12/22/2022
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Jennifer Wills
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For two years now, I have had a student with autism. He loves theatre, writing and performing, however has difficulty grasping the concept of "pretending." He is not shy about saying how improv, scene work, and playing a character is "stupid." He already believes that he is a great actor and has nothing more to learn! Thankfully, there are many supportive students in the class and they are very patient with him. Over the years, however, I've noticed that he does have a very active imagination, provided it is about something he is passionate about. I give him a lot of freedom in choosing the topics for his work and he never surprises. I also don't require him to submit written work for original monologues or scenes, as his best work seems to be performing in front of the class. |
12/22/2022
Topic:
Tools And Strategies
Jennifer Wills
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- Describe how two of the strategies discussed could potentially be implemented in your classroom. Be sure to identify the two strategies by name and describe how they could be used to address the needs of a student with a disability.
When teaching costume design or directing, I have students who have difficulty with drawing and visualizing their ideas. l frequently provide choice charts (differentiated assignments) for students when it comes to unit assessments. This enables them to choose a project that is interesting, challenging, and provides opportunity for success. In fact, for almost every project I also include an option that utilizes technology (I'm a big fan of using Padlet for vision boards). I feel like this also qualifies as a cubing strategy, as sometimes the choices will allow them to explore a topic from multiple perspectives. This is essential as theatre is very subjective, and I want the students to feel comfortable expressing their opinions (which is important for developing social skills). |
12/22/2022
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Jennifer Wills
|
A few years ago I had a student with an orthopedic impairment who was wheelchair bound but absolutely LOVED acting! When it came to performances, instead of evaluating her on movements or gestures, I would encourage her to develop her vocal inflections and facial expressions. She had incredible confidence and optimism, and her classmates were also very supportive. |