In 2009-2010, we conducted a large e-mail survey of adults who had participated in speech and/or theatre programming during their high school years. As theatre educators, we wanted to know what these adults thought were the lifelong benefits to them from this participation. We asked them about what activities they took part in, their favorite memories, what they thought they learned, and how they had applied these experiences and knowledge to their lives as adults.

The key assertion of our study, titled “Lifelong Impact: Adult Perceptions of Their High School Speech and/or Theatre Participation,” is this: Quality high school theatre and speech experiences can not only significantly influence but even accelerate adolescent development and provide residual, positive, lifelong impacts throughout adulthood.

Survey respondents, 234 in all, represented thirty-six states, two Canadian provinces, and two military schools overseas. They graduated from high school as recently as 2009 and as early as 1953. A little over half (52 percent) were presently involved in theatre in some way (as artistic directors, actors, theatre educators, college/university students majoring in theatre, etc.), while 48 percent were working in a wide variety of other occupations and jobs (lawyers, nurses, elementary school educators, CEOs, retirees, college/university students in computer science, music, etc.).

According to survey respondent testimony, high school theatre and speech experiences:

• empower one to think and function improvisationally in dynamic and ever-changing contexts.
• deepen and accelerate development of an individual’s emotional and social intelligences.  
• expand one’s verbal and nonverbal communicative dexterity in various presentational modes.

The survey included specific questions about the role teachers played in respondents’ lives. They were first asked to agree or disagree with the prompt, “I had a good high school speech and/or theatre teacher(s),” and add an explanation for their answer.  They also answered this question:

“What advice would you give a university student about to become a high school speech or theatre teacher?”

We were not surprised to learn that the vast majority (90 percent) felt they had good high school theatre teachers, as this comment indicates:

“She was knowledgeable in every area of the theatre and ignited a passion for the art in her students through work in the classroom and through the extracurricular activities she arranged. She held all her students to a high standard and expected nothing less than excellence from us—she was extremely and personally committed to our success. I know I worked very hard to surpass her expectations.” (Male, university associate professor of costume design, class of 1984.)

Six characteristics of effective theatre teachers emerged from our study. Effective teachers:

• have passion for their work.
• are professional.
• nurture relationships.
• challenge students and themselves.
• are life-long learners.
• develop resiliency.

In this article, we take a closer look at each of these interrelated characteristics. While this discussion is presented in a narrative fashion, all descriptions are firmly rooted in the research. You may be saying to yourself, “I know all this already!” But sometimes you can’t see the frame when you’re in the picture. Below is what survey respondents testified were the best qualities of their beloved theatre teachers.

Effective theatre teachers have passion for their work
“Be passionate. I think this is the most important thing for any teacher. If the teacher can’t be excited about the material, the topic, the discipline, why should the students? Students need to respect the work. The teacher should instill in the students a sense of discipline, a hard work ethic—but of course, it’s also play. There needs to be a balance between the two.” (Female, actor, class of 2001.)

Most importantly, effective theatre teachers love their jobs and love theatre. Because of this, they are dynamic, energetic teachers and directors in classes and productions, and for tournaments and festivals:

“My high school theatre teacher was among the most passionate and caring individuals I have met in my life to date. As a drama teacher, she encouraged her students to attempt roles they might have been scared of. She worked hard to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of all aspects of theatre, from dramaturgy to method acting.” (Male, wildlife park ranger, class of 2003.)

Effective theatre educators make their activities fun for both themselves and their students, and, in turn, generate enthusiastic students:
“He was very passionate about theatre and made me passionate about it too. While most high schoolers seemed pretty apathetic about things, we theatre kids were lively and really invested in our work because of him.” (Female, substitute teacher, class of 2000.)

Effective teachers also find a way to have balance in their lives:

“It must be a labor of love. To be successful… takes a lot of afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Without a lot of work and luck, relationships can suffer... they’ll find themselves consumed at school with no outside life.” (Male, elementary school resource manager, class of 1975.)

