Classroom Management

No matter what subject you teach, unacceptable behaviours can be found in every classroom. Because of how theatre classes are structured, some of these challenges may be more prevalent in the drama classroom. However, just like in any other class, strategies exist to help bring these issues under control. Here are two common unwelcome classroom behaviours and quick strategies to reset them. Going Off-TaskThe theatre classroom can be a chaotic space, and sometimes students take advantage of the chaos and get off-task. Here are three quick strategies to keep students focused: 1. Give clear instructions. If students aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing, they will fill the time in their own way. But if you give clear and detailed instructions, students will not have the excuse of not knowing what they were “supposed to do.” 2. Provide extra supervision. Students will get off-task if they think they can get away with it. If you spend too much time with a single student or group, or if you stay at your desk for too long, students will take the opportunity to let their mind (and sometimes their bodies) wander. Actively supervise your students during assigned work times as a way to keep them on-task. 3. Put consequences in place. Make sure students know that if they are not appropriately on-task, there will be consequences. The consequences do not need to be severe, but they do need to be unpleasant, and they need to be enforced. When students recognize that being off-task comes with consequences, they have a strong incentive to stay engaged. Refusing to ParticipateSome students are more than happy to disappear into the shadows of the classroom. They never raise their hand, never volunteer, never willingly participate in classroom activities. Here’s what you can do to address this unwanted behaviour: 1. Recognize. The first step towards fixing this behaviour is recognizing that it exists. As a teacher, you need to be aware of the students who are NOT calling attention to themselves: the student who only sits in the back of the classroom, the student who never raises their hand, the student who does not engage with their group during group work. Students like this are counting on the fact that if they stay quiet and small, you will overlook them when it comes time for participation. Once you recognize that these students are hoping you ignore them, you can take action to connect with them. 2. Require. After you identify a student who is actively trying to avoid participation, you can make a conscious effort to require them to participate. These efforts do not need to be confrontational or aggressive to be effective. Simply calling on a student who has not raised their hand and requiring them to answer a simple question is enough for that student to learn that you see them and expect them to participate. As a bonus, try to give a little positive feedback to the student’s participation. If the student feels like their input was valued, they may be more inclined to participate in the future. 3. Repeat. Engaging with a student one time might not be enough for them to break out of their shell. It may take a number of interactions before they begin to feel safe enough, or seen enough, to be more active in your class. Getting students to consistently participate in your class requires playing the long game. Build an environment of active participation, then gently, and repeatedly, encourage reluctant students to join in. Once a student knows that they can’t hide, and that it might actually be enjoyable to participate, there’s a better chance they will choose to participate on their own. A note on intentionally disruptive behaviour: When a student is off-task or not participating, it can often be disruptive to your class. That is why I have suggested the strategies detailed above. However, there are times when the disruptive behaviour in your class isn’t incidental or accidental; sometimes the disruption is the point. Whether it’s a cry for help or wanting to be the class clown, some students intentionally disrupt your classroom as a way to bring attention to themselves. No matter the reason, you need to deal with these students in a way that doesn’t feed the attention monster and make the problem worse. When a student is intentionally disrupting your class, you need to address the disruption immediately, calmly, and professionally, and then have a one-on-one conversation with the student at the first appropriate time. If you can, find out what is motivating this student’s behaviour, and follow up with conversations with parents, counselors, or admin as necessary. It is important to take action, because ignoring disruptive behaviour will not make it go away! Issues like this can simmer over time until you finally lose your cool and explode. So be sure to address intentionally disruptive students with admin and parents, and work with them to come up with an appropriate action plan.

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 interesting as warm-ups or improv games, having the right paperwork in place will definitely help save you headaches later. Clear forms help establish classroom expectations for work and behaviour, communicate with families, collect important student information, and protect both you and your students. If problems arise in the future, having a good paper trail in place can help to iron out the situation in the moment. These forms can be physical or digital, depending on your needs; oftentimes both are useful and necessary. Here’s a list of some documents you may wish to use in your classroom, and how they can support you and your students: 1. A course overview / syllabus that describes what topics the class will be covering and when, so students know what to expect, what they need to prepare for, and when in the course they’ll be focusing on a particular topic. If students need to bring in any supplies from home or wear (or avoid) particular clothing in class, this information should be included with the syllabus. 2. A detailed calendar or checklist noting assignment due dates, test dates, performance dates and times, field trips, and so on. Some students may wish to have a digital copy that they can refer to on their phone or upload to a calendar app, while others might prefer a physical copy they can put in the front of their binder or stick on the fridge or bulletin board at home. For production classes with rehearsals or performances outside of class time, or actual school productions, a detailed schedule of rehearsal and performance dates and times in an easy-to-read format that families can post somewhere in their home is essential. Be sure to include all rehearsals, tech week, any special rehearsals such as sitzprobe, and all performances dates, including call times. 3. A getting to know you questionnaire, asking questions about how students like to learn, their previous theatrical experience and/or knowledge, and what outside commitments and other classes they have. Keep these forms confidential, in case students disclose any private or personal information to you. 4. Your classroom code of conduct or community agreements, illustrating behavioural expectations within the drama classroom. Community agreements can be a “living document” (editable throughout the course of the class) housed in your online class area, or a physical board displayed prominently in your classroom. If you use a code of conduct, you may want to include a section at the bottom for students to sign and date, to acknowledge that they have read and understood the classroom expectations. You can refer back to these documents with students, families, and admin if any behavioural issues arise in the drama classroom. 5. A brief family responsibilities document that the student’s parent/guardian must sign. This document describes how families can best support their students. You may wish to include a brief overview of what students will be studying during the term and reiterate the important dates and times in case students don’t share that information with their families. This way there are fewer excuses for missed classes or rehearsals. Again, you may wish for this to be a form that families sign and date to indicate that they are aware of what’s going on in the drama classroom. You’ll find a sample document in the giveaway below. 6. For auditions, you’ll need paperwork such as sign-up sheets for before the audition, sign-in sheets, actor information sheets, and copies of the scenes that students will read from if you’re doing cold readings. If you use digital files for students, have additional paper copies of all forms at the audition, in case students forgot or lost their initial form of communication.

