The Two Biggest Drama Workshop Mistakes

Having been part of this lesson-sharing website for over two decades, and having worked with the original Rotation Writing Team (2004-2010), and the "New" Writing Team (2015-Now), I've seen a lot of approaches to teaching with Dramatic techniques --including skits, plays, "storytelling," story tables with action figures, LEGOS, puppets, and plays and Shadow theater/posing/puppet techniques. ANY technique can be done well, but the biggest "mistake" I see drama-centric lesson plans making is this:

Using the drama activities to ONLY "retell the story,"
and failing to use them to explore
the LIFE APPLICATION of the story.

Take, for example, "Shadow Theater" --one of my favorite ways to do drama in a Sunday School classroom. It's easy to setup, has a wide-age-range, puts the focus on acting -- not scripts, and is a fun way to interact with the story. It's also easy to record and playback with your cellphone. You can do it with live actors or puppets, and props can be made out of cardboard.

But so many lesson plans that use the technique only use it to POSE scenes from the story, rather than POSE how the teaching from the story might look like in a student's life.

FOR EXAMPLE....In a lesson about Ruth and Boaz there are many great story scenes you can pose behind the backlight screen, BUT what would these shadow poses look like?

• I treat "others/foreigners" at school with respect.
• I protect others (like Boaz did)
• I respect those who guard/keep/nurture me.
• I promise to be faithful and trustworthy to my friends.

The second "biggest mistake" I see in teaching with drama?

Having a boring script with too many words and one that requires the kids to "learn their lines" or read their scripts.

Drama means "acting" not "reading."
And in Sunday School, we don't have the time to memorize lines

The Rotation.org Writing Team has written a lot of great Drama Workshop lesson plans that explore a wide variety of techniques that aren't "script-centric."  They're more playful and broadly graded. Many use movement and song, some involved the kids in creating the narration. Some involve creative ways to act in front of a video camera, like the super-fun "flat lay" technique described here, or the fun "Newsroom" technique described here.