Acting Lessons for Teachers presents a solid theoretical foundation for the pedagogical benefits of enthusiastic teaching. Simply put, students are more engaged, misbehave less, and learn better from teachers who teach enthusiastically. A teacher's enthusiasm for his or her subject matter can be contagious. Since the dynamic of the classroom is similar to that of the stage in terms of speaker-listener relationships, the acting craft offers teachers a model for the skills and strategies that could be incorporated in their work to convey more enthusiasm for the material and for the students. This book presents concrete descriptions of the specific acting strategies that would benefit the teacher: physical and vocal animation, teacher role-playing, strategic entrances and exits, humor, props, suspense and surprise, and creative use of space. Special attention is given to the potential advantage of instructional technology as a modern-day prop. Strategies are explained in terms of their importance and ease of incorporation into the classroom. Each is proposed as a skill that can be learned by any teachers who have the desire to enliven their teaching. Student descriptions of their own experience with teachers' use of acting strategies add real examples for each lesson. Finally, testimony of award-winning classroom teachers from a variety of disciplines and age levels provides evidence of the wide and easy applicability of these strategies.

Understand the business side of your showbiz career We all know acting can be a glittering whirl of glamour—plush red carpets, simply divine outfits, huge sums of money, and oh, the parties! But what a lot of wannabe actors forget is that it takes a lot of practical work to get to the flashbulbs of your first premiere, and that the savviest actors put as much stress on the business side of the profession as they do on the show. Breaking Into Acting For Dummies demystifies the behind-the-curtain side of showbiz to help you understand how it really works, who the decision-makers are, what they’re looking for when they’re picking talent, and how to get them on your side. If you truly want to be the next Emma Stone or Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll want to have a well-thumbed copy of this book alongside your pile of scripts. Written by two friendly insiders, this guide takes you behind the scenes to help you map out your plan of attack, showing you how to open doors—and keep them open—and use your time wisely, so you’re not breaking a leg rushing from one random audition to another. You’ll understand how to flesh out your professional persona as thoroughly as a movie part, craft your resume as minutely as a script, and judge the angle of your headshots and webcam appearances as intimately as any director. Once you’ve mastered these skills, it’s time to go to market as your own publicity department, building your media and online presence until everyone who’s anyone knows exactly who you are. Understand different acting markets—from theater to commercials Network in-person and online Build your image via resumes, head shots, and webcam Keep a firm grip on the financial side Whether you’re studying, a hopeful amateur, or have been treading the boards for a while, this is your breakthrough script for succeeding in the business of acting, and for learning how to play your ultimate role: yourself.

This book offers an innovative approach to understanding and supporting teacher inquiry groups, Critical Friends Groups, “PLCs,” and other vehicles for the school-wide professional learning community. It takes the reader outside traditional sites of professional development for teachers and into the black box theatres and rehearsal studios of contemporary theatre companies. It investigates the methods and specific tools these theatre artists use to collectively create new works for performance. Drawing on these methods and tools, it provides a model for understanding and improving the practices of teacher learning groups, one that highlights the means, materials, and modes of engagement of a group’s activity. Applying the model to elementary and high school teacher learning groups, it demonstrates how teachers, coaches, and administrators can use it to foster meaningful professional learning and instructional improvement. The book provides not only new ways of thinking about teacher learning in schools, but also frameworks and specific tools to bring teacher learning as collective creation to life.

ACTING LESSONS FOR LIVING will help you identify what role/s you have been playing in your life, and what it is you really want. It provides skills for discovering what is underneath the masks you wear, your secrets, and how they go unidentified and become internal obstacles to manifesting your pure potential. This book aspires to show you how the actor’s tool chest, in partnership with the Enneagram and other psycho-spiritual teachings, gives you the means to access authenticity and presence. ACTING LESSONS FOR LIVING inspires in you the development of an empathic imagination enabling you to choose your actions and reactions with emotional intelligence. It aims to guide you to set yourself free from limiting beliefs about who you think you are and to rewrite the scripts that thwart you from self-realization. Finally, when all has been integrated and consciously applied, you can feel ready to take the bow you so deserve for a well-lived life.

Teaching Acting with Practical Aesthetics uses constructivist pedagogy to teach acting via Practical Aesthetics, a system of actor training created in the mid-1980s by David Mamet. The book melds the history of Practical Aesthetics, Practical Aesthetics itself, educational theory, and compatible physical work into the educational approach called Praxis to create a comprehensive training guide for the modern actor and theatre instructor. It includes lesson plans, compatible voice and movement exercises, constructivist teaching materials, classroom handouts, and a suggested calendar for Acting courses. Written for Acting instructors at the college and secondary levels, Acting scholars, and professionals looking for a new way to perform, Teaching Acting with Practical Aesthetics offers detailed instructions to help students sharpen their performing skills and excel on stage.

How to teach English language students with drama - for professional English language teachers. This new book covers the exciting sector of teaching English language students using drama, plays and with theatre techniques. The book covers a wide range of subjects for teachers including how to plan class work, choosing appropriate texts, working with students with theatrical techniques, modifying dialogue and lines for different levels of student, stage management, and how these all work together to improve language appreciation and learning; using classic plays, suggested characters; resources beyond the textbook; using stories, songs, games, etc.

