ROLE PLAY! Have your eyes widened in horror? Has a clammy sweat moistened your palms? Have you tried to erase from your memory the image of your year 10s screaming at each other whilst impaling each other with 'props'? Despite most secondary teachers' challenging experiences with role play, some have made it work for them as an invaluable tool in the classroom. But how?
Visit most primary schools around the country and you'll see role play being used effectively: students are engaged, using a dramatic experience to explore unfamiliar or imaginary social constructs. All children will participate in some way. It's a recognised way of learning, learning through play.
There are some challenges facing secondary teachers when considering role play: academic level of subject; embarrassment/attitude of students; perceived lack of opportunity or need. But if role play is carefully planned and used, these issues are worth overcoming. Any brief read on this issue within research studies shows well managed role play is worthwhile even for university students.
Experiential learning enables students to actively and often physically engage with subject matter, creating memorable learning experiences. It allows students who may find writing and reading more challenging than their peers a different way to experience the classroom. For topics with ambiguous meanings, nuanced ethical standpoints or conflicting interpretations, role play gives students the permission to adopt different standpoints, perceiving views unlike their own.
Here are some tips for overcoming those issues to make role play work for you...
1. The role of role play
It is always tempting to reward students with a bit of downtime in a challenging scheme of learning, "They can do 10 minutes of role play. We haven't done anything fun in a while and they could do with a bit of a breather". But if role play is used carefully, it should be as academically challenging as a more 'traditional' lesson. Ask yourself some questions before you plan to use it: what concept/idea will they explore and what objective will they have reached by the end of the activity? How will experiential learning achieve your goal more effectively than other methods?
2. Managing the chaos
Of course, I don't really anticipate chaos in a role play lesson but it is certainly a risk if your parameters aren't nailed down. Decide what type of role play you're going to use: large group drama; paired conversation; prompted problem solving in role; resource production in role; observed debate in role; hot seating...there are more. Once you have selected what best fits you need a very clear and tight success criteria and share it with the students. Having some way to assess the students helps you maintain control within an organic exercise but also conveys to the students that this activity is as important as a written task. Make sure sure the criteria is discussed and accessible to the students throughout the activity.
3. Overcoming teen angst
Some teenagers obviously have their apprehensions regarding drama, feeling they would be embarrassing themselves in front of others. Others hate the spotlight. This type of atmosphere can very quickly deflate any meaningful progress but there are ways to manage this. Firstly, as all teachers are aware it is important to establish a trusting environment early in the school year. The rehearsal room term 'ensemble' is applicable here, the feeling of connection and trust, the permission to take risks, the appreciation of others' efforts. Secondly, accept that some students, like teachers, hate the spotlight and work with it. Many role plays can easily be turned into fishbowl activities with those shy individuals reporting back, or they can 'direct' small groups, or simply and quietly agree with specific individuals that they won't be asked to perform. Be careful with the last suggestion as word can get out and a torrent of requests from the class can flood in before you have had a chance to establish role play as a way of working.
4. Opportunities within subjects and levels?
For English teachers, the crossover of using drama techniques to teach prose or poetry is often obvious but perhaps not so clear with language. And other subjects often struggle to see the opportunity or need. However, given the positive appraisal within academic studies for the impact of role play perhaps it is something all subjects should embrace. I recently observed a business studies lesson which used role play to explore consumer rights, identifying the clash between the needs of the manufacturer, sales team and the consumer; a maths lesson could investigate a murder using probability; a media A level lesson could typify demographics and send them on a date to see how target audiences conflict. Once a role play has been used, evaluate and share within department! You never know what gems you'll get back.
Like any new way of working (or sometimes old!) strategies may not always work but reflect, evaluate and adapt! Role play is worth it!
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