| A Long Journey into Drama is a qualitative case study that describes the interactions and relationships between the two drama teaching artists and the three Head Start classroom teachers as they participate in the 26-day in-service drama staff development program. The study attempts to gain a better understanding of the complex human interactions and relationships between the teachers and the teaching artists, as well as learn about their respective experiences and roles during the drama learning process. Combining both ethnographic and phenomenological approaches, this holistic case study describes an in-depth exploration of the participants' respective experiences and relationship-building process. The researcher's log, participants' interviews, audio and videotapes of the participants' drama practice and implementation were used in collecting and analyzing data. As part of a drama partnership between a local Head Start agency and an educational drama organization, the classroom teachers, guided by the drama artists, participated in and practiced drama activities in the classroom to enhance the children's pre-literacy skills, and eventually devised and implemented their own drama lesson plans with the children.; During the intensive 26-day residency, eleven themes pertaining to the study emerged. These themes ranges from the importance of humor and cultural sensitivity in the relationship building process to the need for classroom coverage, communication, and support for the personal limitations of the participants' involvement during the process. Throughout the study, it was increasingly clear that becoming an educational drama teaching artist involves significant personal challenges that require balancing the inherent dualism and acquiring multi-layered adeptness. The study also finds that a mutually trusting, collegial interpersonal relationship plays a crucial role in producing successful teacher-artist collaboration. To successfully empower the teacher development process, a collective effort and organized support by all of the involved players---teachers, site administrators, and outside agency---is also critical. Recognizing the benefits of drama in the early childhood classroom, the study also finds that long-term arts partnerships have sustainable power to enhance teacher development and benefit children's learning. |
