The junior high drama class is a very physical class in that many activities require the use of the whole body. The teacher is very aware of physical needs and does not have a strict bathroom policy or anything like that. He is very open and unafraid of talking about how it is easy to feel awkward at their developmental age. He often talks about what is happening in the students lives and how the outside world interacts with them. He has them use their experiences to drive their acting. The teacher could discuss more how what the students do affects those around them and the world.
This teacher spends a great deal of time learning about his students. He has time set aside during the first class of the week for them to tell everyone what they did over the weekend and for them to interact and talk to one another during this time. This allows the students to see what they have in common. He also has a list of random questions that he asks 2 questions a day from. It can be anything from favorite food to what super power do they want to have.
The teacher will add some of these tidbits into the acting activities in class. For instance, one students loves football so the teacher had him pantomime playing football for a game they were playing. He knows a number of the students love playing minecraft and he will slip bits of the language from that when he teaches.
The teacher always has a funny story to share that relates to something one of the students shares. It really helps the students feel like he understands them and can relate to them. The students all have a great relationship to him and word is spreading that he cares. His class size has doubled from last semester. He is currently teaching 4 classes but has enough demand that his load will increase next semester.
The teacher is very in tune with these students and the struggles some of them face. He has a mini fridge in his office that is always well stocked for students that do not get enough at home. He is always there with a caring ear. He offers a variety of ways of completing assignments that need to be done outside of class. No materials are ever needed and extra time is allowed if the student talks to him about any problems that they are having completing the assignment.
I feel like the teacher excels in this area. This is one reason I chose his class to observe. I have seen the instant connection he has with students. I have seen how much the students respect and like him. He never has a problem with foul language in his class that I see and hear so much in other classrooms.
I have picked silly scenes for my lesson to give the kids a chance to have some very lighthearted fun. They often carry a bigger burden than they should and I would like to give them a chance to escape from that a little. I did think of the students in the class as I searched for the scenes to use to make sure that I wasn't picking anything that might make a student uncomfortable.
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