Learning from an artistically crafted moment: Valuing aesthetic experience in the student teacher’s drama education

Abstract

This paper takes the position that drama education falls within the field of aesthetic education, and involves learners in both creating and responding to the art of drama through a blending of thoughts, senses and emotions. The paper looks at aspects key to the experience of teaching and learning in drama within the aesthetic framework, and argues from a teacher educator stance that if prospective teachers develop an awareness of their own responses to experiences in the arts, they can be better prepared for noticing and crafting their own aesthetic teaching practice. It documents the author’s own recalled aesthetic experience captured in poetic form, describes a later teaching episode which exhibits aesthetic and engaged features from a pre- service teacher education setting, and discusses the potential for learning from the transformation of aesthetic experiences.