The purpose of this lesson is to create an environment in the classroom that promotes not just understanding but also a learning environment that is enjoyable. To ensure this, the teacher will use the drama technique strategy of teaching. Students have different understanding and interest levels. Therefore, there is need for the teacher to ensure that what the students read has a connection to their lives. This will enable them create more interests in what they read.
Teaching has evolved from the traditional ways of teaching where the teacher was like the overall boss. By using the drama technique, there is enhanced interaction between the teacher and their students and also the students participate more. Therefore, they will understand the concepts being taught even more.The students are familiar with nature. By integrating drama in classroom learning, the students will be able to rethink about the nature and thus the reading and learning possibilities.
It is through drama that students will be allowed to participate in the worlds which are imaginary in the text. As a teacher, there is no better way of engaging the minds of the students in learning than taking them into the world of the texts and stories that they read. It is by the use of drama that the teacher is able to do this. Through drama, the students can ‘see’ what they read. This is important since it makes the read text or story have a greater meaning to the students and thus enhances their learning.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the lesson will be to make a great learning and understanding impact on the students. The lesson will also seek to integrate the diverse nature of students and their understanding in the classroom by giving them different roles in the drama being performed.
LIST OF MATERIALS/RESOURCES
Books on learning objectives
Articles that talk about the importance of drama in classroom learning
The internet
Teacher’s manual
Audio equipment
PROCEDURES
Introduction and motivation
Motivation is very important in ensuring that students enjoy their learning procedures. The teacher uses various methods if motivating their students. The motivation method that will be employed here is the instructional design method. In this method, emphasis is on self regulation. This ensures that students take risks and these are risks which are reasonable. Further, the students take responsibility on their learning. They set goals, are free to ask questions and carry out self evaluations. Motivation is essential since it makes the process of learning become continuous.
Through this improvement, it also becomes an interesting process.To ensure that the students activate prior knowledge, they are motivated to base their goals on the desires that they have. Since it is a risky process, they should also have self esteem and thus they will not be afraid even when they fail. This would be an encouragement for them to work harder. They should learn to ask for help where they do not know.This lesson will seek to motivate the students towards taking more responsibility in the process of their learning. It also makes them realize that they are the final beneficiaries of what they achieve from learning.
Lesson body
- A review of the previously discussed topic to ensure that the students are following what the teacher is teaching. This can be done by asking questions.
- Introduction of the day’s topic. Here, the teacher ensures that the students participate throughout the lesson. It is a discussion but not a lecture way of teaching.
- The students are allowed to ask questions. In a participatory classroom, the teacher will allow other students to answer the asked questions.
- Conclusion of the lesson. Here, the teacher gives the students some questions for review to test their understanding.
Since the levels of understanding are different, some students will need more attention than others. The teacher handles this in two different ways. Firstly, group work is very important. The students are encouraged to form groups and thus will learn from each other. The teacher also organizes some private time when students go to them personally to ask questions. This way, the teacher is able to handle the students with more teaching needs better.
Lesson closure
To conclude the lesson, the teacher will ask random questions. These are aimed at getting a view of how well the students have understood the day’s concepts. This is done during the last minutes of the lesson. There are some general questions that the teacher would ask. For instance, they may require their students to answer these questions:
What is the aspect that is not clear to u?
What is it that you consider the most important aspect that you learned today?
By doing this, the teacher evaluates themselves and knows the areas that require more attention. Class review is also important. The teacher gives a summary of the day’s lesson at the end of the lesson. To ensure that the students participate, the teacher gives them the chance to quickly review the main concepts of the day’s lesson.
Homework assignment
A text is essential to keep the students minds occupied at home. The homework assignments are not marked by the teacher only. The students will exchange their assignments and do peer evaluation.
EVALUATION
Student assessment
Formal assessment
To assess the students’ knowledge, the teacher will make use of continuous assessment tests. These assessments provide a feedback in short time. They also give information on the student learning without investing on too much time. This further increases the learning and teaching efficacy by making teaching a process that is formative and growing. Students also benefit from these continuous assessment tests.
For instance, they better monitor their leaning and there are no anonymity feelings. It is also evidence that their teacher cares about their learning and thus encourages them to perform better.For instance. The teacher asks their students to use the layman’s translation and write what they have learned. Te teacher thus assesses the ability of their students to make comprehensions on concepts and transfer knowledge.
Self evaluation
The strengths of the lesson include:
- the teacher understands their students level of understanding
- It is possible for the teacher to determine the specific special needs of their students.
- Education is enhanced by students learning from their peers.
Areas that need improvement
- More focus should be on formation of student groups and peer evaluations.
- Students should frequently change roles during drama which a means of teaching strategy.
- More reading materials should be introduced in the classroom.
Student N.C is slower in understanding. This is addressed by offering them some private tuition and assigning student K.N to help them when they have difficulties in revision.Student B.N is shy to participate in the drama. This has been observed as a low self esteem and will be addressed by counseling them and starting by giving them less involving roles in drama. This will be gradually elevated to more involving roles and they will be able to overcome their fears.
Reference
Wilhelm, J.D. (2008). You gotta be the book: teaching engaged and reflective reading with adolescents. 2nd Ed. Teachers College Press.
