The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative
conclusion -- these are the most valuable coin of the thinker at work.

-- Bruner

Good teaching practice is out there. So states a recent vice-president of the
American Society for Training and Development But educators are not
utilizing the best practices ( Mark 1989). As we have argued throughout this
book, part and parcel of this "good practice" is making better use of acting
skills in the classroom. Among the assumptions held regarding the teaching-
learning process, Rubin ( 1985, 100) believes Chat "even the dullest of subjects
can be taught in a way that intrigues the learner." But how is this sense of
intrigue generated? It's likely that the teacher used "something dramatic,
imaginative, bewitching" ( Wells 1979, 53).

Teachers can find help in books on practical tips such as Magnan ( 1989).
He advocates, among other tips, "Think of it as 'show business (more
'show' and maybe a little less 'tell,'" "Think BIG" (the value of eye
contact, projecting the voice, using gestures larger than life), "People your
ideas," and "Return with your students to the people and places and time
that gave us the knowledge we want to transfer," and "Claim your territory"
(deliver points loud and clear from the front; move out among students to
elaborate or illustrate points).

We can also turn to other printed resources such as those produced by
faculty development offices, especially those at larger institutions. For
instance, our university produces and distributes The Penn State Teacher to all
new faculty. This resource, a collection of readings and practical advice for
beginning teachers ( Enerson and Plank 1993), offers, among many other tips,
"Don't be afraid to use humor," "An effective lecture has a certain dramatic
quality . . . many people find it useful to draw a comparison between
lecturing and acting," and "Make use of devices (i.e., props)."

Teachers can also turn to Konstantin Stanislavski, the Soviet director,
whose proven methods of teaching drama serve as the bible for many

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