class? Maybe it’s due to illness, a field trip, it being the last week before winter break, the...

Sometimes you need a prompt that’s a bit more than just a word or two. “Oddly specific” prompts are great for improv, devising, and playwriting because they instantly spark students’ imaginations...

Theatre games are a vital tool for drama teachers. They help build relationships in the drama classroom, teach important theatre skills, and give students a chance to practice those skills and take...

If you’ve ever had a student ask, “Am I ever going to use this improv stuff in real life?” the answer is yes — we use improvisation skills all the time outside of the drama classroom. Improv isn’t...

It might happen in rehearsal, before an improvised scene, or just before a student is about to step onstage — the student freezes, panics, or shuts down, and the words “I can’t do this” fall from...

It’s incredibly rewarding to see your drama students grow and improve their skills during your time together. But sometimes it can be hard for students to see that improvement themselves. It’s easy...

Students in drama classrooms get distracted just like any other students. Even though our classrooms are more active and engaged, distractions can still throw off our lessons. So what do you do...

It can be difficult to get students to engage their imagination when participating in drama class. Whether it’s making big choices or fully committing to a scene, students are often reluctant to go...

You’ve found the perfect play! It’s engaging, relevant, and a great fit for your students. BUT, you can’t produce it this year, for any number of reasons. Maybe your performance calendar is already...

Every student learns differently. Some do well when they can listen and take notes, some prefer visuals to make sense of information, some like to read articles and books about different topics,...

Teaching multiple grade levels in the same class is fairly common in elementary school, but is also becoming more and more prevalent in high school. You might be growing a new theatre program at...

If you have taught theatre for any length of time you have encountered a “non-theatre student.” It could be a student looking for an easy A, someone who needed to fill an arts requirement for...

Have you ever had a student who’s a natural leader and has a knack for staging? Or maybe a student who isn’t comfortable in the spotlight but loves the creative process? These could be your budding...

The beginning of a new term is a busy time: getting to know your students, establishing classroom routines, building trust, and creating an ensemble mindset. While it may not be as fun and...

A surprise show title reveal can be a super fun, memorable moment for theatre students. It builds anticipation and excitement, and sets the tone for the upcoming production. Here are 10 show reveal...