As a practising teacher of many years' experience, Mary regularly teaches pupils
of all ages and ability levels including:
- Pre-school and foundation.
- All pupils in key stages 1,2, and 3.
- Pupils with physical and learning disabilities.
- Pupils with behavioural difficulties including those in special and referral units.
Each session begins with warm-up games moving on to ones of concentration. The children
then form groups, and, after class discussion, work on a chosen topic.
Mary uses improvisation as a teaching technique, and often, work devised by the group
becomes a polished improvisation which is appropriate for a public performance.
The themes within the plays give scope for Mary to teach drama and creative-writing
workshops, which help to develop literacy and oral skills. The plays and workshops
provide an opportunity for integration into multi-arts projects.
Examples include devising a play, using movement - incorporating music if appropriate
- or using words rhythmically to create an atmosphere. The emphasis is always on
in-depth improvisation, which necessitates absolute concentration.
Follow-up work may include the writing or poetry or prose or further reading and
research on the subject. Worksheets are available on request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE SELECT FROM THE FOLLOWING
Mary Carr (who trained as a drama specialist at Bretton Hall College of Education)
teaches drama and creative-writing workshops based on performances of her plays or
any other subject requested by the school. She is also able to offer workshops to
enhance the performance skills of GCSE and A level theatre studies' students.