If you have ever asked yourself “How do I become an outstanding teacher?” then this is the book for you. Combining state-of-the-art practices with deep insight from many years’ experience of teaching, the book develops and explains how to change practice and attain excellence as a teacher. Seven core themes are embedded in a four level hierarchy of practice that guides the reader from the fundamentals of successful teaching to the highest levels of accomplishment. The book offers: • A ‘one-stop-shop’ providing a structured and supported approach to becoming an outstanding teacher • A unique action planning feature at the end of each level, creating a platform for your personal development • A range of guided reflection activities, to help develop your skills and understanding of the many aspects of teaching The unique focus on your individual development and creating an authentic identity as the foundation for excellence makes Outstanding Primary Teaching and Learning essential reading for the every trainee teacher or those wishing to enhance practice. “There are a few educational texts that you do not want to put down, and this is one! The book will encourage, motivate and inspire trainee teachers, recently qualified, early career and established teachers to reach the heights of their potential. If becoming an outstanding teacher seems like an unattainable goal, this book will convince the reader otherwise. The author speaks to the reader, coaxing and encouraging, as if she was there by their side. She follows her own advice by creating innovative and stimulating sessions, but in text form. The accessible structure with reflection sections, activities, prompts, checklists, further reading, and thought provoking quotes and extracts, provides an interactive resource, for all those who aspire to be the best possible teacher for their pupils. In simple terms, an outstanding book, that provides a pathway through the minefield that education can be.” Dr. Tracy Whatmore, Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, UK “An easy to read book with sound practical advice underpinned by theory which every trainee teacher or early career teacher can dip into for guidance. It captures the essence of primary teaching through the metaphor of a coat and I’m sure readers will adapt their coats accordingly as they journey through the book.” Professor Vini Lander, Edge Hill University, UK “Outstanding Primary Teaching and Learning” is an absolute must-read for teachers of any age or experience who would like to become more outstanding in their practice. Written from a unique and highly reflective perspective of pedagogy as an art, a proactive and inspiring approach is taken to journey the reader along a personalised path, enabled through highly constructive and reflective opportunities. Sally Hawkins inspires with her clear passion to primary teaching and learning, and considers all aspects of that which it takes to develop “outstandingness”. With her methodical yet holistic approach to pedagogy, “Outstanding Primary Teaching and Learning” takes a thoughtful and academic approach to deconstruct the constantly evolving machine that is primary education, into useable ideas and concepts. As a current PGCE student, I have found this to be an enormous asset to both my reflective practice in the classroom, but also through the contextualising of a complex and ever-changing education system.” Alexander S Phipps, Postgraduate Student, Institute for Education, The University of Chichester, UK “Although this book is aimed at trainee primary school teachers, it will be equally useful for secondary school and more experienced teachers. By contextualising her examples around the analogy of ‘the perfect jacket’, Sally clearly outlines the complexities and challenges of modern teaching. However, through the systematic approach that she adopts and the examples she gives, she makes these challenges both achievable and desirable. She de-bunks some of the myths around ‘outstanding’ teaching and provides readers with clear frameworks and reference points from which they can evaluate and develop their own teaching. Sally’s writing style is both personal and humorous, which will engage and motivate busy teachers. She seamlessly combines the latest theories and applies them to classroom practice. By including regular reflection tasks, this book can become a valuable accompaniment to trainees regular mentor meetings. Those who engage with Sally’s questions and follow her recommendations, will develop a deep understanding of the role of the teacher and will develop a substantial toolkit to draw upon in the classroom.” Mark Bagust, Associate Headteacher, Cantell School, UK

This book is a straightforward and entertaining primer on college teaching. It discusses the nitty-gritty aspects of teaching while providing readers with a synoptic but concise explanation of the principles of the art. It also offers a viable alternative to the books on teaching currently available or in print. That alternative is the classic texts on education and pedagogy. These books are essential, the author argues, because they show teachers how to apply the principles of teaching while fostering the aims of liberal education at the same time. These books also help them pose the fundamental questions about education that all teachers should be asking. Aimed primarily at graduate students and new college professors, this book is a useful and practical guide for those who are passionate about teaching but feel unprepared to teach, unsure of what to expect in the classroom, and stifled in the current academic climate. It will likewise appeal to high school teachers and veteran college professors who are disenchanted and seek some way to break free from their malaise. It is intentionally short, little, “skinny,” so that it can be read through quickly and so that readers can peruse the chapters and mull over the topics at their leisure. Above all else, this book will introduce a new generation of readers to some of the great masters who can reveal the timeless truths—and yes, even the magic—behind the art.

Professionalism is a key component of teaching. During their training, new teachers must swiftly begin to develop their professional identity. They are required to meet and demonstrate professional behaviours outlined in Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards before they can be awarded QTS. Becoming a professional requires critical reflection and a knowledge-base that is complex. This book helps trainee teachers to both meet the content of Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards and develop the professionalism that supports their identity as a teacher.