Theatre in the Classroom, Grades 6-12

Book excerpt: This latest edition, Theatre in the Classroom, Grades 6–12, equips prospective theatre teachers with key instructional methods and proven strategies for student learning. Building on the previous edition’s strengths, Patterson extensively modified and updated the entire text, incorporating the most recent theatre standards by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. This indispensable guide, whose theoretical and philosophical underpinnings and practical classroom applications endow it with a lifetime of use, includes ideas for resource portfolios, checklists, rubrics, and other assessment tools. Of additional value are discussions concerning managing the classroom, linking school play production with classroom learning, and recognizing and responding to classroom diversity. Patterson details important considerations and resources for planning productions, ranging from those available from professional organizations to those found within the community to those generated by students. He believes theatre learning must go beyond the study and performance of established play scripts and stresses the importance of productions written, directed, designed, and managed by students. End-of-chapter sections include: “Extension Activities”—ways to help prospective teachers further explore the subject in the college-level methods course; “Stay Connected”—websites for additional resource and research materials; and “Professional Development”—suggestions for expanding personal and career development.