Starting Drama Teaching

Why teach drama? How can a newcomer teach drama successfully? How do we recognise quality in drama?

Starting Drama Teaching is a comprehensive guide to the teaching of drama schools. It looks at the aims and purposes of drama and provides an insight into the theoretical perspectives that underpin practice alongside practical activities, examples of lessons and approaches to planning.

Written in an accessible style, the book addresses such practical issues as setting up role play, how to inject depth into group drama, working with text, teaching playwriting, as well as common problems that arise in the drama classroom and how to avoid them. The third edition of this popular text has been fully updated to take account of recent developments in policy and educational thinking and includes:

• The implications of drama’s place in the curriculum and the way in which drama practice relates to, and in many ways has anticipated, such concepts as dialogic teaching, engagement, community cohesion and diversity;
• Guidance on different approaches to drama;
• Advice on how teachers can achieve and recognise quality work in drama;
• A discussion of drama concepts including applied theatre, ensemble and rehearsal approaches;
• A new chapter on teaching Shakespeare and an additional section on play writing;
• Suggestions for further reading.

Written by a leading authority in the field, this textbook emphasises the need for quality drama education and will be valuable reading for trainee teachers who are new to drama and teachers who wish to update and broaden their range.

Mike Fleming is Emeritus Professor in the School of Education at the University of Durham, UK.