Not only is drama an academic subject, but it is also a tool for personal development. Here are some of the benefits of drama - and how drama promotes personal development in children.
It occurs to me that each of these points could be expanded, but there is plenty of literature on how useful drama is for personal development so for now I have just noted some of the ways in which drama promotes personal development in children.
Drama for personal development
Self expression
Giving voice to children and allowing them to express their feelings
Confidence
Presentation skills / public speaking
Asserting / discovering individuality
Working through self consciousness
Awareness and understanding of others (putting yourself in someone else's shoes - perspective and empathy)
Exploring teenage / adolescence issues
Encourages risk taking (in thought and performance)
Cooperation, teamwork, leadership
Spontaneity, thinking quickly and creatively
Critical thinking
Develops imagination and creativity
Problem solving and decision making
Communication skills
Language use, articulation and speech
Fun way to express yourself
Seeing things in a different way / exploring issues from a different perspective
Promotes open discussion of topics / issues
Brings humour to real life issues and allows sensitive exploration of issues
Flexibility in thinking
Social development generally
Catharsis
Self awareness and self exploration
Analysing, developing sensitivity and perception to the world around us
Friendships
Happy drama teaching!