Simon Ricketts

Session Report:

Drama and Shakespeare

The session started with an introductory exercise trying to gauge everybody’s experience and comfort with teaching Drama. A hammer was laid on the floor. Those closest to the tool were the most comfortable with the idea of teaching the subject; those in the corridor the most apprehensive.

This served two purposes:

1. It allowed the group to see how we all felt about the prospect of teaching.

2. It was a working example of a starter piece that we could use in the future.

The hammer got everybody on their feet and put some minds at ease that they were not the only people feeling somewhat uncomfortable. As a practical tool it also demonstrated that there are ways to quickly and easily get pupils on their feet and into a working mode using only a hammer.

The Hot-seat

When the prospective “hot-seater” sits down they assume the role of a character. As this was a lesson on Shakespeare, Kate chose Hamlet. We were not informed of this beforehand. It was to be deduced from questions put to her by us. This proved a useful demonstration:

1. We could use this as an introduction to a play.

2. Role play adds a third dimension to the character making it easier for the class to envisage them and thereby to identify with the text.

3. It also proves a challenge to the class while they try to find out who is being acted out.

4. While they are playing at amateur sleuths they are also without realizing it exploring the nature of the character and thus learning.

So therefore, the chair while fun is also a good way of teaching characterisation almost subconsciously.

Once off the seat the role play is over and the teacher returns. This allows us to keep control. This is because the chair acts as a physical reminder of when teacher is acting and teaching.

Freeze Frames

We were given a segment of Macbeth and each told to create three froze scenes from the text. As we went round the groups there were clear patterns as to our collective selections. When discussing this as a group it was decided that we could use this in the following ways:

1. As a more entertaining way of getting the children to dissect a piece of text. (As they trawl the passage looking for moments they are also examining the segment as a whole).

2. When patterns emerged it became apparent that we had all pretty much chosen the key moments from the passage.

3. We were asked to choose a line to sum up certain people’s work. As different people were asked different answers were given, prompting discussion of the text.

We were given a specific time allotment for the work and Kate used a simple piece of psychology. We were given 4 minutes. As when people hear that they have five or ten minutes to do something they go into some form of autopilot. However, when hit with a time that is not so usual and does not have connotations of “let’s do nothing for eight” then they get to work. It assumes a sense of urgency that acts as a kick start.

Improvised Role Play

We were given a scenario to develop. What would have seemed a random idea to a class was actually the basic plot of the beginning to Hamlet. Once again Kate played with our perspectives of time giving us eight minutes. This segment taught us the following:

1. We could get the children thinking about the emotions of the characters before they even knew who the characters were.

2. It would get them thinking a stage direction and mood setting.

3. We could also move between the groups gauging their thoughts and abilities.

4. It allowed us to police the less diligent.

Kate explained that it was necessary not to stop the flow of the class by interrupting the work they were doing. However, we could work within the groups helping them to develop the ideas that they were having.

This exercise was another example of getting the class to think about what they were learning without actually sitting them in front of what they were about to learn. Although this was a lesson on Shakespeare the tips we picked up were easily applicable to any study of a play.