Role playing

Helaine Dawson

At the end of each session, I reflected on and evaluated what had happened. Was I reaching the students? How well were we communicating? Were they listening more? Were they more involved? Did I notice any changes in behavior or habits? Were they developing more hopefulness? Was their span of attention increasing? Was hostility lessening? How could I draw out non-participants?

At the beginning of each program I met resistance to my methods. I did not lay down the law, but made them think. I was concerned about giving them opportunities to communicate and express whatever was bothering them. When the students saw how I reacted to their provocativeness and defiance, they accepted me. This might take several weeks.

In order to arouse their attention and sustain it for increasingly longer periods, I experimented with various techniques. Among these was role playing. This served many purposes related to our objectives and to each student “s needs. It helped the student to communicate and listen; it made him aware of his relationship to others and of the need to cooperate; and it enabled him to understand himself better. Being able to step outside of himself and see how others look at him was another step on his road to self-development. Role playing could make learning pleasant rather than formidable and boring. It could also be a vehicle for creativity.

Role playing is simply assuming a role. Children often get so involved in role playing that they forget about eating. Psychiatrists call it “psychodrama.” Sociologists refer to it as “sociodrama.”

The time for introducing role playing will depend on how well you are getting along with your students and how well you are relating. It takes at least five weeks or more to reach the point where role playing can take place. Introducing this activity prematurely may bring about bedlam and consequently destroy its potential value as a teaching-learning technique.

"All right. Today we're going to try something different. We've talked about hair styles, attitudes, and the importance of speech. We've been learning vocabulary each day. Now let's see if we can use some of it.” All eyes were focused on me. “We're going to make up our own skit. We'll use no prepared scripts. We won't rehearse. Do you know a word that describes doing something on the spur of the moment creatively?" We learned the words spontaneous and improvise. “We'll improvise and operate spontaneously.”

In the general office clerk program, Wilbert asked, “How do we know what to say?”

"You'll react to each other depending on the situation. You'll respond to the other person. Let's work it out, and you'll see what I mean. We're going to pretend that this is an office.” I pointed to my desk at the front of the room. “Make believe this is an IBM office.” I wrote it on the blackboard: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES.

"Gee, I never knew it meant that,” said Bailey.

"Now, our cast. We need a receptionist. Who wants to be the receptionist at IBM?”

Rosetta volunteered. “What must I do?” she asked. This gave me an opportunity to find out what these students being trained as general office clerks knew about duties of a receptionist.

"Answer the phone,” said Susie.

“Smile,” said Jim, the gang leader.

"Know the business,” said Dick.

"Good. Let's begin with an applicant for a clerical job. Who wants to be the applicant?” Jim volunteered. “While you're watching, be observing how Jim and Rosetta walk, listen to how they talk and how they answer the telephone if they do. Jot notes down. Then we'll discuss your comments. Remember the criteria we use to come to our conclusions.”

The Pacific Telephone Company, through its school department, had loaned us teletrainers. These consisted of a pair of colored telephones with a transmission box and amplifiers that could be operated by plugging in wires to ordinary wall outlets. There were buzzers to buzz the caller, busy-signal devices, and telephone bells. Here was an opportunity for action and speech improvement. I asked Dick, one of the shy members of the class, to be the teletrainer operator. I hoped to ease him into a more active role in subsequent sessions.

Prior to this we had learned the meaning of criteria and had discussed criteria that could affect job getting: poor posture, sloppy dress, bad manners, inaudibility, and unacceptable language, for example.

“What criteria will you set up?” This was a form of review.

"Poise and initiative,” said Dick.

"Voice and words,” said Jessie.

"Manners,” said Belle.

"Good. Now we're ready. Curtain.” There was still excitement and noise. I waited. They became impatient.

“Shut up. We want to start,” said Rosetta.

"May I use your briefcase, Mrs. Dawson?” asked Jim.

“Certainly.”

Jim swaggered in, swinging the briefcase. Snuggling up to Rosetta, the receptionist, he said, “Hello, babe, how about it?” Rosetta slapped his face.

"Mrs. Dawson, I was only fooling. Don “t count this. Let's do it over.”

He walked in again, using his natural gait, which combined the cakewalk with a shuffle. He spoke to the receptionist with his hat on.

"Dope, take off your hat. You “re in a office.” He quickly complied.

"Good afternoon, Miss Smith. I’m here for a job.”

“What kind of a job?”

"A clerical job.”

“Wait a minute, please. Do you have an appointment?”

"No.”

“Sit down.” Rosetta, the receptionist, picked up the phone before Dick had a chance to buzz it on the teletrainer. Laughter broke out. They corrected this. Rosetta continued on the phone. “Mr. Douglas, there's a fellow here for a clerk-typist job. Do we have an opening? OK. I'll give him one. ...” Turning to Jim, she said, “I’m sorry. There are no openings now. Fill out this application and bring it in tomorrow at 2 p.m.”

Rosetta kept chewing bubble gum ferociously, while keeping her babushka tied around her head and her coat on.

When it came time to criticize, few said anything. This is the way it was at the beginning of each new program. Later they were able to criticize and accept criticism from each other. We talked generally about what was unacceptable without mentioning individuals. Chewing gum, wearing a coat, and manners were observed. We discussed ways of walking and sitting and how they revealed personality. I demonstrated slovenly sitting and poor posture when walking.

“The way you stand, sit, and walk shows someone observing you how you feel about yourself.”

Rosetta's words were slurred, and this I mentioned, but without talking about her. I said that on a clerical job she might be asked to use the telephone. The impression she made on the hearer might have an effect on her employer’s business.

"For the first time, you did very well,” I told Jim and Rosetta. “It’s always most difficult for the first ones. Those who follow learn from the beginners.”

I noticed that throughout this first skit the rest had sat and listened attentively, no one even leaving for the rest rooms. When the bell rang, they were disappointed.

“Can we do this tomorrow?”

“We'll see.” I didn’t want to overdo any technique. It was much wiser not to allow them to become satiated. “Maybe at least once a week. We'll try various kinds of situations.”

Role playing became one of the most pleasurable learning techniques in this first group. In subsequent groups, panels and group discussions were preferred. In role playing they had to listen to each other; they had to think, use their imagination, and plan.

This feature: Extract from Dawson, H. (1973). Getting the students involved in teaching-learning. In Goodell, C. (Ed.) The Changing Classroom. New York: Ballantine Books. pp.193-197.