Effective theatre teachers are professional
“My theatre teacher was highly qualified and had been teaching theatre arts for over twenty years. She taught us from many disciplines and held high expectations for us as students.” (Male, university theatre major, class of 2009.)

Teachers, viewed as highly professional by former students who responded to this survey, are knowledgeable about multiple aspects of the art form of theatre. They are creative and able to plan interesting classes and play production experiences. Above all, these teachers are respected because they adhere to high artistic standards and demand quality work by holding students accountable for strong work ethics, such as meeting goals and deadlines. Further, they inspire students to high achievement through appropriate critical feedback and emotional support:

“Her professionalism and ability to create a positive working environment encouraged students to work hard in her program.” (Female, university graduate major in business and administration, class of 2002.)

Professionalism breeds professionalism. Young people appreciate educators who maintain high expectations and inspire quality work. When teachers strategically select interesting and worthwhile playscripts to produce, push for excellence, and demonstrate excellence themselves, not only do they get results from students, but they also develop important work values and strategies which students use throughout their lives.

Effective theatre teachers nurture relationships
“The students need teachers as an adult mentor and role model. Someday you may be the only adult that connects to the students and asks them about their day. Do it with caution and at a distance, but be there and support them.” (Male, school district fine arts administrator, class of 1986.)

Young people first entering high school can feel lost and alone, particularly when their friendship groups from grade school or middle school have been disrupted by a move to a larger school. Some find their first supportive community in a theatre classroom, and it is this sense of belonging that supports their development far beyond their high school years, especially for those marginalized students in search of a niche. Indeed, many report that their fondest memories include the friends they made in speech and theatre contexts. Those memories include their teacher:

“There are so many ways that your work can help your students if you just take the time to listen and find out what is actually going on in their lives. There is more to being a theatre teacher than just putting on shows.” (Female, graduate educational theatre major, class of 2003.)

Effective theatre teachers take the time to develop an inclusive and equitable safe haven in their classrooms that enables students to get to know one another and supports their abilities to take risks and build confidence. More importantly, these educators demonstrate an ethic of care for and about their students which builds over time, creating a feeling of family. These teachers are involved in students’ lives and foster their emotional well-being by inspiring them, demonstrating encouraging and supportive actions, providing opportunities for students to grow in multiple ways, and genuinely caring about their accomplishments:  

“[My theatre teachers] were the absolute best teachers, directors, mentors, friends that any high school student could ever ask for…. They kept up the standards and practices of the school, what is expected of them as teachers academically, while speaking to us as people and artists. The encouragement was never-ending and so powerful. They became family. Because art is so personal, I feel that it allows for that kind of special teacher-student relationship that can really inspire students and stay with them far beyond the limits of the classroom walls.” (Female, actor, class of 2003.)

There are a few students for whom theatre is a lifeline. Some only come to school for their theatre class. One survey respondent expressed this fact powerfully:   

“Theatre and speech saved mine and my brother’s lives.” (Male, Hollywood sound effects and dialogue editor, class of 1999.)
Effective teachers look beyond the immediate and acknowledge that a student’s future could be significantly impacted and changed by what happens in the present:

“You may never know just how much you might affect and inspire a student to do what he or she loves and teach them to embrace their passions and differences. You could be the one to inspire a person to be brave enough to follow his or her dreams.” (Female, university theatre major, class of 2009.)

Effective theatre teachers challenge students and themselves
“Give high school students credit for understanding tough situations. Give them deep theatre. Don’t stick to schmaltz, because students have a craving to dig deeper within themselves than High School Musical. Give them material that challenges them to explore and grow together.” (Female, university music education major, class of 2007.)

Effective teachers challenge their students on many levels. First, they challenge them as artists by building skills and work habits and by providing them with opportunities to grow out of their comfort zones.

These educators expose their students to a wide variety of theatre jobs and experiences that enable them to make connections to larger historical and social contexts.

