Scenes for Classroom Study

If you’re starting out in your drama teacher journey, you will learn very quickly that lesson planning is the bane of your existence. It is never-ending. You may need to show your lessons to an administrator. You will probably have to come up with extra lessons to have on hand for a substitute. Every class needs a strategy to get you from the beginning to the end of the year and the building blocks of that strategy will be your lesson plans. When they’re working your class will run smoothly. If they’re not working, your class will suffer. Where do you start? When you’re writing your own lesson plans, follow these top 10 tips! If you want ready-made lesson plan help, keep reading! 1. Use a template. Why try to reinvent the wheel every time? Put together a Lesson Plan Template and fill in the blanks. Common sections: Objective, Materials, Standards Fulfilled, Pre-Lesson Information, Instructions, Assessment. Click below for a fillable Lesson Plan Template. 2. Define the objective. What do you want students to accomplish by the end of the lesson? What transformation do you want them to make? 3. Work backwards. What’s the last thing you want students to do to achieve the objective? Create a scene? Take a test? Write a reflection? How will students be assessed? Know your endgame and work backwards. 4. Itemize the before. What do students need to know or have done before they take on this lesson? Does anything need to be reviewed? 5. Devise a model. This is especially important if you’re teaching a new exercise or skill. Model the exercise and your expectations for the lesson. 6. Decide on a method. What’s going to be the best method of delivery for this lesson? Write it down. 7. Be flexible. Lessons on a piece of paper are just that — paper. Your students are human and their behaviour is going to change depending on the day. Be prepared to adapt. Have alternate exercises in your back pocket. 8. What do you need? Put it in the lesson plan. Need to make copies? Need to have any equipment on hand? Don’t leave anything to your memory. If it’s on paper it doesn’t have to be remembered. It’s right there. 9. Don’t work in a vacuum. Can you write a series of lesson plans that take place over a number of classes? 10. Questions to ask. What are my students learning? What is the objective? How are they learning? What do students need to know before we start the lesson? What will my students do in the lesson? Why are they learning it? How is it relevant? What standards does it meet? What will my students know by the end of the lesson? How will they apply it in the future? How will I know students have met the objective? I need more help! Where do I go? Theatrefolk has you covered. The Drama Teacher Learning CentreExplore our learning centre to discover a ton of classroom-ready exercises regularly created specifically for drama teachers. Articles, writing prompts, acting/directing/teaching tips, resources, warm-ups, games, classroom exercises, reflections, and so much more! All of this will make your lesson planning easier. The Drama Teacher Academy