Author: Christian Bullen

In this blog post, I delve into the creation of a method designed to aid drama students in devising innovative performance content. This model doesn’t only aim to assist my students but also aspires to serve as a valuable resource for other drama educators and learners. The blog post discusses common challenges in drama education, such as the confusion between exploration and rehearsal phases, and the tendency to “end-game” initial explorations.

Just as a compound exercise in the gym targets multiple muscle groups at once, Drama can be thought of as a “compound subject” that simultaneously hits many areas of skill development. From building confidence and public speaking abilities to fostering empathy and creativity, Drama has been proven to enhance academic and personal growth in a variety of ways.

This all rings true, however, if the course content is not carefully thought out, it may affect student engagement and or the values fostered. Here are some ideas for what should be included in a well-rounded KS3 Drama curriculum. While I have not provided specific suggestions for topics, themes, or plays, these ideas can serve as a helpful guide when making decisions about the course content.

Let me paint a picture for you: imagine an educator sitting down to tackle a task that demands deep concentration, such as creating a scheme of work, designing a lesson plan, or marking a set of essays. This individual leads a busy work life, with a browser open and multiple tabs, Outlook ready to beep at any moment, and a team WhatsApp group always pinging with notifications. As they attempt to enter a state of deep work, an email notification pops up, prompting them to divert their attention and respond. When they try to return to the task at hand, their mind is still cluttered with remnants of the email, preventing them from fully immersing themselves in the work. Within a mere 20 minutes, they face several more distractions, leaving their mind filled with what Cal Newport refers to as “residue.” The end result? Mediocre work, if they’re lucky.

Imagine being on a bus, unsure of where it’s headed, its destination, or how long it will take to arrive. Sounds quite torturous, doesn’t it?

This is akin to how students might feel when they cannot discern where a unit of work is heading or its relevance to them. How can we support students in finding more intrinsic motivation for learning curriculum content? The topic of student motivation has many strands, and there are numerous exciting discussions on the matter. This post will take a closer look at fostering a sense of engagement in your curriculum, particularly from a drama perspective.

I’ve seen the direct benefits that students gain from participating in physical theatre classes. Here are my top 7 ways that physical theatre supports student well-being: