Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook: 16 Ready-to-Go Lesson Plans to Build a Better Actor Paperback – March 1, 2014

I am a first year elementary theatre teacher, and although I've been a part of theatre world most of my life I have been having difficulty taking my knowledge and synthesizing it into something for a K-5 classroom. This book is a lifesaver! At first I was disappointed by what showed up -- what looked like a very short workbook. But in hindsight, I'm not sure how long I expected a book of 16 lesson plans to be (it's 43 pages). I also bought a couple of longer books of games, and other info for first year teachers, but this is the one I keep returning to over the past week or so. If needed, I could pick it up and get through the first 3 weeks of school with ease. The 60-minute lessons are largely game based (ex: mirror exercise, pantomime detective, blind cars, etc.) which is great for young kids. There are also reflections and little asides throughout the lessons that explain how each game relates back to theatre and how to incorporate them into your classroom. I'm finding it easy to replicate these lessons for additional follow-up classes by interchanging the games with other ones I know (or ones found in my other book or online).If you are just starting out teaching Theatre/Drama classes (especially K-8), I highly recommend this short book!

As a new Drama Teacher, this was an excellent resource. I stopped stressing over what to teach each lesson. Many of these activities my kids have asked to do again and again. It's laid out the objectives clearly for me, provided reflection questions throughout and the activities are immediately engaging but teach all of the essentials. I love that it is stepped gradually up building from simple activities and gradually getting more complex. I have been following this book lesson by lesson only leaving out things when I run out of time. I have used it with 6 year olds to 11 year olds so far in the classroom and for drama club. For my drama club I pick and choose which activities suit what I want to work on but for my year 1's and 2's I've been following it pretty much lesson by lesson. It has been a godsend and saved me hours of research and planning every week!

I’m an opera singer by trade, and I picked up a theater class for ages 9-12. Having done a lot of stagework, I’ve never really studied much of the basics, and this book is a lifesaver. The games are great - I can tailor the lesson to whatever I feel the class needs or can understand, and I can add my own games into the topics presented. It works the very basics - something I never got, and my class has never had so much fun learning theater. It also has helped me to become a better actor by putting me on the spot as a teacher (ya gotta come up with those examples ya know?). Would definitely recommend.

Was a nice resource for teaching a drama camp this summer. Though I didn't really follow the lesson plans, I did use many of the suggested activities. May look more into the plans for our coming drama class this year.

As a first year drama teacher I was stressed about what to teach and when to teach it. This book starts you from what you need to teach first and builds up from there. The book is written out in lesson plan form, so this book essentially has become my lesson plan book. I honestly do not know what I would have done without it. The kids love it, and these plans can be watered down or heightened depending on your grade level. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. I wish it could come in an editable edition on the computer so I could type in my own stuff and personal notes. But that's just me, and my OCD about having clean notes. Seriously though, if you are a drama teacher new or old, this book is a Godsend.

This may be too basic for a seasoned drama teacher, but I’m fairly new, last year had no structure whatsoever, and this year with the help of this book, I finally feel like I’m getting it right. I teach a weekly 45 minute homeschool intro to drama class, and the lessons fill the 45 minutes exactly. I am able to read the 2-3 pages before class so I know what’s coming, then walk in and tell them what we’re learning today, play the games that are laid out for that lesson, then wrap it up with a little bit of “reflection” work for their drama journal. Thank you so much. I hope you make a part 2!!

I do think this book is geared more toward younger children than high school, but can easily be adapted. There are a lot of great activities in the book, but not a lot of instruction on teaching drama. There is a lot more to it than just giving them time to try out things. If this were used as a class for a school credit there is nowhere near enough information. Perhaps a better title would be 16 Great Activities to Do in Drama Class.The organization of the book could use a revamp as well. Notes and suggestions for the lesson are thrown in weird places. It isn't organized very well. The activities are great, but I wouldn't call this an 'Essential Handbook' by any means.

This looks like it will be perfect for my new high school drama club. The lessons are not too childish so that the high school students will be turned off. No lessons where you pretend to be a melting ice cream cone, lol. Instead, the lessons are designed to open students' eyes to the acting they see all around them. It teaches them to be more observant of how people communicate, using gesture, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.Very nice handbook for a beginning drama teacher.