|
DRAMA
Most children will come to school with extensive experience
of imaginative play through which they will have begun to
explore aspects of the world and characteristics of the
people around them. In drama, this familiar and powerful
way of learning is exploited as pupils engage in activities
where they are given opportunities to develop their knowledge
and understanding of themselves and their relationship to
others and to real-life events. By engaging feelings, knowledge
and experience in this dynamic and enjoyable way, creative
and imaginative thought is stimulated and confidence and
self-esteem enhanced. The effectiveness of using drama in
this way will depend on the relevance of the context to
the pupils and the opportunities it affords for challenge
and commitment.
The teacher should help the pupils temporarily to suspend
the 'normal' world of the classroom and its relationships
and through observing, questioning, challenging and supporting
should seek to promote individual and group responses and
the development of insights into both the particular context
and the drama process itself. On occasions the teacher will
operate within the drama, taking a role and varying it as
necessary to serve the action, introduce dramatic tensions
to help reinforce mood, or alter the pace of the action.
Drama provides excellent opportunities for collaborative
group work based on pupil interaction as they vicariously
explore increasingly complex, and sometimes difficult, attitudes,
values and behaviour in the relatively safe, secure and
supportive context of the drama activity.
Many of the contexts for drama activities will relate to
other areas of the curriculum and the key place of dialogue
in drama creates obvious opportunities for links to be made
with work in language.
|