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  • 1.  Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-22-2015 16:00
    I would like to proposes new schedule of drama classes for next year. I am at a public school. I teach 4 sections of Drama 1 ( mostly kids who have to take an elective and have no interest in theater). Then my only advanced class combines anyone who has ever taken Drama 1 plus the really committed students,so I have 45 in the class! Please tell me how your curriculum is structured. ------------------------------ Holly Budney Teacher High School Drama William Latson Boca Raton FL ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-23-2015 08:58

    Can you clarify the question somewhat? Are you asking what folks do for their Drama or Theatre curriculum? Or are you asking what different classes others teach?

    If the latter, for me I teach Intro to Drama which is a one semester entry level class, from which those interested can jump to Theatre 2 without having to go through Theatre 1. I also teach Theatre 1-4, where everybody is thrown in together, which is frustrating for my upper level students as we always seem to be compensating time lost to unsavory elements in the class. I also get to teach Technical Theatre Design and Production, which is a really awesome class that catches those who like theatre, but hate the idea of being on stage. Ironically, several of my tech theatre students have ended up auditioning and scoring roles in our productions, so its another way in for performers, as well as building up your program in many other practical ways.

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    Phillip Goodchild
    Ruskin FL
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  • 3.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-23-2015 14:02

    My Theatre 1 class (or intro) is a general overview of different aspects of theatre (improv, scripted work, script writing, scene work, and monologues).

    Theatre 2 is Uta Hagen technique, audition techniques, monologues and scene study. I also introduce classical scene work in this class. Students need to have passed Theatre 1 or have approval to take this class.

    Theatre 3 we work on classical monologues, British RP, unarmed stage combat, Stanislovski, Meisner, and Chekov technique. They also must perform as a part of the class. Students need to have passed Theatre 1 and 2 or have approval to take this class. 

    Stagecraft handles everything backstage and we work on design elements (costume, make-up, set, light, and sound), set building, directing, and production. 

     All of the above classes are a semester in length. Theatre 3 and Stagecraft are allowed to be repeated for credit. 

    My advanced class is a year class and is the only class that competes. They also direct short scripts and have performances twice a year. This class may also be repeated for credit. All students need approval to take this class, regardless of having finished the other courses.

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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  • 4.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-25-2015 13:30
    Thank you for your responses. Teaching 4 full-year sections of Drama 1 (mixed with some 2&3) is not benefiting anyone, then throw in the 5th class of mixed 3&4( with 42 students).... Definitely not working! ------------------------------ Holly Budney Teacher High School Drama William Latson Boca Raton FL ------------------------------
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  • 5.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-23-2015 13:09

    When I was hired six years ago, the Technical Theatre Scenic Design class was used as a course for rough boys to raise their GPA.  Out of 16 classes, 8 were this rough shop class.  The teacher who designed the course was wonderful.  Two instructors later, left me no tools and no money.  So, I made a few changes after one year of hell.

    Jay County High School now offers duel credit in speech and theatre appreciation through Ivy Tech.  We also offer these quarter courses:

    Technical Theatre Scenic Design-Students design and build the sets for two school productions and oftentimes one community production.  Students read a play and design a 3D set using Google Sketch-up. (I prefer to have no more than one shop class per quarter, but oftentimes I have as many as three, out of four classes, in the same quarter.)

    Technical Theatre Canada-  Students study the nine productions produced at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.  Students travel to the festival to see four productions.  (We are able to travel using the activity bus and I drive which means we get four productions, two tours, housing, transportation, meals, a combat workshop, pre-show talks, and bowling for about $450 and a birth certificate or passport.)

    Technical Theatre Advanced Make-up-  Students design and apply special effects make-up projects learning the basics of stage make-up as well as the complexity of wax, latex, and protrusion.  Projects culminate into a full-body zombie final exam.  (This course is so popular that we have outgrown our make-up room.)

    Technical Theatre Children's Production-Students study children's theatre history reading six plays representing a variety of genres and cultures.  Students produce one play for a live audience.  (This course was dropped this year because I failed too many freshmen.  It seems the grade point average is very important and elective teachers feel the pressure to grade easier.  I don't.  Students are expected to meet state standards and pass tests.)

    Technical Theatre Storytelling-Students learn the art of storytelling through a variety of cultures and its folklore.  Students practice telling a variety of stories in small group.  Students perform a storytelling festival at a local venue.  (This course was dropped two years ago due to lack of numbers.)

    Technical Theatre Shakespeare-Students debate the authorship question, study the era of Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre.  Students read and perform scenes from Taming of the Shrew.  Each student chooses a lesser known Shakespearean work, studies the script and video, and presents to the class a culminating report and recited monologue. (This course is often offered at the same time as the Canada class because we also study Shakespeare in that course.)

