Product Description

Acting Lessons for Teachers presents a solid theoretical foundation for the pedagogical benefits of enthusiastic teaching. The authors maintain that students learn better and misbehave less when taught by teachers who teach enthusiastically. They posit that the dynamic of the classroom is similar to that of the stage in terms of speaker-listener relationships and they demonstrate how the acting craft offers teachers a model for the skills and strategies that help convey more enthusiasm for the material, thus successfully engaging the students.

This book presents concrete descriptions of the specific acting strategies that would benefit the teacher: physical and vocal animation, teacher role-playing, strategic entrances and exits, humor, props, suspense and surprise, and creative use of space. Special attention is given to the potential advantage of instructional technology as a modern-day prop. Strategies are explained in terms of their importance and ease of incorporation into the classroom. Each is proposed as a skill that can be learned by any teachers who have the desire to enliven their teaching. Student descriptions of their own experience with teachers' use of acting strategies add real examples for each lesson. Finally, testimony of award-winning classroom teachers from a variety of disciplines and age levels provides evidence of the wide and easy applicability of these strategies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #239780 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-30
• Released on: 2006-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
“Tauber and Mester discuss different teaching strategies for those in elementary through university levels. They focus on the idea that there is an acting- teaching parallel that can improve effectiveness and consider what can be learned from the world of acting. Specifically, they describe animation in voice and body, classroom space utilization, humor, role-playing, props, and suspense and surprise, while detailing stage and film examples of these techniques and classroom correlations. Other chapters address educational foundations, the importance of teacher enthusiasm, and classroom management. Acting exercises are provided in one chapter. This edition contains new chapters on instructional technology and classroom entrances and exits. All chapters have been revised to include recent research and descriptions of the experiences of K-12 teachers.”–Reference & Research Book News

“Looking to liven up your teaching? This book describes acting strategies--such as role playing, entrances and exits, props, and suspense and surprise--that can help you add interest to any teaching material.”–Learning Magazine

About the Author
ROBERT T. TAUBER is Professor Emeritus, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, Erie, The Behrend College. He has taught and counseled K-12 and has taught at the university level for 35 years. While at Behrend College, he taught a variety of education courses, supervised students on field experience, and served as Dean's Representative for the College of Education. After retiring from Pennsylvania State University as Professor Emeritus, Dr. Tauber continues to teach graduate courses as an Adjunct Professor at Gannon University, Erie, Penn. and as Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He has published, both nationally and internationally, and has served two sabbaticals, one at Durham University (U.K.) and one at the University of Melbourne (Australia).

CATHY SARGENT MESTER is Senior Lecturer in Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, Erie, The Behrend College. She is a 35-year member of the faculty in Communication and Media Studies at Pennsylvania State University, Erie, where she also currently serves as Program Chair. She has created a specialized course in instructional communication for pre-service teachers and frequently leads workshops for inservice teachers as well as business and community leaders. Co-author of three books and numerous conference papers and articles, Mester has taught at all grade levels, served as a school board president, a faculty organization president, and is listed in Who's Who Among American Teachers.

Customer Reviews

Incredible resource for faculty
This book is amazing. I reviewed it earlier this academic year and wish I had come across it sooner. If teachers and/or professors wish to enliven their presentations in the classroom to make learning come alive for their students, this book offers hundreds of novel ideas and approaches. The authors, Robert T. Tauber and Cathy Sargent Mester, take the teaching of subject matter to a higher level with their audiences that is, their students, in mind, which ultimately is what teaching and learning are all about.

There is no excuse for a boring classroom after reading the chapters in this book. And, no, I do not know either of the authors. Their book is a much needed addition to pedagogy for real students in a world rife with a multitude of distractions. I recommend Acting Lessons for Teachers for both high school and college/university classes.