New Band Teacher Thrown into teaching Technical Theatre

[tenor_singer]

Is your friend certified to teach this area? I can't believe that a school district would have somebody teaching outside of their certification area... especially something as kid-dangerous as technical theater. If he/she isn't, it definately violates NCLB's "highly qualified" standard.

I'd have him look into this.

 

[What Rigger?]

TS, you better believe a school district would do something like this. See, it breaks down like this:
WE all here get it. We mostly all have a clue about safety, quality control, etc...and generally 'doing it right'.

These are qualities that, when it comes to the arts, most school districts couldn't give two sh*ts about and don't care to know if they're right or wrong. It's just 'the drama kids', right? Lights, sound, sets, just magically appear and "by the way- what do you mean by 'rigging'? What could possibly happen?"

Football? They get it. Basketball, too. But theater? Well, that's just 'the auditorium'. It's for plays, but mostly it's for detention or study hall.

And if you wanna see a school district without a clue, Long Beach's very own, LB Unified. Google what exploded when one school stupidly tried to get rid of the girls gymnastics program. (Title IX, beeyotches, Title IX) You REALLY think they understand what goes on onstage? Wilson High broke law on gym decision, judge rules - Press-Telegram

 

[Sayen]

Is your friend certified to teach this area? I can't believe that a school district would have somebody teaching outside of their certification area... especially something as kid-dangerous as technical theater. If he/she isn't, it definately violates NCLB's "highly qualified" standard.

I'd have him look into this.

Most states don't have a special qualification area for either theater or art, and especially technical theater. My degree in theater ed. didn't even require technical theater outside of a basic shop class. There are some odd provisions that vary by state for qualifying teachers in grey areas. There's also no exit exam for the arts in the US, which lowers the need for qualified teachers.

Which doesn't justify it. But, if they did require it, they'd have to fund it, and no district/state wants to fully fund theater.

I still honestly think the best bet is to go minimalist. Take Our Town - still a popular play, and requires virtually no set, and many shows can be adapted to the same style. Hang a rep. plot, and don't do more than you have to, until you learn what you're doing.

 

[ruinexplorer]

Check out ISETSA | Global Health and Safety Network - Littleton, CO. Though the site hasn't been maintained, it has some great links. All the teacher types on this board should contact them to try to help them out for the benefit of all our students (my opinion). Dr. Doom is great at what he does (maybe the district could bring him in to make sure everything is safe since this teacher doesn't have the experience himself).

 

[BlueGlow]

Hi,
My name is Craig, Im a Music ed. major and I also work for the school theatre and I was just wondering what this guys music side workload is? Does he just have one band or a whole music department to pretty much run? etc... Im pretty sure both my music ed. teachers and my boss will get a kick out of this.

Craig

 

[Fireguy551]

Wow, lots of replies, thanks everyone! He is up and running and things are going pretty well, all things considered. He sent all of his students to the shop teachers class for the first 2 weeks when they were doing safety and testing on all the tools. That was an awesome idea. I went in a couple weeks later on a weekend with 8 or so of his theater students and we cleaned and gutted the place and hung a rep plot (as much of one as I could anyway). He is still way overwhelmed but coping i guess. I am sure I will get asked to come help as they get closer to the production.

To answer Blueglow's question: He is in a 5a School and is currently marching 80 winds (add in colorguard and percussion), has wind symphony (Higher) Symphonic Band (Middle) and Concert Band (Lowest) ensembles. He also has a big band ensemble. Theater makes his 6th class. He wants to add a 2nd jazz ensemble but that would mean giving up his planning period. So ya pretty much a full time High school director with theater thrown in.

It's funny because I used to tell the director of bands at the university I was TD for that they should force music ed students to take a technical theater class. He said he woudl love to but Music Ed is already a 5 year degree and they students have no time already. My girlfriend is director of bands for a christian school (Middle school and high school) who got 2 degrees (Piano performance and Music Ed). From dating her I totally know that Music Ed students are way busy but I think that it would help them appreciate what happens backstage. My friend in the crappy situation has asked me 3 or 4 times why he never learned any of this stuff in college. Funny stuff.

 

[Sayen]

It's funny because I used to tell the director of bands at the university I was TD for that they should force music ed students to take a technical theater class.

Great advice, and I recommend it to folks on both sides of the fence. Technicians are a lot more understanding of the actors after they've been in the lights, and performers tend to be much more respectful after they've done a stint backstage.