Drama classes are chaotic by design. A good drama class should be an active and energetic environment where students are exploring and creating with their peers. That means groups of students spending a lot of time out of their seats and speaking loudly. In other words… chaos! With that in mind, how are you supposed to control a drama class? Here are three classroom management rules you need to follow to keep the chaos to a minimum: 1. Have clear rules and expectations.Even the most chaotic classroom should have rules and expectations. But where do these rules come from? They come from YOU! You are in charge and you need to be able to envision and articulate how you expect YOUR classroom to function. You decide the level of activity and noise you are willing to tolerate, and then create the specific rules, guidelines, and expectations that students need to follow to achieve your vision. Once you have defined your rules and expectations, share them with your students at the beginning of each new semester — both verbally and in writing. That way students will know what is expected in your class from day one. 2. Have appropriate consequences.Rules without consequence are tigers without teeth. In order for students to take your rules and expectations seriously, there need to be consequences in place for when rules are broken and expectations are not met. These consequences do not need to be harsh to be effective; sometimes a quick, private word with a wayward student is enough to get them back on track. What is most important is that the consequences are appropriate to the offense. Minor offences can be handled with smaller consequences, whereas completely unacceptable behaviour requires more severe consequences. However, keep in mind that your consequences cannot supersede school or district rules, and more importantly, must respect local laws. Again, make sure your students know both the rules AND consequences for their behaviour in your classes. Repeat this information early and often! 3. Be consistent.The most important rule of classroom control is consistency. That means that you need to call out infractions every time you see them and apply the appropriate consequences to the student, or students, in error. You cannot turn a blind eye or practise favoritism, or your students will quickly realize that your rules aren’t fair, and therefore they do not need to follow them. Consistency is the foundation of a well-managed classroom and allows students to fully participate knowing that rules and boundaries exist, and apply equally to everyone. Additional Reading: Round-up: All About Classroom Management Ordered Chaos: Balancing structure and creative activity in the drama classroom Establishing Boundaries With Your 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: How do I find a good substitute teacher? Watch the video of our discussion of this question — Laramie shares the question he asked himself about leaving information for a substitute. Click the link below for an example Substitute Teacher Instruction Sheet and a couple of Substitute Teacher Forms that can help you organize your information so that any sub you get can teach your class. What do you do with your classes when you need a substitute?

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: How do I promote a positive environment? Watch the video of our discussion of this question — Laramie shares his number one suggestions for both production and classroom situations. Click the link below for a reflection to write down your own thoughts AND a couple of community building games. How do YOU promote a positive environment in your classes and productions?

Classroom management looks a little different in the drama room than in other classes. However, laying a solid foundation for discipline is imperative for you and your students so you can all work together towards success. No matter where you are on your teaching journey, there are always tips, tricks, and techniques to refine your classroom management style, as every class is going to be different. Here are 10 of our best articles on classroom management, including different approaches to teaching rules, establishing routines and rituals, practicing accountability, and more. Top 10 Classroom Management Tips for Drama Teachers It’s right there in the title. Matt Webster shares his no-fuss tips for establishing a solid foundation for discipline in your drama classroom, focusing on preparation, clear communication, and consistency. Plus, you’ll find a PDF download of emergency activities to help you be prepared in the classroom. Day One of the Drama Classroom For many teachers, the first day of class is the most important day of the year. It sets the tone for what’s to come and how things will run. This episode of The Drama Teacher Podcast features five drama teachers sharing what they do with their students to get started on the right foot and make the most out of that first day. Ordered Chaos: Balancing Structure and Creative Activity in the Drama Classroom The drama classroom is unique, and expectations are not the same as in other classes. Maintaining the balance between creative activity and structure can be challenging, but it’s doable. This article discusses techniques for classroom management through the elements of routine, behaviour, co-operation via group work, and peer leadership. Top 5 Discipline Mistakes New Drama Teachers Make (And How to Fix Them) Giving empty threats, repeatedly shushing students, and ignoring behaviour issues doesn’t work. If you feel stuck because your discipline attempts don’t work with your students, don’t fear — we’ve got solutions. This post also includes helpful video tips. Establishing Boundaries with Your Students You are one person with a finite amount of resources and mental capacity to do your