Nicole Upton: KEYNOTE
Drama: Relentlessly Perusing the Joy of Teaching when “Unprecedented Times” are the New Normal

Description: Inspired by the Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions in the National Core Theatre Standards, this presentation will invite participants to imagine new paradigms for their theatre instruction by intentionally centering joy, rest, connection, and well-being of both their students, and themselves.

Pam Bowell
Process Drama: Art Form and Pedagogy

Description: In this workshop Pam Bowell will explore aspects of planning and leading process dramas though practical classroom examples and supporting materials. There will be focus on two key elements of process drama – Teacher-in-Role and Questioning.

Matt Farabee
Activating the Play Generator

Description: Wondering how to write an exciting play for or with your students? How to make classroom material theatrical? This presentation will center around the creation and development of plays specifically for elementary and middle school students. Whether the play is generated by the teacher, a playwright, the students or a combination, this presentation will focus on an example method with further discussion of a variety of possible methods to generate theatrical work. 
We will look to discuss and answer questions such as: what are the best ways to connect classroom curriculum to the play? how do you keep the students engaged in the process? and how do you generate engaging stories whether you, as the teacher, are a playwright or not?

Greg Eskridge
Literature Alive!

Description: Using drama to develop comprehension and fluency skills, Literature Alive! is a skill-centered approach to reading. It provides a framework for students to apply concepts such as Figurative Language, Punctuation, and Parts of Speech to increase understanding, build team skills, and enhance the enjoyment of the written word.

Jacob Watson
Rehearsing for Real Life: Using Participatory Theatre to Build Interpersonal and Problem-Solving Skills

Description: This workshop draws on two related yet distinct methodologies—creative drama and theatre of the oppressed—to offer a unique approach to navigating difficult topics in the classroom. Participatory theatre is an interactive modality that educators of all grades can use to facilitate greater self- and interpersonal awareness among students. Using activities from the newly-published Sex Ed Playbook, co-author and drama educator Jacob Watson will guide the group through application of these tools using real-world examples. You will walk away with a greater sense of how to use participatory theatre to support your students’ social and emotional development.

Devika Ranjan
Devising Theater from True Stories

Description: Sharing real stories on stage creates a platform for social justice issues to be portrayed in multifaceted ways. Through this interactive workshop, Devika shares methods of creating theater inspired by real life — especially personal and community stories. Drawing on Albany Park Theater Project’s work with immigrant teens in Chicago, this workshop will focus on ethnographic theater-making, including interview-based devising and documentary poetry.

Adam Brody
Secrets of the OneStopDRAMAShop

Description: In this session, Adam Brody will introduce participants to the extensive collection of drama resources on the OneStopDRAMAShop, which features everything from arts-integrated lessons and drama stories to assessment tools and classroom management tips. Attendees will learn how to navigate the site, get acquainted with the Erickson Drama Curriculum, receive multiple sample lesson plans, and master strategies for finding the best materials for their students. In addition, Adam will share a sneak peak of soon-to-be-published content and gather feedback on what teachers would like to see on the site next. 

Karen Erickson
Getting Students to Love Planning and Practicing

Description: We all know most students “are ready” all too soon when put in teams to plan a drama.  How do we make the process of planning a drama followed by practicing, refining, and polishing a matter of a joyful routine?  How do we get students to insist on their own that they “need more time?”  In this session, Karen shares her process and provides an unpublished, up to now, lesson sequence and a new lesson from her files extending from first grade through high school.