Creative supervision for drama teachers

Introduction

In Greece, online dramatherapy and creative supervision were initially accepted, at least in a widespread manner, during the COVID-19 pandemic (Avgerinou and Schubert, 2021, unpublished survey). Until then, most dramatherapists and supervisors preferred to work in person. Offering online creative supervision to drama teachers in elementary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, led the author to research how theatre education is perceived in Greece and to understand if and how its theory is structured in order to differentiate it from dramatherapy. Both the author (facilitator) and the co-facilitator of the supervision group are dramatherapists and theatrologists. The author has not worked as a drama teacher, while the co-facilitator has working experience as a drama teacher both in elementary schools and in special education. In the online creative supervision sessions discussed herein, the author noticed that theatre education was often being combined or perhaps confused with dramatherapy. The drama teachers attending the sessions found themselves holding responsibilities and dealing with students’ mental health and psychological wellbeing rather than focusing on the teaching or cultivation of their creativity. So, the question that arose was hοw to support drama teachers to continue working with the group dynamic of the class, without the fear of burnout or the fear of overstepping their professional boundaries. This was where the necessity for creative supervision came in.

The online creative supervision group to which this article refers was the first to take place in Greece. As a result, it was important to develop an understanding of how the drama teachers who were attending experienced it. The group facilitators hypothesized that creative supervision for drama teachers would help them take distance from the difficulties that arose from their role as teachers, and more specifically, from the fact that they were not permanent members of the school staff. The group was formed in January 2021 and finished its first course by June 2021. During the Easter holidays, the teachers completed a questionnaire which looked at their experience of the group. In line with the group’s request, a second course was held from November 2021 until June 2022. The group met every 15 days online for 2 hours, under the guidance of the two dramatherapists/creative supervisors.

Definition of dramatherapy and theatre education

Dramatherapy and theatre education have a common history, with Peter Slade being the first to refer to the term ‘dramatherapy’ in 1939 (Holmwood, 2017; Jones, 2003), and common influences including the work of Peter Brook, Augusto Boal, Jerzy Grotowski, Bertold Brecht and Konstantin Stanislavski (Giannouli et al., 2019; Jones, 2003; Papadopoulos, 2010; Schubert, 2020). These disciplines, although sharing common notions such as the transitional space and dramatic reality, have developed their own distinct theory and practice.

Dramatherapists and drama teachers have wondered what singles out these two disciplines (Fisherová, 2021; Holmwood, 2017). Dramatherapy is defined as a psychotherapeutic method based on the theory of drama and theatre, that utilizes play, ritual, drama, role, aesthetic distance, witnessing, participation, identification, paradox and catharsis (Zafeiropoulou et al., 2019). On the contrary, theatre education is defined as ‘education through theatre’, the creation and understanding of the theatrical phenomenon in an educational environment (Papadopoulos, 2010). In primary schools, for example, the basic goals of theatre education ‘is the development of the child’s expressive and creative abilities through theatrical play activities’ (Tsiaras, 2007: 11), in a way that allows the child to communicate with its peers and safely express ideas and feelings.

Dramatherapy and creative supervision in school

Dramatherapy has been used frequently in the British educational system (Holmwood, 2017), but not in Greece with either students or as a means for creative supervision. Jones (2012) referred to three dramatherapy approaches in schools: (1) for children with special psychological needs, (2) as a form of more general support for development and (3) as a holistic approach for children’s social and emotional development. Holmwood (2012) also referred to specific cases of dramatherapy in school contexts with refugees and migrants, as well as to his own personal experience as a dramatherapist and drama teacher. Similarly, McFarlane and Harvey (2012) referred to the dramatherapy and family therapy work of their interdisciplinary team to address issues of misbehaviour in school. Furthermore, Crimmens (2006) observed the impact of dramatherapy on students in the context of a special school in New Zealand.

Although I presented my experience of working with dramatherapy in a school setting in Greece (Schubert, 2016, 2017), a review of the literature suggests that creative supervision through dramatherapy has not been documented in Greece. The lack of literature and of delivery of such groups means that working either with dramatherapy or with creative supervision is a new experience for the teachers and the facilitators. It also indicates the necessity for further research in this particular field in Greece.

Cox (1992) gave great importance to the concept of metaphor in the supervisory process. The concept of supervision, while maintaining to a certain extent the position of authority of the supervisor towards the supervisee, is mainly a way to review professional practice, discuss and give feedback, while allowing the supervisee to emotionally process their therapeutic caseload. According to Lahad (2000), supervision offers exactly what the word implies, the view from above, the panoramic view, and is divided into three functions: managerial, educational and supportive. This is in line with Tselikas-Portmann (2008), who argued that the supervisor observes with the ‘eye of the stranger’ (p. 13).

