Round-Up: First Week Activities

The first week of a new term is a busy one. Teachers need to introduce themselves, go over rules and procedures, learn students’ names, and establish a sense of trust, community, and safety. But we’re here to help. The following are activities and warm-ups you can use to ease your students into drama class and start your first week of classes on the right foot:

Ten First Week Activities for Drama Class It’s right there in the title — ten (free!) activities to break the ice, establish trust, and build community.

Get Your First Day of Drama Class Started Out Right Learn your students’ names, find out a bit about them, and find out why they’re taking your drama class.

Learning The Rules: Act It Out Game Sitting and listening to rules is boring. Get your students up on their feet and act out how they should and shouldn’t behave in drama class.

Three Things in Common Game This game goes beyond “we both take drama” or “we both have brown hair” and helps students get to know each other more deeply.

Warm-Up Activities that Encourage Communication Here are a bunch of activities that get your students engaged in communication that goes beyond simply talking. They focus on vocal technique and clarity, active listening, and nonverbal communication — the basics to build a foundation on.

Active Listening in the Drama Classroom Active listening is another important foundational skill that students need to succeed in drama class. This article contains a whole host of activities that help students practice active listening.

Warm-Up Activities for Trust Building Ease your students into drama class with these full group activities that are low pressure but high on fun. These activities can be adapted for in-person or online learning.

Nonverbal Communication Exercises for the Drama Class The idea of public speaking or reading aloud in class, especially at the beginning of the term, can be intimidating for some students, especially if they’re new to drama. Try these nonverbal exercises that focus on communication, movement, and intention, all without words. 

Question of the Day Get your students into the drama class mindset with this start-of-class activity.

As a bonus, here are a few of our tried and true classroom management tip articles:

Top 10 Classroom Management Tips for Drama Teachers This article comes with a free download of emergency activities to have on hand for those “just in case” situations.

5 Ways to Quiet Down a Noisy Drama Class (Without Yelling) If your students are on the boisterous side, this article will come in handy!

3 Tips to Learn Students’ Names Quickly So. Many. Names. This article offers tips as well as three name games to help you out.

Creating Connection With Your Students When there is a genuine connection between teacher and students, there are so many positive outcomes in the classroom, including a feeling of positive energy, more risk-taking, deeper absorption of lessons, and visible enjoyment of the subject.