The Wild Things Go to School

Abstract

Dorothy Heathcote’s approach to drama in education redefines teaching as the creation of shared learning experiences rather than the transmission of knowledge. Drama serves as a process-oriented method that engages students in meaningful, collaborative tasks, encouraging inquiry, reflection, problem-solving, and personal growth. In this article, these principles are illustrated through the work of Sylvia Walton Jackson, an elementary teacher who embraced Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert approach. In a literacy unit based on Where the Wild Things Are, students became “experts” responsible for teaching fictional Wild Things how to read. Through role-play, research, writing, planning, and collaboration, they developed stronger reading skills while gaining confidence, responsibility, and a deeper understanding of themselves as learners. Sylvia’s use of teacher-in-role transformed traditional classroom relationships, positioning students as capable contributors rather than passive recipients of instruction. The project demonstrates how drama can reorganize authority, foster agency, and make learning socially meaningful.