Second, these teachers challenge their students, both individually and collectively, to take risks and move to higher levels of proficiency. Skills such as the ability to speak in public, work under pressure, solve problems, think analytically and critically, and work collaboratively in teams can be achieved through speech/theatre participation. Third, effective teachers enable young people to discover who they are and their places in the world:

“If the experiences of life make you the person that you are, then I am positive that my experiences in drama have helped to influence the person that I am, and I have to say that I am pretty darn great! And I have drama to thank for the self-confidence to say that!” (Female, stay-at-home mother, class of 1987.)

Finally, effective teachers find ways to explore important social issues with their students and sometimes to challenge the status quo and the traditional “safe” canon of school plays:

“You have the opportunity to get impressionable kids into some great, great theatre. Take that opportunity. Sure, like any theatre you have to do Bye Bye Birdie and Little Shop of Horrors because you can have huge casts and people like them. But throw some great plays at them, even if they are the typical great plays. I didn’t know a thing about, for example, Waiting for Godot or Lysistrata in high school. I didn’t even know about modern classics and popular high school productions like The Laramie Project or Fires in the Mirror that really got people thinking…. Give the kids some exciting stuff that will blow their minds.” (Male, actor, no graduation year specified.)

Effective theatre teachers are lifelong learners
“Read plays, read as many plays as you can possibly get your hands on. I am constantly trying to find good material for class and for performances.” (Female, high school theatre teacher, class of 1995.)

Effective teachers never stop learning. They continue to expand their content knowledge, especially their grasp of dramatic literature both for both class work and play productions. They seek to improve their teaching strategies and are willing to take risks themselves to try new learning activities for students. They reflect on philosophical approaches to education and how to find a balance between process and product:

“Really take the time to do some soul-searching about your personal philosophy behind what you do—the ‘why’ part of it. Having a good grasp of why you want to teach theatre will allow you to have a more powerful impact on your students, and it will impact how you go about teaching it…. In my opinion, you should strive to be very knowledgeable about the craft/art of teaching, while still maintaining an artist’s sense of play and exploration.” (Male, education director of a theatre for youth company, class of 1999.)

Effective theatre teachers develop lifelong resiliency
“It is very hard work. You will be tired all the time. You are never caught up and always have a list of things that needs to be done. However, the rewards of positively affecting students’ lives can’t be found in most jobs—even most other teaching jobs.” (Female, high school theatre/broadcasting/English teacher, class of 1981.)

Teaching is hard work and never finished, even at the end of a school year. Theatre teachers spend significant time and energy not only in the classroom and in the theatre, but also at tournaments and festivals. However, effective theatre teachers do find ways to maintain and recharge their physical and mental health. They also develop the patience and perseverance to deal with a wide range of school and community political battles.

It would seem that one way to sustain a career over time is to bear in mind the characteristics cited here—recommitting to a sense of professionalism, finding new ways to challenge students, learning new strategies and, most importantly, rekindling a passion for the profession:

“Becoming a teacher is one of the most noble choices you can make. Do it only if you will execute with excellence. Lift the profession.” (Female, corporate executive, class of 1984)

A powerful affirmation
You might still be thinking you’ve heard all this before. We hope that is not the case. These statements are drawn from research that can have the value of making the familiar new. We hope that this article confirms your own practice or inspires you to revisit your own teaching and learning. One thing we now know for sure: the adults who responded to our survey reported having learning experiences in their high school speech/theatre contexts that had enduring impacts on them. In other words, theatre teachers change people for the better, for life. And isn’t that why most of us entered this profession in the first place?

“Be unique. Be fearless. Don’t be afraid to force your students to stretch.” (Male, technology company CEO, class of 1988.)

Both authors are theatre educators—Laura A. McCammon at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Johnny Saldaña at Arizona State University in Tempe. This study received the American Alliance for Theatre & Education’s Research Award in 2011.