job effectively. Boundaries are necessary to protect ourselves and our well-being. Setting boundaries with your students demonstrates how you wish to be treated, how your classroom is run, and the expectations that students must live up to. Developing Classroom Routines and Systems Classroom routines and systems make students feel organized and secure, and help them shift into the drama class mindset. Establishing clear routines can reduce behavioural issues, as your students know what to expect when they enter the room, even if they don’t know what the lesson will be about. Accountability: In Rehearsal, the Classroom, and as a Citizen Classroom management starts in the classroom, but it also teaches students how to function in the “real world” when dealing with part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and friends and family. Practicing accountability in school sets students up for success in their future life commitments. Community Agreements in the Drama Classroom Community agreements are a collection of guidelines produced by students and educators together, about how everyone agrees to work together in class. The difference between rules and community agreements is that rules are made and enforced from a position of authority (usually teachers, but also principals and/or school boards), while community agreements are created and maintained by everyone in the classroom. 5 Ways to Quiet Down a Noisy Drama Class without Yelling Take a bunch of students who have been sitting down in other classes for hours, fill them to the brim with great ideas, and then ask them to be quiet and focus on the work. Yes, drama class is fun, but you still need to have your students’ focus and quiet so you can teach amazing lessons without having to constantly raise your voice. Save your voice and your sanity with these five techniques. Learning the Rules: “Act It Out” Game During the first week of class, it’s imperative to inform students about classroom rules and expectations to start on a positive note. However, it’s boring to just lecture students about rules, or hand out and read a sheet full of rules. “Act It Out” is an active game that enhances students’ understanding of the rules by having them get up and present them in a theatrical manner. Bonus: 3 Tips to Learn Students’ Names Quickly and The Importance of Pronouns Want your students to respect you and your classroom? Start by demonstrating respect by learning your students’ names and pronouns quickly and using them correctly.

Drama classes are naturally noisy, chaotic places. Take a whole bunch of energetic, creative, enthusiastic students who have been sitting down in other classes for hours, fill them to the brim with great ideas…and then ask them to be quiet and focus on the work. It doesn’t exactly add up to an easy situation to control! Yes, drama class is fun. But you still need to have your students’ focus and quiet so you can teach amazing lessons without having to constantly raise your voice. And frankly, who wants to raise their voice anyway? You’ll end up with a strained voice, frayed nerves, and students who either resent or fear you, or eventually ignore you in spite of your bellowing. Ultimately, your goal is to not have to use these techniques at all. But in the meantime, here are five different ways I have used to request (not command!) quiet, without having to yell. Just Start the LessonAre you tired of waiting for your students to quiet down? Go ahead and start the lesson. The students who are nearest to you or really keen on learning the lesson will pay attention, and the others will realize soon enough and quiet down…or miss the lesson completely and be forced to play catch-up. This suggestion does have a few risks. Students may interrupt and say “I didn’t know you were starting” or demand that you re-explain what they missed. You have to decide if you will refuse to answer and make them figure out the lesson, or take time to go back and explain what they missed. Either way, it shows your students that you mean business – it’s class time, not social time. Clap BackTry a sound cue, like clapping out a pattern and having your class repeat it back to you (“clap clap clap-clap clap” is a common pattern). This signals that it’s time to stop talking and start listening. “And a hush fell over the crowd!”This is one I hear frequently at summer camps. The cue is the teacher saying “And a hush fell over the crowd!” and the students whisper back “Hushhhhhhhh…” and then quieting down. If you use this technique, be sure to reiterate with your students that the goal is to reply at a level of pianissimo, not double forte. “If you can hear me, do this.”I love this technique! Simply say, in a quiet voice, “If you can hear me, do this” accompanied by a gesture of some kind (touching your nose, patting your head, jazz hands, tapping your chin, etc). Those students who can hear you, do the gesture with you. Keep repeating “If you can hear me, do this” until the whole classroom is doing the gesture together. This technique can take a little while to get everyone’s attention, but you can make it into a game or competition by challenging your students to quiet down in less than three gestures. When All Else Fails…Stare at the CeilingThis technique works like magic for me. During the first week of classes, I tell my students, “I don’t like to yell, so when I want quiet, I’ll stare at the ceiling until you’re ready to work.” Then when students are talking, sit quietly at the front of your class and wait. And whenever I have done this in class, it works. Have patience! Students will realize quickly enough that they’re wasting their own time. Occasionally someone in the class will (loudly) whisper, “SHE’S LOOKING AT THE CEILING” and everyone quiets down after that, but I have found it works very well.

