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School Work during Production Week

  • 1.  School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 07:08
    During Production Week (Dress Rehearsals and Performances), does your administration give breaks to the students involved in the production?  Our production week is this week and my students have project after project due.  I know this would not be the case if this was Homecoming Week.  Thoughts?

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    Michael Klimzak
    Drama Club Advisor
    Beach Park IL
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  • 2.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 08:22
    My colleagues don't know that stress of tech week. Here it's class as normal, but two or three teachers do ease off. I know the Geometry teacher postponed a test for the kids. I show the students a video rich with symbolism, and my administration leaves me alone the week of tech, which is noice. 

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    Jared Grigsby
    English and Journalism Teacher / Drama Director
    MSD of Boone Township
    Hebron IN
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  • 3.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 08:33
    I think it's important to educate our colleagues and administration about what it takes to accomplish a show.  Both for us and our kids.  But, understand that they are not in our shoes and may not remember.  There are some coorelations to other types of events, but a production is really it's own animal.  Especially those last two weeks.
    Case in point - I have an extremely supportive administration.  However, twice in the last 5 years I have had my drop in evaluation during either Tech week or Show week.  The first time it happened, I approached the AP thinking they needed something and she said she was just there to observe.  My response?  What, me juggling running chainsaws?  We had a laugh and she suggested she might return after the show.  :-)

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    Amy Learn
    Ballwin MO
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  • 4.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 11:05
    I agree with the need to educate your administration and collegues about what it really takes to put a show together. I had an administrator who asked if I really kept kids at the school until 10pm for an entire week during tech. Once I explained all of the elements that go into putting a show together they became very supportive.

    I tell my kids who are involved to go to their teachers ahead of time to get work so they don't have as musch to do during tech week. I also tell the kids that they need to use their time wisely during rehearsals. I have a large number of students who are working on assignments any time they get a break in rehearsal or during their dinner hour. Most of the time other teachers are inclined to give the kids a slight break if they are doing this. The kids just ask me to verify to their teachers that they are working during their "free time" in rehearsals. It has worked fairly well.

    That being said, there will always be teachers who have set due dates and expentations and are not willing to vary them at all. One of the things that the kids have to learn is how to handle all of their responsibilities. After their first tech week they usually get it.

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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  • 5.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 11:29
    I guess I am from a different school of thought here. I never let my kids use theatre as an excuse for poor academics. Theatre helps to teach them time management. Working ahead and getting things done on the weekend when there isn't rehearsal is all part of being a responsible Thespian. Yes, some teachers have given students a break, but it is never because I have asked for it. I hold very high expectations for my students. I don't think it does anything to help prepare students for the future if you ask for special treatment during busy times.

    Just my two cents.

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    Scott Wilson
    Ohio
    Columbus OH
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  • 6.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 08:24
    Here's how I deal with this:
    1. Classes come first.
    2. Tech runs for two weeks.
    3. Rehearsals run from 3-6.
    4. Until the last rehearsal or two, students who are off stage are in the house, and encouraged to be working on schoolwork, and are definitely quiet.

    Lots of planning ahead  seems to keep the stress level manageable.  (Now, that said, I am on my 8th or 9th year running the program here, so there were many mistakes along the way!!!)

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    Kristen Statt
    Liberty Twp OH
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  • 7.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 12:20
    To ease the burden of tech week rehearsals, I have "two week tech." We start using our tech crew and elements two weeks before.  With students running crew, sound, lights, etc. I have found this helps de-stress me and them.  I understand if this is not an option for you.  The other thing I do is have a Sunday tech from 12-8.  Parents bring in a big meal for dinner break.  I found that doing these two things has allowed me to ease-up tech week rehearsals and stress.  

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    Jessica Harms
    Tewksbury Memorial High School
    Tewksbury MA
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  • 8.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 07:21
    My philosophy on this is that when the kids chose to be in a show, they chose to take on the additional stress of balancing all rehearsal times - including tech week - and homework. I would never give athletes in my English classes a break during homecoming week. I don't cut my theatre kids any slack, either - and I have some of them n English, too. When these students get out of high school, no one in their job will give them a break during weeks when they're extra busy. Expecting them to keep up with their class work during tech week better prepares them to deal with similar issues when they are adults. ------------------------------------------- Cindy Henry Teacher USD 461 Neodesha KS -------------------------------------------
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  • 9.  RE:School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-19-2014 13:37
    Our school doesn't care what activities are going on, the students' priorities are classes. I don't overwork my kids either. My production was last week and our tech rehearsals went until 5:30.

