Open Forum

Holding down the fort.  Not wrecking the car.  Not **** up this one year gig.  Yep, I know this scenario very well, but towards the end of the year when I was expecting the regular teacher to return and he decided not to, I immediately decided that I'd like to stay in the position if the school would have me.  Having taught math previously (Algebra I et al.  the classes students HAVE to take), I knew this was a nice gig to have even if I felt mostly unprepared.  Think of how often we ask our students to go outside their comfort zone.  This is just us leading by example.

Since I'd had my suspicions that my predecessor might not return, I did exactly what you are doing and started looking for PD opportunities.  I found out about the Utah Shakespeare Festival and they had a 3 day workshop class for secondary methods class.  It was EXACTLY what I needed and when.  A year sooner, and I don't know that I would have appreciated what all I got from it or I would have been so overwhelmed.  I also bribe our well-respected and successful choir director with chips and guacamole for advice on some of the school politics.  I get help from volunteers from our local community theatre.  I ask for help and beg forgiveness a LOT.  It helps that I have a supportive administration.  I think they were mostly thankful that I was somewhat capable, readily available, and personable.  One of my other sources is the BYU Theatre Education site.

I also had the benefit of the senior students welcoming me in.  They LOVED my predecessor and I came in with the attitude that I had promised their teacher that I would take care of them and not pull the "Well so-and-so's not here and this is my gig to run."  While that fact may have been true, I was careful to keep as much of his philosophy while bringing my own touch to it.  Plus, he was just an email away.

Anyhow, I have a ton of resources, but the truth is that I don't often have time to go through it all except at long breaks.  I'm very weak with technical theatre stuff, but I do have a background in dance education (just enough knowledge to be dangerous).  Use the search function for these discussion boards.  They have been immensely helpful to me.  (The CAST LIST LET DOWN thread was a huge help for me just before our auditions.).  As scary and as huge as the time demand is, the payoff of a successful show made it so worth it to me.  Good luck to you!

First of all, congratulations!

I have heard really good things about Thearefolk's Drama Academy - this is an ongoing resource, as opposed to a few days here and there. Contact other theatre teachers in your area and see if there is a professional community you can join. Go to your state's Thespian Festival, even if you go alone the first time. 

Best of luck!

Holding down the fort.  Not wrecking the car.  Not **** up this one year gig.  Yep, I know this scenario very well, but towards the end of the year when I was expecting the regular teacher to return and he decided not to, I immediately decided that I'd like to stay in the position if the school would have me.  Having taught math previously (Algebra I et al.  the classes students HAVE to take), I knew this was a nice gig to have even if I felt mostly unprepared.  Think of how often we ask our students to go outside their comfort zone.  This is just us leading by example.

Since I'd had my suspicions that my predecessor might not return, I did exactly what you are doing and started looking for PD opportunities.  I found out about the Utah Shakespeare Festival and they had a 3 day workshop class for secondary methods class.  It was EXACTLY what I needed and when.  A year sooner, and I don't know that I would have appreciated what all I got from it or I would have been so overwhelmed.  I also bribe our well-respected and successful choir director with chips and guacamole for advice on some of the school politics.  I get help from volunteers from our local community theatre.  I ask for help and beg forgiveness a LOT.  It helps that I have a supportive administration.  I think they were mostly thankful that I was somewhat capable, readily available, and personable.  One of my other sources is the BYU Theatre Education site.

I also had the benefit of the senior students welcoming me in.  They LOVED my predecessor and I came in with the attitude that I had promised their teacher that I would take care of them and not pull the "Well so-and-so's not here and this is my gig to run."  While that fact may have been true, I was careful to keep as much of his philosophy while bringing my own touch to it.  Plus, he was just an email away.

Anyhow, I have a ton of resources, but the truth is that I don't often have time to go through it all except at long breaks.  I'm very weak with technical theatre stuff, but I do have a background in dance education (just enough knowledge to be dangerous).  Use the search function for these discussion boards.  They have been immensely helpful to me.  (The CAST LIST LET DOWN thread was a huge help for me just before our auditions.).  As scary and as huge as the time demand is, the payoff of a successful show made it so worth it to me.  Good luck to you!

I concur with reaching out to people in your area and your state board. They should be able to help you find things specifically in your state. I'd also try to get to the Festival in Nebraska this summer and the Conference in September. There will be a lot of great PD opportunities and so many of us are there. Come pick our brains!   :^)

First of all, congratulations!

I have heard really good things about Thearefolk's Drama Academy - this is an ongoing resource, as opposed to a few days here and there. Contact other theatre teachers in your area and see if there is a professional community you can join. Go to your state's Thespian Festival, even if you go alone the first time. 

Best of luck!

Holding down the fort.  Not wrecking the car.  Not **** up this one year gig.  Yep, I know this scenario very well, but towards the end of the year when I was expecting the regular teacher to return and he decided not to, I immediately decided that I'd like to stay in the position if the school would have me.  Having taught math previously (Algebra I et al.  the classes students HAVE to take), I knew this was a nice gig to have even if I felt mostly unprepared.  Think of how often we ask our students to go outside their comfort zone.  This is just us leading by example.

Since I'd had my suspicions that my predecessor might not return, I did exactly what you are doing and started looking for PD opportunities.  I found out about the Utah Shakespeare Festival and they had a 3 day workshop class for secondary methods class.  It was EXACTLY what I needed and when.  A year sooner, and I don't know that I would have appreciated what all I got from it or I would have been so overwhelmed.  I also bribe our well-respected and successful choir director with chips and guacamole for advice on some of the school politics.  I get help from volunteers from our local community theatre.  I ask for help and beg forgiveness a LOT.  It helps that I have a supportive administration.  I think they were mostly thankful that I was somewhat capable, readily available, and personable.  One of my other sources is the BYU Theatre Education site.

I also had the benefit of the senior students welcoming me in.  They LOVED my predecessor and I came in with the attitude that I had promised their teacher that I would take care of them and not pull the "Well so-and-so's not here and this is my gig to run."  While that fact may have been true, I was careful to keep as much of his philosophy while bringing my own touch to it.  Plus, he was just an email away.

Anyhow, I have a ton of resources, but the truth is that I don't often have time to go through it all except at long breaks.  I'm very weak with technical theatre stuff, but I do have a background in dance education (just enough knowledge to be dangerous).  Use the search function for these discussion boards.  They have been immensely helpful to me.  (The CAST LIST LET DOWN thread was a huge help for me just before our auditions.).  As scary and as huge as the time demand is, the payoff of a successful show made it so worth it to me.  Good luck to you!

While weekend workshops can be great, I recommend something more intensive. When I started my program, I had experience as an amateur actor, and nothing else. I figured a lot of stuff out as I went along, but the turning point for my program was when I joined the Master of Theatre Studies and Design program at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. It is a program designed for high school and community college theatre instructors who want to learn more about the process. I can attest that everyone I met there loved the program, and found it extremely valuable - teachers from all over the country, and around the world. 

It is a two-week intensive program in July for three consecutive summers, and teaches all aspects of design. Plus there are one-week a la carte classes in a variety of theatre related subjects from stage combat, to acting and directing, to puppetry.

There is a similar program somewhere in the state of Washington.

https://inside.sou.edu/acts/index.html