I know that lately, I have been writing a lot about the arts, specifically theatre and dance. But while I was on my way home for Spring Break, I did a lot of thinking and one of the things I thought about was how drama class, if it is even offered, is typically considered to be an elective at most schools. So it got me wondering: When will it be offered as a core class? Shouldn't it be a required class? So, I came up with a list of 6 reasons it should be.
1. It can help get introverted children of their "shells."
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Taking drama as part of their regular school curriculum will allow for children who are more introverted to become more expressive and help them come into their own. Playing a character in a monologue, or whatever it may be, can help them to open up without feeling the pressure of being judged.
2. It can help foster a good balance between physical health and emotional health.
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Just as physical education is an extremely important part of a child's schooling to instill healthy exercise habits, the same is true for drama and helping to build and maintain emotional health. Learning to adopt many of the techniques that actors use to get to a deep, emotionally raw place can also be helpful for children to utilize as they grow and mature, especially as they hit puberty and their bodies begin to change and their hormones begin to become more active.
3. It can help improve social relationships among students.
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Drama class can definitely be a place for students to improve their social relationships with one another. In fact, in my personal opinion, drama class should feel like a safe haven for students. It should feel like a place where they can go and open up to their classmates and just be themselves. Not to mention, many of the theatre games that are commonly played in these classes will help students to interact with each other while also learning.
4. It can potentially help students who are on the Autism spectrum.
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Drama classes, being that they allow for emotional growth, self-reflection and improving emotional expressiveness, could potentially help students on the autism spectrum gain skills to improve their communication skills by specifically helping to improve communicating how they are feeling to others. In portraying a particular character, students who are diagnosed with autism may find it easier to find the words and ability to help them express themselves and their needs and wants with ease.
5. It provides students with a break from the stresses of their academic classes.
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Drama class is one of those stress-free classes that give students a chance to forget the stresses of their academic classes for a little while and just enjoy themselves. It allows them to tap into a creative side that many of them may have not known they even had.
6. It's just plain fun.
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Besides all of the benefits of drama classes that I just listed, drama classes are just plain fun! It's fun to just let go and step into the world of a character for a while; to let go of all your troubles for a while and just be fully immersed in someone else's world.
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