‘Ben’s story’ - Truanting
1/ Pairs
A - Teacher B - Pupil
B has been bunking, A sees B on the corridor at school and asks, "Where were you last lesson?"
2/ Brainstorm
Reasons for truanting on board.
3/ Read first part of ‘Ben’s story (see below)
Discuss with class reasons Ben might give not to go to school.
4/ Model - 2 volunteers, Ben and parent.
Ben does not want to go to school but he will not say why, gives excuses. Teacher and class shape the Drama.
5/ Group work
Using slow motion, mime and music to create atmosphere the group have to show a scene where Ben is attacked or picked on. (I used Underworld, larger,larger!)
6/ Present and discuss e.g. Music/slow motion making it more effective and more stylised.
7/ Writing in Role or Homework
Ben runs away leaving a letter for his parent telling them all about the bullying.
8/ Individual space
Hand out letters and read as if you are the parent
9/ Thought Track
One word or sentence to describe how you are feeling
10/ Flashback
Repeat same model from earlier where Ben tries to get off going to school. How does the parent feel remembering this?
11/ Groups 3
Parent organises meeting at the school to express concern and tell them what has happened, school will not accept responsibility.
12/ Present
and give one of the letters to the pupil playing the parent to read aloud to the teachers at an appropriate time during the improvisation.
13/ Discuss
How did the letter change the situation? etc
14/ Frozen Picture
Ben is captured on camera by the police, Where is he?
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
BEN’S STORY
Ben had already moved school once he started to get into trouble at the start of Year 10. The 14 year old was having problems getting on with some of the boys in his class and was being called names and getting picked on. He started skipping the odd day at school.
Ben and an older friend would go off and hang around shopping centres or play football on their own. It seemed exciting at first although they soon got bored, but at least he felt relieved he wasn’t being picked on. During the middle of last term his attendance slipped into a downward spiral.
Source - The Teacher (NUT magazine!)