 

[Tex]

I've used this video series in the past to begin units. It can be used to teach an entire course if needed. It will take your band director by the hand and lead him through the course. He'll learn a great deal as well!
Interactive Educational Video

 

[TimmyP1955]

Sounds like they want this guy to work 24/7. The first thing he should do is take a copy of his contract (if he has one) to meetings with the local teacher's union and labor board, to see if the school is violating his contract, labor laws, or both.

 

[Tex]

Sounds like they want this guy to work 24/7. The first thing he should do is take a copy of his contract (if he has one) to meetings with the local teacher's union and labor board, to see if the school is violating his contract, labor laws, or both.

As long as he is not asked to teach classes outside of school hours, is given the amount of conference time required by law, and is recieving a stipend for extra curricular work, his schedule is not unusual. Unfortunately, most teacher contracts have a job description section that usually ends with the words, "...and other duties as assigned." They could make me the parking lot monitor if they wanted to. In fact, reassignment of duties is often used to try to get a teacher to quit.
This situation, however sounds like administrators screwed up and this poor sap had an opening in his schedule so he's the tech theatre teacher.

 

[ruinexplorer]

Agreed. My dad quit teaching and changed careers (started designing highways for the state) because of that kind of garbage the administration sometimes does.

As for the "other assigned duties," I think every job that I have ever had has had that clause in there somewhere. As a stagehand, I find that I expect it (as long as it is backstage). I would draw the line when they wanted me to take over house staff duties.

 

[misterm]

i teach high school theatre full-time (and one middle school class) as well as my saturday set construction days and after school rehearsals. i know full well about extra duties as assigned. my first year i taught a speech and debate class. i've NEVER done debate. this year, i'm sitting in a computer lab for one period and monitoring students working on computer-based credit recovery courses, which is better since i can catch up on paper work. AND morning bus duty and afternoon parking lot duty and friday night football game duties. and i light the major dances. but all this is expected and i knew what i was getting into when i started teaching and absolutely LOVE what i do. nothing i can't handle.
however, throwing a music teacher into a TECH gig? that makes less sense than anything i've heard. that would definitely be something i would have a serious discussion with the administration over concerning contractual and qualification issues.

 

[Soxred93]

however, throwing a music teacher into a TECH gig? that makes less sense than anything i've heard. that would definitely be something i would have a serious discussion with the administration over concerning contractual and qualification issues.

The idea is that in most schools, the theater department and music department are closely related (and sometimes even physically attached).

 

[mstaylor]

When I was in HS many moons ago, the choir director was the theatre instructor meaning he was in charge of all the tech also. He didn't have a clue but luckily I had some knowledge and a curious mind to help me self-teach. I graduated in '76 and he is still there. My son son graduated a few years ago and the theatre instructor at his school was an English teacher. She was fine with the staging shows but not a clue on tech. The head of the drama club told my son they needed to hire a professional to come in and run their Expression, he said he had it covered. Dad to the rescue.

 

[derekleffew]

This is what I was getting at in my posts to this thread: Thinking of becoming a teacher. Years ago, my college, which was big into creating secondary school teachers, highly recommended that all education majors take THE101: Intro to Drama, and THE102: Intro to Stagecraft. My HS didn't offer a single theatre course, but I guess I turned out okay. Luckily today CB serves to assist not only the HS kids, but also their teachers. I don't see a resurgence of arts education funding any time soon.

 

[fredo]

My wife is a band teacher, and I am a theater geek. Wow, I cringe to think what would happen if she were forced onto the stage to teach theater... Wait, I cringe even harder to think what would happen if I were suddenly forced into teaching band. I cringe, therefore I am!

 

[Tex]

My wife is a band teacher, and I am a theater geek. Wow, I cringe to think what would happen if she were forced onto the stage to teach theater... Wait, I cringe even harder to think what would happen if I were suddenly forced into teaching band. I cringe, therefore I am!

Silly man...
Don't you know that it takes a specialized degree to teach music? Anyone can teach tech theatre!
Seriously though, any school that does this jeopardizes their AYP rating under NCLB and therefore jeopardizes their federal funding.

 

[Sayen]

My degree is in theater/education, and my first job wanted me to fill in part time as dance teacher too.

 

[ssellers]

dude.... thats WAY too much work for one person to take on... Band director AND TD???? I think not!!! My thoughts and prayers are with him if he stays!!

 

[RickBoychuk]

My thoughts: have your friend have his lawyer send a release for the school district director to sign.

The letter will speak to the knowledge and experience deficiencies of your friend. Your friend will offer do the work, to pursue training and, in conscience, do the best possible job. But by signing, the school board director takes responsibility for any eventuality.

I will bet dollars to donuts that the director does not even know that this is going on.