As a teacher and director, one of my first priorities at the beginning of a new class or rehearsal process is to learn everyone’s names as quickly as possible. It makes students feel important and that they are a vital part of the class. It can be challenging to learn names in a drama classroom. More often than not, there are no desks, assigned seats, or a seating plan to work against! But with a little preparation and some practice, learning names quickly will become easier and easier. Here are some tips that I use to help learn students’ names:1. At the first class, have students introduce themselves, then you repeat the names out loud. Muscle memory! At your first class, have your students sit in a circle and introduce themselves. Just a simple, “Hi, I’m Amanda,” is all that’s needed. Then you (the teacher) will repeat the name out loud to stick it in your brain. After a few people say their names, go back and repeat the names out loud, and then continue around the circle, going back every few students and repeating the names. For a challenge, after everyone has introduced themselves, go back and try to say all the names in a row. For an even bigger challenge, close your eyes and have your students change spots in the circle, and then go back and try to identify them again! Like learning lines, repetition is so helpful for memorization. Bonus: Before classes even start, study the student list to familiarize yourself with the names themselves._ Think of it like familiarizing yourself with the script before an audition! For example, if you go into your Grade 9 Drama class already knowing that you have Jessica, Kyle, Mary, John, and Stuart, it is less intimidating than trying to remember every name in existence. Granted, your classes will have more students than that, but even learning 30 names for a class is less stressful than trying to recall hundreds of names. 2. Repeat and use students’ names. When answering questions or asking for responses, be sure to practice calling on students by name. If you forget their name, ask them to say it out loud again before answering, and then you repeat it. You could also have them say their name out loud before they answer, during the first few classes. 3. Play name games. Try the Silent Line-Up Game. Students line themselves up across the room WITHOUT SPEAKING from shortest to tallest. See if they can do it in 30 seconds or less. Then have them repeat the exercise, only this time they must line themselves up in alphabetical order according to first name (again WITHOUT SPEAKING). Once everyone is in place, have each person say their name out loud to see if everyone is in the correct spot. If you’re teaching multiple classes, keep a tally between each class you’re teaching to see which group is the fastest. Click the download below for a couple of bonus name games! NOTE: If you forget someone’s name or feel embarrassed for mixing people up, ask your students to be understanding. Remind the group that there are ____ of them and only one of you and you’re doing your best! It happens to everyone. You will get there!

The following exercise has lots of variations and ways to adapt it for your classroom. No matter what variation you use, however, the ultimate goal (see what I did there?) of the exercise is to get students to set goals in the drama classroom. Why set goals? It gives students a sense of purpose and commitment, more so than just showing up and doing the class because they have to. Setting goals encourages students to take initiative in their own learning, and helps them to push themselves out of their comfort zones. The first step for this exercise is for students to think of a goal they’d like to work towards in the drama classroom. Goals need to be specific – “becoming a better actor” is too big and too vague. How are students going to become better actors? Think of baby steps that will lead to that big goal. Students should brainstorm for their idea individually. Some examples of goals might be: • To learn ways to memorize lines faster • To learn more about a type of technical theatre (lighting, sound, etc.) • To improve their auditioning technique • To learn more about a specific type of theatrical performance (puppetry, mime, etc.) Once each student has a goal in mind, they will write that goal on a strip of paper (without putting their name on it). Keep the goals anonymous. After the students have written out their goals, collect the paper strips and put them into a jar (the “Wish Jar”). What now? Here are three options for how to use your Wish Jar: “A Place of Prominence”After all the students have placed their goals into the Wish Jar, put the jar in a prominent place in the drama classroom. It will be a visual reminder of the goals they are working towards. After the students put their slips in the jar, have them complete a brief reflection that lists their goal and three ways they will work in the classroom towards achieving that goal. Collect the reflections and seal them up in an envelope, with the date of the last day of class on the outside. On the last day of class, open up the Wish Jar, and have each student read aloud one of the goals to the class. After the goals have been read, give each student back their reflection that they completed back at the beginning of the semester. Do they remember what they said? Have the students complete a second reflection, looking back on their goal from the first day of class, and compare it to how they’ve done throughout the semester. “Guardians of the Goals”Once all the student have put their goals into the Wish Jar, shake up the jar. Each student will then take someone else’s wish out of the jar. They are now the Guardian of that Goal. They must keep that slip of paper in their drama notebook or pencil case, and they are responsible for that goal for the rest of the semester. Have a group discussion about how they can help others achieve their goals. Why is it important to help others do this? Have students write a reflection that day about their Guardian Goal and how they will help that fellow student achieve their goals. “Goal of the Week”At the beginning of each week, draw a goal out of the Wish Jar and read it out to the class. Use that goal as a basis for a warmup, a reflection, or a team-building exercise. For example, if the goal is “To learn ways to memorize lines faster,” students might: • Share ways they use to learn lines quickly in a discussion • Work in pairs to develop a new technique for memorization • Complete a group exercise to see who can memorize and perform a short monologue or scene the fastest and most accurately Whatever variation you use in your classroom, empower your students to take ownership of their goals and wishes. Challenge them to aim really high and go for those goals! Encourage classmates to help each other out and work together to check those goals off their lists.

There are many ways to give participation marks in the drama classroom. How do students engage in classroom discussion? How do they participate in warmups and exercises? How do students work in small groups? Because the drama class often involves student presentations, be it in improvised scenes or lengthy memorized pieces, you can also include audience etiquette to a participation mark: “How do students participate as an audience member?” The audience is an essential part of the performance process, so it’s important to discuss and apply audience etiquette. Start with a DiscussionAsk students: How should an audience behave at a play? Rock concert? Tennis match? Football game? Lecture? Movie? Audience behaviour changes depending on the situation. For example, an audience is expected to cheer at a football game, but it’s completely against etiquette rules for a tennis match. You could even talk about how audience behaviour has changed over time. Audience behaviour for a Shakespeare play in the Elizabethan era had more in common with a WWE match audience than today’s typical 21st century audience. What is Audience Etiquette?Etiquette is a way of behaving in a situation. Tennis match = quiet audience. At the beginning of the year, have a discussion with your classes about how everyone should behave when watching presentations. You could even start the discussion with a little performance of your own – invite two students to the front of the class to improvise a scene. As they perform, model “good audience behaviour” and “bad audience behaviour.” As you discuss audience etiquette, write down student suggestions. You could even write their suggestions on chart paper and hang it up permanently. Some important points to highlight: • Paying attention • Staying silent • Phones turned off and put away • Leaning forward • Eyes on the stage • Sitting still • Appropriate response at the end of a scene • Following instructions, if needed (eg: in an improv scenario, responding to an ask for a location or a scene title) Let students know that every time there is a “performance” they could also receive a participation mark as an audience member.