    Theatre Arts-Students learn the history of theatre from Ancient Greece through the modern era. (This course is offered at least twice a year.  There is a combination of reading, acting, and viewing.)

    Theatre Arts I-Students work independently to study the jobs of the theatre (or focus on one particular artist or job).  Students present final projects to the Theatre Arts class(es). (At times this has been a separate acting class, but it is now taught at the same time as Theatre Arts.)

    Students are limited to 30 per class.  That is way too many for shop and make-up.  Some are smaller due to interest level.  I was able to add more classes five years ago if they were all called Technical Theatre.  Technical Theatre had been approved by the state.  The others are variations of the approved course. 

    Next year I will have semester long dual credit speech classes which will change all I do.  I hope the theatre classes stay since they are necessary for fine arts credit.  I also pray English classes are lessened.  I am presently evaluated on how many students pass the remedial English class where the ECA test is given.  This year only two passed.  The class is filled with test re-takers and special needs.  I hope I know by the end of the month what courses will go.

    I have syllabi for all courses, although next year we switch to one-to-one devices and all work will be digitally driven.


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    Carol Knarr Gebert
    Celina OH
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  • 6.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-24-2015 09:57

    We have many different courses that students can select.  They all start with Theatre Arts I.  This course is an introduction to the many parts of theatre.  It is open to grades 9-12 and does give the student their required Fine Arts credit.  After this first course they can select from one of three tracks of courses (they could also mix and match if they wished):

    Track 1 - Theatre Arts II, III, IV, and a GT option at the top two levels

    Track 2 - Musical Theatre I, II, III and a GT option

    Track 3 - Technical Theatre I, IIGT, IIIGT 

    The first track is much more generic in terms of topics covered.  Often many of our schools combine these three levels together.  Sometimes level 2 is alone, and then 3 and 4 our combined.  It depends on the numbers and the specifics of that school's program.  We typically don't have more than 33 students in a class.  Technical theatre classes are often smaller, but it is hard to run them sometimes so they get combined with another course.  That certainly makes things challenging, so we modify the approach to the course as needed.  For example, if there are 10 technical theatre students we might get to have a class alone with them.  However, if there are only 3 or 4 they might get added into an upper level theatre arts class.  In this case they have a more independent study approach and will sometimes explore technical areas by supporting the scene work of the acting students. This is not ideal, but it does give the students experiences that they might not otherwise have if the course was cut.  

    The GT options are a way that students can get extra weighted GPA points.  These courses often require additional original creation work.  Students explore topics and devise their own pieces during this course.  They often have the opportunity to be directors for smaller student works in class.  The GT option is not just "more work", but rather a higher level approach to studying theatre.  We just started these programs in the last few years so we are learning more and more about how to approach them.  It is a great way to give students extra weight in their GPA within a subject area they enjoy.   

    Send me a message if you want any other details or have questions.   

     

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    Steven Fleming
    Howard County Public School System
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-24-2015 11:24
    Arts teachers in my district are full-time at four classes.  I teach one section of INTRODUCTORY DRAMA, one section of ADVANCED ACTING (audition only), and one 7th/8th grade ENRICHMENT DRAMA (four days per week, 30 minutes each class). My fourth "class" is directing the extra-curricular productions (we do eight per year [five high school and three middle school]). That's my teaching load. 

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    Joe King
    Theatre Director
    School District of Shorewood
    Shorewood WI
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  • 8.  RE: Types of classes you teach

    Posted 04-25-2015 17:30

    We had some issues with scheduling - Theatre 2 and 3 were being lumped together, kids weren't able to get into it because of conflicts with other singleton classes, it was a mess.  So I took everything apart and made Acting and Directing instead.  Now I have 4 classes of Acting/Directing (mostly acting students with 3-5 directing students per class period) and 2 classes of stagecraft.

     Students can take Acting and/or Directing as many times as they like, and by doing it this way it fits into the schedules of way more students.  I've geared up a 4 year rotating curriculum that has us reading plays from various playwrights and genres over the course of those 4 years, so that there is variety in what the students are learning year to year.  If they're with me for all 4 years. they will graduate having read at least 12 plays: one modern play each year, a Shakespearean tragedy and comedy, Carlo Gozzi, and others.  This year we did Clybourne Park, Shakespearean comedy, and Commedia dell'Arte, and have done/are doing scene work with all of those.  I haven't completely decided on next year's contemporary work but I know we are doing Greek tragedy and Tennessee Williams.

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    Laura Steenson
    Theatre Director
    Reynolds High School
    Troutdale OR
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