Classroom Arrangement:
Bulletin Boards:
"7 Things Students Want to Know":
1. I will greet students at the door and welcome them to Theatre Arts. This way, if they are not supposed to be in my class, they will know before they sit down.
2. I will tell each student to write their name on a piece of paper and put it on my desk. When everyone has arrived I will put all the names in a hat and draw. The order in which I draw is the order in which they will sit.
3. There will be a hard copy of my class rules posted on the wall for everyone to see. There will also be a copy of them sent home to their parents. There will be no misunderstanding as to what the rules are in Miss Grainger’s room.
4. I will have a hard copy on the wall of my Instructional Routines. This lets the class know how things will run on a daily basis. When they know that this is how it will be, they will come to expect it and not expect disorder. Kids need an orderly environment and so with this will come good behavior.
5. In a theatre class, your grade is almost 100% about participation. There will be a few writing assignments, but for the most part how you participate in our daily warm-ups and activities will determine your grade. Theatre is about getting out of your shell and getting in front of people and doing something you may have never done before. If you’re not willing to participate, then why be in the class?
6. To show the kids what kind of person Miss Grainger is I will have a board full of my likes/dislikes, hobbies, places I have traveled, and where I went to college. There will also be a time when the kids will show me all about themselves.
7. I believe strongly in the golden rule: Treat others how you want to be treated. I will treat my children fairly and I expect them to treat their peers and me the same way.
Icebreakers:
The Snowball Activity.
Have students write three things about themselves on a piece of paper. Then have them crumble up the paper to resemble a snowball. Let the students have a snowball fight for about one minute. Now everyone grabs one of the snowballs and has to try and find the person who wrote on it. Once they find their partner, they have to bring that person up in front of the class and explain what they learned about their new friend with the three facts written on the piece of paper.
The Observation Game.
Line up the students in two lines facing each other. If there is an odd number of students, you can play the game, too. Give students 30 seconds to look each other over really good, paying attention to all details about their partner. The students in one line now turn facing the other way while the other line of students changes something about themselves. For example, a girl might take off a hair bow, or a boy might un-tuck his shirt. When the kids in the first line turn back around, they have to guess what their partner changed. Now switch and let the first line make the change and the second line guess the difference.
Instructional Routines:
Daily Routine
1. Attendance
2. Turn in assignments
3. Icebreakers/Warm-ups
4. Lesson/Activity
5. Overview
6. Homework assignment/What tomorrow entails