Drama is an effective teaching tool. It can be used to teach any subject even science. Drama provides an active learning experience. When students are able to move through information they learn it more completely. Learning is experienced through all the senses. The joy of learning is evident throughout the active learning experience.

Children come to this type of activity naturally ready to engage in it. When a non-threatening, safe atmosphere is given where the goal is not product or making productions one sees sincere, honest, beautiful dramatic works from students. Students feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for creating drama using their own creative resources.

In using their own creative resources instead of reciting the same line from a script over and over students are developing an important life skill that of critical thinking through their practice in using their own innovation, creativity, and flexibility in thinking. For example: students may figure out how to create a scene with the inspiration of just one prop, one theme or an unusual grouping of puppets. Creating improvisation provides wonderful opportunities to develop and practice the use of critical thinking. The ability to trust one's own judgment, think and formulate one's own thoughts are essential life skills.

We need our children to possess the ability to have original thoughts and ideas so they may successfully navigate life's many problems, their own as well as the ones in our world.

With today's technological world creating less opportunity for interaction and the general social climate, being the way it is, there is much concern about Emotional Maturity. Drama carries an abundance of wonderful opportunities where a young person will advance their emotional maturity. A student has ample practice at learning how to trust his own instincts and get to know himself and others. You see, acting is interacting so the social/emotional growth potential is simply inherent in this activity. To do anything in class participants must learn to work together, value each other's ideas and see each idea as an important contribution to the group and class. Without the focus towards product I am able to devote the time and energy to provide the guidance to assist in the acquiring of these skills.

I derive an overwhelming amount of joy in nurturing my students through drama with these developmental goals in mind. I am fortunate to have opportunities to teach drama in this manner and to share the specifics with others. I delight in observing my student's creative choices and growth as well as marvel at their innovation and ingenuity. It's a pleasure to offer the knowledge to teachers, special needs teachers and child care providers so they may encourage growth and celebrate children in this manner too.

It is my aim with Jelly Beans Creative Learning to provide a place where a child is valued for what he/she is, a child, with all the natural creative ability he/she brings from the very beginning of class. The mission is to provide an environment that promotes growth, educationally, creatively and emotionally while allowing children to celebrate and explore their individual, unique creativity. It is my intention to provide and teach the importance of providing a safe place for children to make their own creative choices and express themselves. To accomplish this it is my approach to avoid and discourage others from being product or production oriented in dealing with children and drama. I feel the true values of drama for children are the exploratory, creative activities, interaction with one another and the child development, growth potential.