Supervision provides a structure within which supervisees can observe themselves and their professional practice. As Jenkyns (1999) noted, it is ‘primarily a place where each and every person can explore their work with zeal and insight’ (p. 187). Thus, in supervision, participants share fantasies, images, events, tell stories of their everyday life, allowing emotions to be expressed. In creative supervision, the supervisory relationship develops between the supervisor, the supervisee and the artistic medium/artwork, creating a triangle that allows other triangles to be explored (Tselikas-Portmann, 2008). In the case of creative supervision in a school setting, this would translate in the teacher’s relationship with students and the school context.

The current study shows that in applying creative supervision to a group of drama teachers, the dramatherapist/creative supervisor uses a common language. The dramatic nature of humankind, the concept of aesthetic distance, the entrance into the world of dramatic reality (Schubert, 2021), the creation of a fantastic world (Wooland, 1999), role play and the stages of dramatization (Fanouraki, 2016; Kourentzis, 1991) are common elements and represent a common code.

For Jenkyns (1999), creative supervision through dramatherapy develops the roles of director and witness (for the dramatherapist) and a state of rehearsal (for the supervision session). This means that the therapist can rehearse what they want to work on with their clients, but also play it out alongside the supervisor who can witness as audience or director and provide advice and ideas. Adapting this concept to drama teachers, it seems that they come to that relationship as directors, narrators and actors. Accordingly, the supervisory session is the stage where not only the rehearsal, but also the re-enactment of the narrated drama takes place, while the dramatherapist/supervisor is in the role of guide, director and witness.

Methodology

The online supervision group was born out of a need to aid and support drama teachers who found it difficult to adjust themselves to the online reality, had to overcome the emotional impact of the pandemic on students and their families, had to continue to work effectively, and were burdened by past events and group dynamics among their students and the school staff.

The creative supervision group with drama teachers involved 13, 2-hour sessions taking place every 2 weeks from January to July 2021. A total of 15 drama teachers entered the group, of which 14 completed the first cycle of sessions. The supervisors did not get a response as to why the 15th member decided to leave the group. Owing to the pandemic-related restrictions, the group was held on Zoom and involved drama teachers who lived and worked in different areas. All members of the group gave consent to participate in the research. ¹

The necessity for the creation of this group was highlighted during the early meetings of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) Theatre Department Alumni meetings, where the author and co-facilitator were asked to take action to aid drama teachers in difficult situations, which involved approaching children who were either (1) experiencing difficulties, (2) coming from difficult environments, (3) experiencing loss or violence or (4) finding it difficult to interact in the classroom. The aim was for the teachers to not overstep their own role and protect themselves from potential burnout. Working online, the drama teachers wondered how they could help their students use their bodies while playing. Other issues concerned the shifting of roles between the classroom and the office, cooperation, trust and group dynamics.

The group was formed after a 3-hour workshop in December 2020, where the participants had the opportunity to experience the ways in which dramatherapy and creative supervision can work. The workshop was oriented towards the exploration of the sub-roles of the drama teachers based on the approach of ‘shifting roles’ (Berger, 2017). In this open meeting, the participants were asked to elaborate on their role as drama teacher as if it was a theatre role (director, actor, usher, production manager, etc.).

A questionnaire was used to understand the experiences of the teachers who attended the creative supervision group. The questions were developed by both facilitators to offer insight into how the group was being perceived by the drama teachers. Some of the questions were open-ended and some were multiple-choice, giving both the opportunity for more specific answers and for personal opinion to be expressed.

Findings

The issues the group worked through in the sessions involved violence between students and/or parents, online working and the difficulties encountered, boundaries not only in class but also with colleagues and parents, and moving from the gnostic learning approach to creative play and vice versa. The group also worked on issues such as loss and death. Each session was structured on sharing, warm-up, main theme explored through dramatherapy and closure.

When asked which moment was the most important for them, the teachers said it was the session that prepared them to return to in-person teaching, as this would help them assist their students to make this transition as smooth as possible. They also considered very helpful the way in which they could now distinguish the different sub-roles they were taking on while being a teacher, since they tended to take a parental sub-role in the classroom besides being a teacher. The supervisees noted that the work they did on their relationships with their colleagues was also important, particularly in regard to whether their work was appreciated or not in the school setting.

For all the 14 participants, it was the first time that they participated in a creative supervision group which also took place online. They all stated that this group offered them feedback on their practice. Thirteen participants stated that the group provided them with ideas and inspiration to work with their students and that they viewed themselves and their colleagues in a different way. The majority also stated that the group allowed them to work on themes related to their students. Six participants added that it enabled them to work on issues involving colleagues and parents. They also identified how their personal life was being influenced by things that happened in the work setting and vice versa.

With respect to their experience in the group, the supervisees found that it was liberating, relaxing, nice, warm, inspiring and that it offered them feedback and supported their creativity, teamwork, inspiration and humour. Although the group members seemed to have become familiar with the online condition, the need to work in person also became apparent. At the same time, for two members, the time saving offered by the online condition was important. One participant expressed gratitude for the trust inspired by the facilitators through this journey. They found it possible and even fruitful to work online, since they also had to manage and familiarize themselves with that way of working in a creative context which offered inspiration and ideas.

