Making a Drama out of a Crisis

It's every teacher's worst nightmare: starting a new school year to discover a classroom full of little demons. No matter what you try, they simply will not behave.How can this situation be resolved? The answer is through a dedicated behaviour management programme that includes the pupils, and not simply a system of tips and tricks to get pupils to quieten down for an hour or two. And there is no better way to include all pupils - no matter what their skill level or abilities - than through drama. This book contains dozens of unique drama exercises and games that can be used right across the primary age range to calm tempers, stop restlessness and regain the attention of unruly pupils. Exercises and games include The Hamster's Underpants, which is designed to stop fidgeting instantly among primary school pupils, and The Bottle Ale Rascal, which puts an end to rudeness and bad language in the classroom once and for all. Focusing on everyday areas of classroom conduct such as fighting, jealousy, concentration, bad language and lapses of attention, this book is packed with tried and tested theatre based games and exercises. Teachers are able to use these with little or no preparation time. The outcome will help modify students' behaviour using exercises which readily fit with the new UK Primary Strategy. The revised literacy strategy has a particular focus on speaking and listening and this resource offers sound advice about where to turn for help. Issues such as more serious behavioural issues, such as ADHD, are also tackled in depth. Whether they need to manage unruly pupils or just work more effectively with their class as a whole, the exercises presented here will give teachers plenty of scope to work drama into their lessons. If your students misbehave, don't make a mountain out of a molehill - make a drama out of a crisis! Watch Tommy Donbavand talk about his book here.