Open Forum

Stress and trust. Interesting words to choose for today’s words of wisdom. There are tons of ways to get stressed in a theatre classroom. High on that list is how to get the job done, how to get the show cast, rehearsed, lit, staged, costumed….(I know, lots of individual stressors or just one big one?) Having run what was a one teacher program for 99% of my career, I know these stresses well. But I learned how, for the most part, to manage that stress. I did it by building my trust in my students and in myself.

Trust in my students actually came quite easily. I had confidence in my skills as a technical theatre person. I knew what needed to be done and how to do it, and that is what I taught to my students. Once I was confident in their abilities, I could give them more and more power over how a show was run. While I was the ultimate authority in the classroom and on the stage, I found that the more power I gave to the kids as their level of knowledge increased, the less I had to worry about things getting done. This lowered my stress level. On top of that I made sure that my freshman and sophomores learned from the upperclass kids. That gave the entire program continuity of both knowledge and skills. The more the kids taught, the better their skills became and I could teach to an even higher level. More trust, less stress.

But it is not just trust in the kids that is important. Perhaps even more vital is the ability to trust yourself. Gaining confidence as a young teacher is not easy. But you have to work at it. Use your resources, lean on other teachers (as I hope many of you are doing by reading this), take more classes, listen to feedback, and BELIEVE in yourself. When you stumble, as we all have and will, dust off, learn from it and move on. I know that sounds a bit “rah-rah” but it is truth. It is an ancient lesson that works.

Remember, trust in your kids, in the abilities you have taught them and trust in yourself, in your own abilities.

Marilynn S. Zeljeznjak
Retired CA State Thespian Director