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  • 1.  NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-04-2021 15:07
    Hey Everyone!
    I have two questions for you all:

    1. Has anyone done their NBCT (National Board Certification) in ELA while teaching theatre? Is it doable without taking on teaching an English class (I do not want to grade essays on top of rehearsals!)? I'm interested in obtaining my NBCT, but I've taught theatre only for 12 years and I'm disappointed it's not an option for certification. Your experiences would be much appreciated!

    2. My administrator has approached me about adding a College Board pre-AP Theatre course. I think I'm interested, but I don't know exactly how it would be incorporated. Namely, my main concern is my 'top' class right now (which would more than likely be the one to transition to a pre-AP title)  focuses on community/school outreach by heading up our Anti-Bully Program for elementary, running our Dramacon Festival (middle school theatre festival), and they direct and perform our competition piece each year. Would the pre-AP curriculum requirements allow for that class to continue to participate in these events or is the work load such that not much time is left over for other activities? Likewise, is the curriculum such that students could potentially participate multiple years or is it really just a one-year class? In my top class right now, I have some students that take it 2-3 years in a row. 

    Thank you guys! This group is so amazingly helpful any time I have a question! :)

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    Summer Rickman
    Hobbs High School
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  • 2.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-05-2021 10:48
    I don't have any insight into pre-AP Theatre, but there is a cohort of theatre teachers in my district about to start NBCT for Theatre under CTE. It is on page 6 of this document: https://www.nbpts.org/wp-content/uploads/Choosing_the_Right_Certificate.pdf

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    Jessica Speck
    Drama Director
    Theatre and English Teacher
    Thomas S. Wootton HS
    Rockville, MD
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-05-2021 16:39
    Jessica- 
    This looks promising! Thank you for sharing!

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    Summer Rickman
    Hobbs High School
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-06-2021 01:26
    Hi Summer,

    I serve on The College Board Pre-AP Arts Committee, along with fellow EdTA members Amy Jenson and JoBeth Gonzalez.

    The Pre-AP Theatre course is written to be a series of units that can be incorporated into an already established course. It is a rich curriculum with a great many resources, including teacher inservice for each subject matter. These units can be adapted by the teacher from the year to year so that returning students would not be repeating material. I love that all of the Pre-AP courses use the same structure, format, and deep dive approach, making a strong case to students and parents that taking the Pre-AP Theatre course can set students up for success in any future AP course.

    More information can be found at https://pre-ap.collegeboard.org/courses/arts.

    Hopefully, next time there is a national EdTA in person event, the committee members can give everyone an update.

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    Krista Carson Elhai
    Educational Theatre Foundation National Board of Trustees
    CA Educational Theatre Association, Past President
    CA Thespians Director of Membership & New Teacher Outreach
    Theatre Chair Claremont HS
    An International Baccalaureate World School
    Claremont CA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-06-2021 13:26
    I am finishing up my last bit of paperwork for NBCT in CTE for theatre! It's a good amount of work, but none of it is *hard*... especially if you're used to writing reflections about lesson results/data, etc. I recently got my masters and it feels similar to the homework for that degree.

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    Alisha Morris
    Theatre Teacher
    Olathe West High School
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-06-2021 14:29
    Congratulations on being so close to your NBCT! Which path did you choose within CTE?  IT, Communications and the arts? How many components did you do in one year?

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    Summer Rickman
    Hobbs High School
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: NBCT and pre-AP Theatre

    Posted 06-08-2021 12:34
    Y'know, that's actually where I'm a little stuck right now. When I started this journey 2.5 years ago, the specialty areas weren't a thing. I'm currently trying to figure out if the work I've already done for components 3 and 4 is going to need to be redone or not. So, unfortunately I don't have any good advice on that end! But, I can tell you about my timeline. 2018-2019 I completed Component 1 (the test) and Component 2. I planned to complete both Component 3 & 4 during 2019-2020, but was unable to finish things because of Covid. So I'm currently doing 3 & 4 from 2020-2021. I would highly recommend only doing 2 components per year. My friend tried to do all 4 in one year and he paid for all 4, but was only able to complete 3 of them so he literally wasted $400ish. Check with your state and your school to see if they reimburse for any components. Kansas (where I teach) will pay for 2 of your components and my district reimburses for 1 component, so I've only had to pay for 1 component and then 2 years of $75 registration fee (they didn't make me pay the $75 this year because of covid).

    Hope that helps!

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    Alisha Morris
    Theatre Teacher
    Olathe West High School
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    Original Message


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