The Theatre Classroom — Second Semester

January 29th, 2013

Getting to know your students

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. However, by now it must feel like a distant memory. As many of you will be starting a new semester, some with new students and some that are continuing with you, it is never a bad idea to play several introduction activities, because no matter whether you are teaching teenagers, adults, directing a play, or involved in a community theatre production, you need to know your students. If you are already familiar with your classes, be sure that you review your class rules and take time to play the following game. You will only get to know your students better. This is just one of several introduction activities I share in The Drama Teacher’s Survival Guide #2 and it can be found on page 19.

2 Truths and 1 Lie

Have your class pair off and tell their partner three things about themselves — two that are true and one that is a lie. For example, he or she might tell their partner about their hobbies, their favorite class, their favorite food, their family, or where they have traveled. Or he or she might choose to tell three everyday facts or three more unusual things, but remember only one of them should be a lie.

Make sure their partner listens carefully to what he or she has said. Afterwards, their partner tries to guess which was the lie. Have the entire group get into a circle and each pair introduce their partner to the rest of the group with the three facts. Can the group guess which was the lie?

Next, get back into your pairs and the other partner will tell him or her three things about themselves that are all true. Listen carefully. Now, the whole group makes a circle again and each partner introduces their partner to the group by telling two of the true things their partner has told them and a lie he or she has made up about their partner. See if the group can pick the lie!