Large drama classes can be lots of fun – they are often noisy, but full of energy and excitement, and the time absolutely flies by. But there are challenges too – with larger classes, it can be harder to get to know students individually and meet everyone’s needs. With a little bit of planning ahead, engaging your large drama class can be a smooth process. Here are three tips that can help. 1. Learn students’ names as quickly as possible.Obviously, you need to know who your students are, but the sooner you get to know everyone’s name, the easier it will be to run your class with confidence. Students feel important when they are acknowledged by their name. Let your students know that it might take time for you to learn their names (after all, there are lots of them and only one of you!) but the quicker you learn them, the better. Repeat their names when calling on them. Play name games during warmups. Encourage students to learn their classmates’ names quickly, too – work as a group and make it a team effort. 2. Divide and conquer.Let your students become the experts. Divide students into groups and give them the opportunity to teach something to rest of the class. This could be especially useful if you have multiple grades at once. For example, assign each group to create a research project on a different style of theatrical performance – Greek, Roman, Commedia dell’arte, farce, theatre for young audiences, absurdist theatre, radio drama, musical theatre, pantomime, or puppetry. Have each group do the research, then present a brief lesson and a performance in that style. In this way, students can assist you in giving lessons, or augment lessons that you have already presented. Include a peer evaluation to aid your marking component. ( *Click below * for a free, printable peer evaluation rubric!) 3. Let students’ voices be heard.It’s so easy to just lead, lecture, and get stuck into a rut of the same topics over and over. If your curriculum allows it, let students suggest topics that they would like to learn more about. In the past, my students have asked to do more of improv and puppetry, so we did larger units on those topics. Why not run units entirely based on student-led learning? Consider doing a playwriting unit with scenes and plays written by students on topics of their choosing. An improv unit with topics suggested by students. A class production with a student director, stage manager, tech crew and actors. Encourage your students to learn, grow, support, and make mistakes together. It can be challenging for individual voices to be heard in a big classroom, particularly if students are shy or anxious about speaking up in front of a big group. Yes, there are tons of shy people who love drama class! If they have questions or concerns, I always encourage my students to pull me aside and speak to me or email me after class. Having an open-door policy is so useful in getting to know students better and ensuring their voices are heard. Another useful technique is the “query box.” Have a small box with a notepad and pencil beside it that students can use to ask questions or make comments (anonymously if they wish). This encourages students to share their ideas in a low-pressure setting. Using daily or weekly individual drama journals are also a great way to keep tabs on students and how they are engaging in the class work. Try using an exit slip (there are tons here on the Theatrefolk blog!) each day, with a longer reflection at the end of the week. At the end of the semester, students will have amassed quite the collection of reflections. Perhaps they’ll inspire some more student-created work in the future.

“The number one problem in the classroom is not discipline: it is the lack or procedures and routines. – Harry Wong, The Well Managed Classroom” The Drama Classroom is a unique place. Often there are no defined rows of tables and chairs. A loud boisterous class could be a sign of productivity not unruliness. And what other class includes warm-ups? There must be a balance between creative activity and structure in the drama classroom. It’s not unusual for students to act out or misbehave (especially students new to drama) because the expectations in drama class are so different from expectations in other classes. A drama teacher must have a plan in place to maintain control. This is to create an environment so that you and your students are able to spend as much time as possible learning and not managing disruptions. Each teacher will have their own definition of what that means, but elements to consider include routine, behaviour, co-operation via group work, and peer leadership. How do you set your drama classroom up for success?RoutineStudents like structure. They like knowing what they’re doing. Routine can be established even in the drama class, where you may move from loud group activities, to journal work, to scene study. How do you start and end each class? The easiest way to establish routine in the drama class is to set a routine for the beginning and end of class. This way, regardless of what activities make up the bulk of the class, there is start and a finish that rarely varies.  There are a variety of activities you can use: • Shed the outside world: have students take their shoes off, put their electronics on a shelf, and drop their bags. Follow these steps in exactly the same way, in exactly the same place every class. Make it a transition ritual to help establish that drama class is different. • Circle up and the beginning and end. Students know that when they walk in the room, they sit in a circle. Just before the bell rings, they know to return to the circle. • Bell work. Students know when they walk in the room they pull out their journals and respond to something written on the board. It could be a reflection, a response to a question, or an opinion. You can also end each class with a reflection. What happened in the class that day? • Warm-ups. Every drama teacher knows to make warm-ups a part of the class routine. It’s another great way to establish the difference between drama class and other classes. Also, drama warm-ups introduce students to the techniques and tools needed to perform. Routines take time to establish. You can’t chastise students for not knowing your specific routines on the first day of class. The way to set a routine is practice. Instead of telling students the routine, take them through it physically. Practice getting into a circle on an aural cue (e.g. the word “circle,” a specific piece of music, or a clapping pattern). Model the routine for them - show them how you want their shoes, phones and bags placed. Model how you want warm-ups taught and have