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Gary Langford, author of this
guide, is a textbook writer and instructor who has created and run
numerous drama units. He advocates drama as a way of stimulating
and organizing a student's thinking at any age in a variety of
teaching/counseling settings. He rightly points out that all teachers
are to some extent performers. He has created his own skits and drama
exercises suitable for any group, as well as building on traditional
drama teaching materials. Drama exercises can be as simple as a story
circle, or designating someone as a famous person who asks "Who Am
I?" and getting the group to pose questions. Other dramatic
possibilities include: miming a fairy tale or song; "throwing" a smile
or frown to others in a circle; going to an abandoned house in a group
and discovering that someone is living there; and reacting when aliens
land on the lawn while a party is going on. There is a section on using
puppets as a way of objectifying feelings, similar to wearing a mask.
Langford asserts that as a teacher/facilitator creates and adapts these
exercises to suit the student group, there will be a mutual learning
experience that is not only enjoyable but can provide a basis for
further lessons. He has organized his material for easy access, with
numbered headings and chapters divided into topics such as individual,
small group and large group exercises, mime techniques, puppetry, and
relaxation exercises. He has practiced what he teaches and therefore is
able to convey a clear sense of how using each exercise can have a
transformative effect on an individual or group in any setting, at any
age.
A Teacher's Guide to Drama offers an open field of creative, interactive ideas to all teachers and group leaders.
RECOMMENDED by The US Review