In the lecture we discussed the importance of drama in the classroom. We were shown a video of a classroom that used drama to improve their writing by seeing and hearing about the story they were going to write about. They were active in studying characters by drawing around a person to get a sense that the character was a real person. These activities were a perfect example of a drama lesson in the classroom and I would like to use them in the future.

We also learned important tips in teaching drama. It should be mentioned here that ›“drama does not involve acting out what has already been decided” as stated by Winston (1998). It is also important to dispel the fear of drama and build confidence in the pupils and yourself as the teacher. Participation in drama is key if you want to gain anything from it, therefore teachers should experience learning drama in order to having a better understand as a learner. According to Neelands (1990), it is about a child experiencing drama and not so much about acting.

In music we were lucky to have a local primary school visit us to teach us how to play an instrument. The school is a part of a strings project that allowed the children to play a string instrument from p4-7. The children were lucky enough to perform in front of Prince Charles at Dumfries house. The children taught us a range of different games to play. For example, they taught us a finger exercise to warm-up before they played their instruments.

I was paired with a girl in primary 7 who taught me to play the Cello. I had never played the Cello so I was very interested in doing so. She showed me the 4 different strings and I learned these by remembering the saying ‘Auntie Daisy Goes Crazy’. I plucked the instrument to begin with and then used the bow. It was very difficult because I had never experienced playing a string instrument before. I was surprised at how hard you had to press down the bow for the instrument to make a noise. Having the children teach us how to play the instrument was very helpful and gave the children confidence in their teaching. It was also endearing to see the children enjoying the instruments so much.

In drama we were taught by students in the class in a micro-teaching task. It was interesting to listen to the different stories. One group created a story about trolls and elves which was very fun. We participated in a number of conventions, such as freeze frame, voice in the head and role on the wall. I particularly enjoyed role on the wall because it allowed me to study the characteristics of the person in the stories that we listened to.

We also spoke about what drama activities are appropriate to teach in the classroom. We looked at the poem Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen. The majority of the class believed that the poem was too gory for primary children. In my opinion, I believe that the poem can be taught to primary 6 and 7 because it portrays the atrocities of war without being graphic. This would give the children a deeper understanding of the war which could be transferred into a drama lesson.

To conclude, I am able to understand that you do not have to be an expert to teach/learn drama. The most important factor is participation in the arts. Full participation allows you to have a meaningful learning experience which is what music and drama set out to do.

References:

(Neelands, J. (1990) Making Sense of Classroom Drama: A guide to classroom practice. Heinemann Educational Books

[Accessed: 07 November 2017]

Winston, J. (1998) Drama, Narrative and Moral Education. London: Falmer Press