students practice. It may seem like a lot of work but a semester is a long time. A few weeks at the beginning of the year will save tons of time and energy later. Peer LeadershipOne of the best ways to manage the potential chaos of the drama classroom is to establish peer leadership. Teach students to lead themselves and to lead one another. This way it’s not just your voice asking for quiet, getting students into groups, and repeating instructions. Students respond more quickly and consistently to their peers than they do to adults. A leadership role empowers students to further their communication skills, to make decisions, and to learn in practice what it means to take responsibility. How do you get students to take on a leadership role? • Create a sign-up roster for student-led warm-ups. Each student is responsible for teaching a warm-up to the class. • After you give instructions for an activity, choose students to re-teach the instructions. • Identify the leaders in the class and speak with them. Ask them to help you keep others on track during exercises. • Get students in the habit of asking one another for clarification of activity instructions. This way students learn that you will not repeat things just because they weren’t listening and they must turn to their peers for help. • Give students tasks: taking attendance, handing out / returning homework, and giving instructions.  Group WorkIf you find yourself with an overly large class, focus on project-based small group activities. These activities give students the opportunity to practice cooperation skills. While some groups work well together, others do not. Sometimes there are students who let others take control and do nothing. It’s not a given, even by the time they reach high school, that students know how to work together effectively and efficiently. How do you get your students to work together? • The teacher assigns the groups. And this goes beyond random groupings - spend time getting to know your students before you introduce group work. Then you can put the groups together like a recipe. Which students will fit together best? • One reason students won’t work together is because they simply don’t know each other well. It’s always easier to work with your friends. Use exercises that allow students to learn about each other. • Play an icebreaker game: Have students walk around the room until a designated signal. The first person a student makes eye contact with is their partner. The teacher calls out a category such as favourite movie, food you hate, best song, and the students share their info. Circle up after a few rounds. Students have to recall what others said. Give points for correct answers. • Set the parameters for what it means to work in a group before you give them a specific project. What is the expected outcome of group work? What’s expected from each individual within the group? What sound volume is appropriate for group work? Model your expectations; show students what an ineffective group member looks like. • Establish a designated non-verbal “quiet time” signal so you’re not yelling over the noise (e.g. a clap pattern that everyone repeats or a piece of music). Manage BehaviourHow do you manage behaviour when students are watching scene work? • Students will not instinctually know how to behave as an audience member. If performance is a constant part of class, students will need to learn the appropriate skills. • Create a ritual that announces the start of every performance. This could be lights actually going to black, a clap pattern, or a verbal cue such as “blackout” or “actors ready.” This routine gives students a clear indication as to when they need to go into “audience mode.” • Expect total focus on the performance space. This covers all the bases. If a student is focused on the stage they are not talking, texting, or staring into space. • Expect students to respond (e.g. it in a peer feedback form, a reflection or in a small group discussion) to each performance Proper audience behaviour is not just “looking” at the stage; it also requires you to engage with the performance. • Practice being an audience. Model good and bad audience behaviour for students. Prompt a discussion about why proper audience behaviour is important. A final word on structure.Establishing a rigid classroom structure (i.e. creating routines, modeling behaviour, and practicing how to work in groups) may seem like a creativity killer. In fact, the opposite is achieved. Classroom management in the drama classroom establishes a place for students to explore their creativity, learn unique skills, and get out of their comfort zone. The Drama Teacher Academy offers a full professional development course on classroom management. Click here to find out more about Matt Webster’s Organized Chaos: Discipline in the Theatre Classroom, and watch the course promo video below!

How does your class collaborate in a crisis? To collaborate is to work together as a group to produce something. In this case, each group has to work together to create a list. But it’s not just any list, it’s a list of “must haves” under an extreme circumstance. How does your class collaborate in a crisis? It’s time to find out. Divide students into groups. Explain to them they are involved in “A Worst Case Scenario.” Give each group a situation: locked in a burning building. Trapped on a sinking ship. In a lifeboat after the ship has gone down. Stuck on a mountain with a looming avalanche. Crash landed on a desert island. In a jungle with predators behind and a river filled with piranha ahead. The group has to decide on 5 must have items that will help them get to safety. The 5 items must come from a unanimous decision by the group. Everyone has to agree on the items. How do the groups negotiate the list? Students may try to negotiate to get additional list items but be clear. It’s 5 and only 5. Give groups a time limit to come up with the list. Start announcing that the surrounding danger (be it fire, lions, or an avalanche) is getting closer. And closer. Time is running out. Will the groups beat the clock? At the end of the time limit, have groups present their lists. Discuss with the class. Are the list items useful? Surprising? Was the group able to agree on five items? Why or why not? Do this exercise with a realistic scenario. Then repeat with a fantasy driven scenario. They are on Mars and there’s a leak in their domicile. The castle is being attacked by witches. They are underground in a fight to the death with the mole people. It’s the future and everyone is a robot. The robots are dealing with an acid raid storm. What items do they come up with under imaginary circumstances?

