This approach was developed by the legendary Dorothy Heathcote in the 1980’s. She believed that Drama could be very effectively used in learning across the curriculum.
Within an improvisation the students are given a role and interacted with as if they are experts. During their interaction they respect the expert role and behave appropriately.
Children rarely in reality have this kind of experience but through Drama stories and themes they are given the opportunity using a fictional role in an imaginary setting.
The status of this expert role raises self-esteem and empowers the students to respond and react as having the knowledge and expertise required.
It enables students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that encourages creativity within problem-solving, seeking out opportunities to find solutions and working respectfully together makes for effective teamwork. Your students start to become critical thinkers, good planners with innovative ideas and great communicators which will be so valuable for them throughout their lives.
This technique is widely used today by innovative teachers and schools as a way of teaching the curriculum.
How Can We Use Mantle Of The Expert?
As topics are being developed and explored, the teacher can set up scenarios to tap into what the students are learning.
Some example scenarios:
1) Perhaps you have been doing Vikings as a topic, using Drama as a method of student engagement.The students have become Vikings. They have built longships using Drama techniques such as mime and used group configuration mime to “show” their ships (using their bodies to be part of the ship altogether in a group formation). Now one member of the group can talk about this ship, show people round it, point out the important parts of it and answer questions in role as an expert.
You can set up bartering scenes as part of a Viking Trading mission whereby the traders have to use their knowledge of appropriate trading items and how to cleverly barter to agree on a good trade deal.
Adding in a point of tension to your scene can really up the skill level. With your Viking topic, thieves can enter the village and steal the bartered trading items and the students must use their knowledge and use their wits to find the thieves.
We have a Viking Training video in Module 3 of Over To You which shows footage of a Viking topic alongside an explanation of the skills involved.
2) A tour round a museum is a great simple example of Mantle of The Expert and you can use it for practically any historical period. Students become the exhibits and guides showing people round and it is a great way of consolidating learning in a practical and fun way.
3) The students are sent on a mission to solve a mystery. They are expert detectives who will know what tools they might need to help them and how to record evidence and interview suspects. You can set up a simple mystery storyline and set off the investigators.
Our Back To School Mystery and Who Pushed Humpty? are two of our recent lesson plans using a detective style improvisation and in Module 1 The Mystery of Morton Manor is a great favourite Over To You lesson.
4) Creating documentaries is another excellent way to use Mantle of The Expert. The students are tasked with creating a programme for TV on a given subject. They must research the topic and work together to produce the programme and present it. Teachers will help to prompt them on effective ways to do this or take a role themselves as programme producer /director to set the task and then at various points, check their progress and feedback to the groups.
Teachers facilitate and support the students throughout the activities, building their belief and helping them to take on adult-type roles which are immensely empowering for the students and really make them rise to the occasion!
The use of Teacher In Role can really enhance improvisation and Mantle of the Expert.
If you have any questions about these techniques or are looking for further ideas do not hesitate to get in touch.
Julie and Louise
