Learning to Teach Drama: A Case Narrative Approach

by Laura A. McCammon

This is a book for new teachers about putting drama education theory into practice and preparing for the contextual variables that lie ahead. It is the next-best thing to actual classroom experience, enabling readers to think through "What do I do if . . .?" scenarios and experience vicariously a broad range of teaching situations. While there are many examples of teacher casebooks, Learning to Teach Drama is the first text written specifically for teachers of theatre/drama. Furthermore, these cases are written by novices, not experts, providing readers with authentic voices from the field. Eighteen case narratives are featured in all, representing the issues every beginning teacher planning lessons, knowing students as individuals and as members of a group, establishing classroom climate, understanding the place of drama within the school community, and expecting the unexpected. These teachers also assist one another, comment on each others cases, and effectively create a learning community. In addition, special "Extensions" sections prepared by the editors encourage readers to go beyond each narrative and relate the situations to their own teaching.

122 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2000