Collaboration has been highlighted as a 21st century skill and an important skill for students to learn. Certainly, students need to know how to work and create with others. The drama class is an ideal breeding ground to foster and develop collaboration skills. Students have to work together to create tableaux, to develop scenes and plays, to improv. The problem occurs when collaboration and teamwork are mistaken for the same thing. The criteria for an effective collaboration are not the same as the criteria for effective teamwork. This is the definition of collaboration: “Collaboration: to work with a person or a group to produce or create something.” Doesn’t that sound like teamwork? If you struggle with getting your students to collaborate in the drama classroom, it may because you’re using a teamwork model. What’s the difference? Which is the most important for a drama classroom? Collaboration vs. TeamworkThe end result of collaboration or teamwork is often the same. When a group collaborates, they are working together toward a shared goal. Everyone in the group has the same vision in mind (for example: to create a performance piece about bullying). The same applies to a group of students that works as a team, they too work together toward a shared goal. Everyone is committed to a single outcome: a performance piece about bullying. So what’s the difference?When a group functions as a team, they are working as individuals. Everyone has their identified task which contributes to the outcome. A great example is a baseball team. Everyone has their own job – catcher, pitcher, third baseman – but they all have the same goal. A successful team depends on having a strong leader to guide the team toward the goal. If you’ve got a strong leader and a clear outcome, it’s not essential that team members like each other. This is unnecessary to complete the project, because the leader controls the work of the group. Control is key with teamwork. In a dramatic context, putting on a play is team work. The director guides the group toward its goal. Within a collaboration the group not only has to work together, they have to think together. The end product comes from the efforts of the group. This means collaborators are equal partners – there is no leader. An example of a collaboration would be a devised theatre piece where there is no script and the group has to work together to create an end product. Where collaboration breaks down is when students are inflexible with their contribution. Collaborators have to trust each other, respect the opinions of others, and engage in negotiations toward the final product. The best collaborators are not just creative, they are flexible. They know when to let other ideas take the lead. Flexibility is key with collaboration. Both models are useful for students to learn. It’s important to know how to be a team player, especially within the context of staging a play. Everyone has to do their specific job well – from lighting board operator, to ensemble actor, to stage manager. It’s the job of the director to bring the team together and keep everyone on task. Even if you have students who don’t like each other, if they’re on the same page for the intended outcome, they can be effective team players. With collaboration, it’s important for students to learn how to give and take within a project. It’s difficult to share power and to accept your idea is not always the best idea. A clear goal is essential in a collaboration, so that the project doesn’t descend into argument. Ask yourself these questions: Do I want students to work as a team or as collaborators? Do I run my classroom as a collaboration or as a team? Which model will work best for this specific project? How do I prepare my students to excel as collaborators? How do I encourage team leaders? Collaboration Suggestions• Use improv as a collaboration tool. Divide students into groups and have them create scenes on the spot with location and relationship prompts. The nature of improv doesn’t give time for a leader to emerge – they have to work together and think together instantly. • Use time limits in group work. Push students to work and think quickly. • Encourage a “we all answer” policy when brainstorming. If a group is coming up with ideas for a scene or scenario, make it a policy that everyone has to provide a suggestion. Group work can sometimes end up with one or two leaders and then some followers. Strive to avoid this scenario. • Encourage a “no bad ideas” policy. Yes some ideas will work better than others. But get students in the habit of accepting every idea at first. All ideas go down on the page without judgement. If a student feels their idea will be instantly judged or rejected, they will soon refuse to participate. Teamwork Suggestions• For some group activities, give each group member a job: Leader/Director, Note taker, Time keeper, Materials, On-Task Manager. The aim is for each member to do their job within the activity. This is something you can have students discuss or reflect on afterward – what happened within the group? What happened when students did not do their job or tried to do the job of others? What happened to the end product? As you change activities, make sure students rotate in their job assignments. • Give every student an opportunity to be a leader. Some students struggle when put in a leadership position – there are those who are born leaders and there are those who are not. Use small, contained exercises at first. Have students lead the class in a warm up or improv game. The leader outlines the goal of the exercise, make sure everyone understands the goal and then implements the goal. • Model the behaviour you want to see in your students. If you have students leading a game, you have to become a team member. Show students what it means to be a team player. If you want strong student leaders, show students how to lead. • When you put on a play, make sure every student has a specific job and highlight the significance of every job. It’s easy to forget the ensemble, or to ignore the offstage crew when you’re trying to get a scene right. Teamwork relies on everyone doing their job for the good of the end goal. If students feel their job isn’t important, why would they do their best?

