The teaching and the theater They share more similarities than are usually apparent at first glance. In the University of Rhode Islanda multidisciplinary team investigated how theatrical skills can become a key tool to strengthen the teacher trainingespecially among graduate teaching assistants.
A recent study and workshop promoted by this institution demonstrated that the integration of acting techniques can increase the trust and the ability of future teachers to manage the classroom and communicate with their students.
The idea that teaching implies a performative dimension gained strength in the academic field. Mehmet Yalcinassociate professor of supply chain management at the University of Rhode Island School of Business, sums it up this way: “In the classroom you are on a stage and students are looking at you waiting for you to do something.” This perspective, shared by other teachers, highlights that the presence and expressiveness of the teacher can influence both learning and the content of the subject itself.
On this premise, Yalcin and Anis Trikiassociate professor of Accounting, co-wrote an article published in the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. The text analyzes the relationship between theatrical skills and the adaptation of those who assume new teaching roles.
The initiative arose from the personal experience of Yalcin, who studied acting at the university’s Theater Department and proposed applying this knowledge to the training of instructors.
The project brought together a team made up of Rachel Walsh and Max Ponticellifrom the Theater Department; Anna Santucciof the Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning; Rage Hos and Stefanie Argusfrom the Faculty of Education; and Triki and Yalcin themselves, from the Faculty of Business. Together they organized a workshop aimed at postgraduate teaching assistants, with the aim of introducing strategies based on theater in their training. Under the coordination of Hos, surveys and interviews were conducted to evaluate the confidence and preparation of the participants before facing the classroom.
The results collected by the University of Rhode Island revealed that many postgraduate teaching assistants felt unprepared to manage the classroom, present content or overcome language barriers. The transition from student to teacher was abrupt for many, and almost a third of respondents expressed a need for some form of additional professional development.
One participant expressed concern about the impact his anxiety could have on student learning. Triki summarized it like this: “What we observed was that many students felt the need to be better prepared in the classroom. It is as if you were a teaching assistant and suddenly they saw you playing a role of direct attention to the student.”
The introduction of theatrical techniques in the workshop it had an immediate effect. According to subsequent surveys, participants reported a significant increase in their self-confidence and perception of teaching competence. Research suggests that even brief exposure to these strategies can make a noticeable difference in how confident future teachers interact with their students.
Among the techniques applied, the improvisationessential to adapt to unforeseen situations in the classroom, and the development of leadership skills to direct the class. Yalcin noted that these tools allow teachers to respond more easily to the daily challenges of teaching. Participants who put these skills into practice expressed feeling more prepared to face the dynamics of the classroom and connect with their students.
The University of Rhode Island began integrating theater modules into graduate training at the College of Business and the Harrington School of Communication and Media. The next phase of the research will focus on analyzing the financial impact of implementing these theater training programs for teaching assistants.
At the end of this process, teachers acquire resources that transcend academic content: the ability to project their voice and use gestures consciously is incorporated into their professional repertoire, consolidating a presence in the classroom that favors student participation and learning.
