By using specific acting or performance strategies, teachers can lead classes more enthusiastically, thus enhancing their students' learning.

Acting Lessons for Teachers presents a solid theoretical foundation for the pedagogical benefits of enthusiastic teaching. Simply put, students are more engaged, misbehave less, and learn better from teachers who teach enthusiastically. A teacher's enthusiasm for his or her subject matter can be contagious. Since the dynamic of the classroom is similar to that of the stage in terms of speaker-listener relationships, the acting craft offers teachers a model for the skills and strategies that could be incorporated in their work to convey more enthusiasm for the material and for 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.

"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