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    Heather Brandon
    Bakersfield CA
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  • 10.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 06:48
    The only time I have ever seen school work relaxed was for standardized testing. And even then only some. I stretch tech week process over two weeks and try to keep late rehearsals down to only a few. They are students first before they are actors and technicians. As it is, I have trouble getting admin to see the importance of needing tech week. Twice this year I have parent meetings in the auditorium during tech week. Cancel those rehearsals. So the idea of seeing any other sort of sympathy is not going to happen. I need to be the accommodating one. ------------------------------------------- Scott Hasbrouck Wheat Ridge CO -------------------------------------------
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  • 11.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 09:28
    I agree with not letting the reputation of theatre being an excuse to not be responsible become an issue. Time management IS key and this is why it is called extra curricular, it is why we honor the students who can maintain the balance and it is why we need to work hard to maintain a respectable reputation. That said, after nearly 30 years of doing this, it becomes very difficult to maintain. This year we offered a homework hangout supervised by parent volunteers. It was open during our long tech/run through rehearsals both in the evening and on weekends. We reserved a computer lab and made sure that parents who supervised had some sort of teaching experience (we are lucky that way, but as long as there is someone to help keep kids focused and fed, that's really all that matters).
    As far as educating admin, that needs to happen as well. Ask them to come to a tech rehearsal, add up all of the hours of all of the personnel and present it to him/her, or make sure kids who have parents whose voices are heard are involved in the production (our principal's daughter was in the pit this year and in the past, I cast the superintendant's son, etc, etc). Find ways to help (not harangue) them into learning that the amount of time we put in as directors is enormous, as is the student involvement. Ask for PTO days for yourself and talk with people in similar but more acceptable positions (football coach, etc) for support.
    Of course, as I write this, I have taken a PTO day to catch up on my grading after just closing the musical last week...

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    Lori Constable
    Teacher; director of Drama
    Independent District 112
    Chanhassen MN
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  • 12.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 16:34
    Hi all, This is my first post - I think.

    Many years ago I wrote the "student play contract." We use it as a way to spark conversations between students in the production and the teachers impacted  by tech week. The idea is that students are responsible for all the work, but if a deadline or assessment needs to be altered, that would be negotiated at the time of singing the contract.

    This has been a rather successful approach to the issues you mention. It has been so successful that the US Department of Education has reprinted our contract as an example of excellence in teaching, student self reliance and growth.

    On campus, this led to our administration creating a "work deferment form" for all students and all activities. Yes, sometimes life gets in the way of school. An equestrian might have to travel to a contest; a sports team might make play-offs; or a sickness might cause a set-back for a student. In all cases, and in all classes, our students now use these contracts to negotiate reasonable deadlines given the situation at hand.

    Not every student gets it right. Not every teacher is easy to negotiate with. In the end, though, the net gain is measurable. Most kids in tech week have well managed work and school schedules. They stopped complaining about workload issues.

    The "Theater Contract" can be found as a pdf link on my tech theater page here: http://www.csus.org/arts/technical_theater

    Break a leg,

    John



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    John Hauer
    Hillsborough CA
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  • 13.  RE: School Work during Production Week

    Posted 11-20-2014 16:46
    We also have a "contract" that stipulates many things and many expectations. Keeping ones grades intact is one of them. What I do is ask students to bring homework to rehearsals. Students have a surprising amount of downtime during a rehearsal and this time can be used for attacking some Algebra material, etc. Students won't naturally think of this unless its a part of the culture. They will often sit around socializing, which is fine of course, unless they have pressing schoolwork. "Being at rehearsal" is not a magic key to ignore the rest of life.

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    Marshall Henderson
    Director Of Theatre Arts
    Vienna VA
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