Three Modes of Drama

Drama may be defined as a creative way of expressing one’s self to bring across a theme, subject or methodology. There are various ways in which drama can be used in the classroom as it brings about excitement, cooperative learning, and children involvement and it fosters teacher-student relationship. One aspect of drama in the classroom is by utilizing the drama modes/strategies/conventions. These are the everyday tools of the drama teacher. They help to develop inquiry skills, to encourage negotiation, understanding and creativity. They can enhance performance skills such as character development and storytelling and be used across the curriculum to actively involve students in their own learning. Three such drama modes are Conscience Alley, Teacher in Role and Role Play.

Conscience Alley

A useful technique for exploring any kind of dilemma faced by a character, providing an opportunity to analyse a decisive moment in greater detail. The class forms two lines facing each other. One person (the teacher or a participant) walks between the lines as each member of the group speaks their advice. It can be organised so that those on one side give opposing advice to those on the other. When the character reaches the end of the alley, she makes her decision. Sometimes known as Decision Alley or Thought Tunnel.

Teacher in Role

Teacher in Role (TiR) is an invaluable technique for shaping the dramatic process and developing students’ learning. Simply put, the teacher or facilitator assumes a role in relation to the pupils. This may be as a leader, an equal, or a low-status role – whatever is useful in the development of the lesson. The teacher may ask questions of the students, perhaps putting them into role as members of a specific group and encouraging them to hot-seat her in return. The strategy simply involves ‘stepping into somebody else’s shoes’ for a while to put forward their point of view. This can be done by subtly changing your tone of voice and body language to communicate key attitudes, emotions and viewpoints.

Role Play

Role play is the basis of all dramatic activity. The ability to suspend disbelief by stepping into another character’s shoes comes quite naturally to most children. Through the structure of the drama lesson this can be used to great effect, challenging children to develop a more sensitive understanding of a variety of viewpoints whilst sharpening their language and movement skills. By adopting a role, children can step into the past or future and travel to any location, dealing with issues on moral and intellectual levels. Thus role play can be easily utilized to illuminate themes across the curriculum.

Drama Technique can easily be applied to a range of subjects across the curriculum, whenever a character is faced with a decision. It may be that you reach a certain point in your drama lesson, or while reading a story aloud, or describing an historical event, when such a moment occurs. Turn the situation round on the children/students so that they have to consider the issues involved. Then in role as Abraham Lincoln, or Oliver Twist, or Red Riding Hood, you walk down the Conscience Alley as members of the group whisper their advice to you.