When asked what creative supervision meant to them and how they thought it could be applied in theatre education, the participants argued that it was a valuable starting point for self-reflection in an educational context and a meeting point for professionals with common goals. It was useful and relevant, supportive and allowed for the sharing of experiences and empathy. They suggested that it could work in primary education as a way of resolving issues between teachers and students, parents and colleagues, as well as issues of bullying and misbehaviour. They further believed that it could give impetus to the development of the theatre education lessons, as dramatherapy could also be applied in their field.

Overall, the majority of the participants experienced the creative supervision group as a space where they could see themselves through the eyes of the group, take distance and better understand situations they had to deal with, while making use of tools that they were familiar with. Several participants also saw therapeutic elements in the creative supervision process that enabled them to become stronger emotionally by acquiring new resources.

Five participants expressed the wish for the group to continue meeting face-to-face in the future, as they gained ‘a reassuring sense of calmness about the unexpected things that can happen in a classroom’ (comment by a participant). They also valued participating in a supportive and creative context with colleagues, and particularly the sense of acceptance of diversity, teamwork and empathy. The group provided them with inspiration, tools and feedback, while unlocking creativity.

When asked about the things that could have been different in the group, there was a request for a greater cognitive connection between what was shared and what was played out, a need for more frequent meetings, and as a participant wrote, more discussion ‘on specific issues that arise in the school environment as the experience of one person often mirrors those of other members in the group’. The group members were able to observe themselves from a distance, as professionals and as individuals. The group helped those who had anxiety relating to the classroom to feel inspired to overcome it and to reinforce the desire for every child in the classroom to change even if only a little.

Discussion

Supervision is not officially part of the Greek educational system. Still, as seen from the overall experience of this creative supervision group, it has much to offer to its participants. By helping them to distance themselves from issues that are difficult or anxiety provoking, they could observe themselves objectively and plan their next steps. The group allowed them to play, recharge their imagination, try out new things and in this way, renew their teaching material and relationship with their students. It also allowed them to observe more objectively issues that may arise with fellow teachers and parents and be confident about their decisions and opinion as school staff.

An interesting question that naturally arose was on the use of the body in an online context. For Faure and Lascar (2001), in theatrical play the child acquires various skills such as the control of its body. The importance of physical presence and function was also noted by Alkistis (2009), adding that drama offers ways of entering into a new relationship with the body, others, the self, space–time, art, experiential knowledge, language, pleasure and satisfaction. This points out to the different situation and difficulty of connecting to one’s body online without the presence of others. The online physical experience of the drama teachers allowed them to put themselves in the shoes of their students, stimulate their imagination and creativity, and adapt their interventions to the online reality.

The creative supervision group helped them to distance themselves from the everyday life of the classroom (online and in-person), and to differentiate between what is part of education and creativity and what is part of therapy. Since concepts and processes were often similar, dramatherapy seemed to be a familiar language for the expression and processing of issues arising from the practice of theatre education.

Overall, the nature of theatre education, which asks students to interact and not simply absorb information or use cognitive skills, mobilizes strong unconscious material and environmental influences that contribute to the development of roles in the classroom, creating therefore specific dynamics. What Tsiaras (2007) perceived as a problem in classroom discipline, is in fact the result of dynamics involving roles that are shared in the classroom. The assumption that dysfunctions in the classroom are due to issues that often go beyond the students makes the process of supervision necessary in educational contexts. It means that students cannot exclusively be held responsible for their behaviour and the roles they take on in the classroom, since these roles are often an outcome of specific family environments. It is therefore important for teachers to be able to take some distance through supervision and see how they can help these students express themselves emotionally.

It would be interesting to continue working with the creative supervision group to observe how drama teachers would in the future be able to support younger colleagues, and to also see if a change of attitude would affect the school system they are working in.

Conclusion

The discussion of this research made it clear that drama teachers benefitted from the creative supervision group. Almost 2 years later, the supervisees still seek the support of the group and its facilitators through a social media group which was formed during the supervision meetings and kept open for anyone who might need it. It seems that the group created a community for drama teachers who are able turn to one another when needed.

The opportunity given to the facilitator and co-facilitator to offer supervision to drama teachers gave them insight into the difficulties drama teachers meet in their everyday practice. It also gave the opportunity to distinguish the differences between dramatherapy and drama education and to communicate these to the drama teachers. This allowed them to clarify their role as teachers, be able to take distance and experience relief in situations which until then burdened them, and create a safe space and a community where they could reach out for help and support. It ultimately gave them the opportunity to return to their classrooms – virtual or in-person – with new ideas and new creativity.

Wiertsema (2009) wrote that in ‘games we are asked to take risks, which in our everyday life would not be very wise’ (p. 3). Theatre education therefore poses a risk for the immovable cognitive education system. A risk that, while offering much for the psycho-emotional development of students, must at the same time be contained within a framework of support for teachers through creative supervision. This can prevent any potential dysfunction to affect them personally and inspire further action to change fixed classroom roles.