Acting It Out!

     When I first started my teaching career, my classes were dictated by the textbook and worksheets. The same ways that I was taught in high school. I noticed as the years went by that the textbooks offered by the textbook companies became overloaded with too many activities, pages, and graphics. When I worked on my Master's Degree in Reading, I began the process of analyzing curriculum and designing curriculum that fit the standards. However, students have more opportunities now as they enter high school: college courses, classes at career tech, or graduating early.  What if curriculum was designed to emphasize the interests and career choices of the students? The curriculum would emphasize reading, writing, listening, speaking, and vocabulary skills. Here are some ideas for integrating drama into the English curriculum.
      I know that some students like to create their own drama for other people, but this curriculum is for the students who like to act on stage.  For reading skills, the students would act out different kinds of plays, read nonfiction like reviews or topics relating to the plays, act out poetry, and read fiction that connect to literary themes. Also, the students would write essays such as expository, narrative, persuasive, argumentative, literary analysis, and reflective, poetry, tweets,  blogs, and research papers.  All of the writing assignments must follow the stages of the writing process. Of course, academic vocabulary and new vocabulary acquisition would be included.
      Students love to talk, but sometimes, they have selective hearing. Listening and speaking skills are essential for the real-world. Acting out the plays, giving speeches, and having Socratic discussions fit speaking skills. Have students listen to college speakers or someone who performs at a local theater. Have them critique a performance and then discuss their opinions about it. If they discuss about it, they can write about it. Every skill is connected.
      Now, I know that some people would question how this idea connects to the real-world. Some career choices include becoming a teacher, author, actor, reporter, director, makeup artist, costume designer, or set designer. The options are endless, and there are scholarships that students could earn. Also, the class would culminate into a project where the students write their own play and perform it in front of an audience. They could also make videos and apps for plays.
      I hope that I can try these ideas before retirement. These ideas would help bring relevancy to the curriculum and prepare the students for possible career choices.