“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso Creativity is a misused, maligned, misunderstood word. Especially in the drama classroom. Many students come to drama class (or avoid drama class altogether) because of their preconceived notion of creativity. “I can’t do drama, I’m not creative. I can’t act. I can’t write.” They believe creativity is something you’re born with. They believe creativity is a talent possessed by the lucky few. Students or not, many people believe creativity is something you either have or you don’t. “She is so creative. I could never do what she does.” In this mindset, creativity becomes a wall – there are the haves on one side and the have-nots on the other. When creativity is the focus of the drama classroom, it becomes a place of exclusion rather than inclusion. Having said this, it’s common to equate what goes on in the drama classroom with creativity. Everyone sees the arts as a “creative” field. In order to put on a play, or sing or dance, creativity has to be involved, right? This is the stereotype every drama teacher has to deal with. Ask your students to define the word and they’ll equate creativity with the arts, creativity with talent, and creativity as being something they have or don’t have. And yet, we want students to create and be creative. To be a creative thinker will give students a leg up out in the real world. But not through preconceived notions and stereotypes. We want students to be creative in the truest sense of the word. The Real DefinitionTo be creative is to see a situation in a new light. Creativity is doing something new. This definition can be applied to the arts, but you can also be creative in science, in city planning, in how you manage an office. Problem solving is creative. By this definition, everyone is creative! But it’s one thing to say that everyone can be creative and another to put this concept into action. The stigma surrounding the word is too strong. It’s better to not even use the word with your students. How do we leave “creativity” out of the drama classroom?Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things. – Ray Bradbury Just Do: Become a Child AgainHave you ever had your students pretend to be five years old? What happens? More often than not, they loosen their bodies and their voices. They easily fall into play. They make forts out of blankets, and mountains out of thin air. They instantly become creative. Kids don’t see what they do and how they think as creative. That word doesn’t exist. Kids problem solve all day long. How can this couch cushion become an airplane? They don’t use their imagination because it’s a talent. They don’t play by the rules of the “real world.” They don’t try to be creative. They simply are creative. Encourage your students to act like kids. This doesn’t mean nap time or afternoon temper tantrums. Get your students in the habit of seeing their world in a new light. Encourage your students not to over-think a situation, but to simply do. This means of course, that they’ll fail more often. The more you do something without thinking, the bigger the risk. But that’s what truly creative people do. They risk, they fail, they do it again. This mindset will serve your students out in the world more than any other. Do this! • If students have trouble with Shakespeare, approach it as a kid would. How would a five-year-old see Romeo and Juliet? • Get in the habit of one impossible scene a week. How will your students create a scene that involves Japanese? How will your students create a scene underwater? How will your students create a scene where no one is allowed to use their left arm? The point is not the success of the scene, but to accept the impossible and use it! • Give objects to your students to use in a scene. The goal? They have to use them in a scene but not in the manner the object is usually used. For example, a chair cannot be sat on. But it can be used as the controls for a space ship. • Use improv games to practice problem solving: • The Chair Scene. Someone sits on a Chair. A second person enters. Their job is to get the person on the chair to leave. • One word Story. Students sit in a group, they have to tell a story, one word at a time so that it makes sense. • Gibberish Translation. A pair creates a gibberish scene. They each have a translator who, based on what they see and hear, has to translate the Gibberish into English for the audience. • Object. Students are divided into teams. They are given a time limit and have to come up with as many different uses as possible for that object. Think of creativity as a muscle, not a talentThe most creative people are actually the most regimented, practical and habitual. That doesn’t sound right, but it’s true. Creative people use their brain like a muscle. They don’t leave creativity to chance or even inspiration. Creativity is not magic, and it’s not talent. Creative people know that they’ll be the most successful when they’re consistent and habitual. To that end, they use their brains on a daily basis. It’s not magical unicorns sliding down a rainbow. Creativity is work. Think about how you have to use your physical muscles on a daily basis to get them to work properly. If you do too much, your muscles get sore. If you try to push a cold muscle, it’s not going to be cooperative. If you try to push a cold brain, the same thing will occur. This is often misinterpreted as I’m not creative. To get your students to work on their “creative” muscle, always equate it to working on a physical muscle. If you do too much, too soon, that muscle will resist. If you do a lot one day and then don’t do anything for a week or two, that muscle will forget. Consistent, habitual, small steps are always better than big leaps. Do this! • A month before you start a playwriting unit, introduce a writing warm up every class as bell work. Give students a first line prompt and give them five minutes to write a monologue. Five minutes, that’s it. It’s better to work for five minutes every day for a month than it is to write for five hours once a month. • When you’re working on character development, introduce a habit of observation. Have your students record one physical or vocal observation in their journals at the beginning of each class. How did someone move as they walked down the hall? How did someone sound when they were being sarcastic? In order to play different characters, students have to be aware of different types of people. • Introduce five warm up games and play them consistently in class for at least a month. Pick them carefully, what do you want students to learn through warm ups? At a certain point (once everyone can play them without thinking), turn the control of leading the warm ups over to the students. And then, once students can both lead and play the games, ask students to change parts of the warm up. Have them come up with an add on. Have them change one of the rules. • Before you get students on stage, make physical and vocal exercises a habit. Get them in the habit of projection and articulation before they even do their first scene. “To live a creative life we must first lose the fear of being wrong.” - Joseph Chilton Pearce Think of wrong as a choice, not a failureFor so many students, being wrong is traumatic. School sets up students to fear being wrong – if you’re wrong on a test, you could get a low grade and not pass the course. Wrong equals failure and failure is bad. But for the truly creative, if you’re seeing a situation in a new light, or problem solving, wrong is a way of life. No one solves the problem on the first go. Everyone fails. The only way to get to the best possible solution is to fail and get things wrong. Being wrong is a choice. The drama class is one of the few places where students can learn to accept failure and learn to use failure as a creative tool. They can be wrong! Encourage students to make wrong choices in their scene work, in their character work, in their analysis work. The point being that they can’t just make a wrong choice and stop altogether. They have to move on to the next choice, and the next choice and the next. That is being creative.