Drama for Anti-Oppressive Literature Instruction

The Central Arizona Writing Project in the Department of English at ASU presents this professional development series for middle and high school teachers.

This free workshop series will introduce middle and high school teachers to drama-based activities aimed at facilitating critical conversations in the classroom using texts already in their curriculum.

Participants will receive a certificate for 24 professional development hours, a copy of "Letting Go of Literary Whiteness" by Carlin Borsheim-Black and Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides, a $25 gift certificate to Changing Hands Bookstore, free parking and dinner provided at each session. Registration is required.

Participants will have the opportunity to extend their learning in the spring via one-on-one mentorship. Participants may also be asked to partake in a research study, however involvement in the research is not required to attend the workshop series.  

About the facilitator

Sam Briggs (she/her) is an educator, theatre-maker, and facilitator from the East Coast. From 2016-2021 she taught high school English and ran the theatre program at a regional public high school in Central Massachusetts. As a co-director and teacher consultant for the Western Massachusetts Writing Project, she has developed and facilitated many workshops and professional development sessions focused on embodied writing practices, social justice education, and antiracist teaching methods. Her current research centers on critically-engaged drama-based pedagogy for social transformation in secondary classrooms and teacher education. Sam has a BA in English education from Westfield State University, and an MA in English literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. Currently, Sam is pursuing an MFA in theatre for youth and community at Arizona State University.