Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/helping-teachers-become-comfortable-with-creative-dramatics/5013558/
Terri stares into the sea of eager eyes. As she stands there trembling, her palms sweat and her heart flutters. Her legs feels like lead. Will words come out of her mouth when she opens it? Will her legs ever move again?She keeps reassuring herself that she isn't performing before thousands of people at The Kennedy Center. Those eyes belong to a group of preschoolers, children whom she adores and plays with on a daily basis. Yet, when she tries to do creative dramatics with them, her mind transforms them into an audience of discerning critics.
After several uncomfortable attempts presenting dramatic activities, Terri decides that these anxiety-producing lessons are not essential. After all, dramatics are just an extra frill in the early childhood curriculum. She already provides a variety of more important developmental experiences. And the anxiety it causes her isn't going to make her a better teacher.
Terri may feel that she's reached some logical conclusions, but her conclusions aren't necessarily correct. Dramatics and its benefits can be an important part of the early childhood curriculum, and teaching it does not have to produce cold sweats. There are many fun and imaginative creative dramatic lessons that don't require a high level ...