Monthly Archives: August 2015

Here is the last weekday before the Monday of the first day of the new year! I wonder if students ever know how many teachers (like me) get really worked up over the first day of school. That first impression – first handshake of the school year is a mighty important one. I wonder if my students ever can sense behind my dour, perfectly labeled, stapled, alphabetically, hole punched demeanor that there is an eager-eyed little boy who can’t wait to open up the wrapper of his number two pencils and snap his binder open for the very first time. Read more →

Six major trends of acting training, four acting teachers in a circle, 4 levels of students, 3 different rooms, too many students, not enough time, third cup of coffee, 2nd time refusing donuts, 5th overwhelmingly loud announcement, plans not to refuse the 3rd offering of donuts, and I decide to become a “right-fighter.” – – fighting to the end to prove I am right: my acting method, my approach, my forms, my jury and my ways or – – – ?

To be happy and get on with the job of teaching – – a job I truly love – – OR to right-fight all the way to the mat? Which to do? A puzzlement. A third and perhaps fourth donut – -for sure . . .

The side picture is blurred as truly representative of the moment.

Ahh, those start-to-the-school-year-mass-teacher-pick-me-up-and-give-an-acronym-to-tie-my-ship-to kind of meeting days.

Over the past 22 years I have collected the following acronyms exclusively to make the classroom a better place for students:

ASCD AVID BYOD
IEP LEP NBCT
NSTA PISA SBG
STEM CCSS DIBELS
ELL EDEA ISTE
MOOC NCLB PBL
PLN SLO TIMS
ESL FAPE HQ
IDEA LMS NAEP
NGSS PD RTTT
STEAM VAM ESOL

I have another easier solution: Hire good teachers and get out of their way!

T-minus 6 days and the teachers arrived.

Every theatre department has that group of a dozen students who eat, breath and live through the department. It is this group of students who think nothing of cleaning out a mighty stinky prop refrigerator (milk that has spent way too much time from the cow). They sweep the floor, stack the rehearsal furniture (that can still support weight), roll the cables and welcome more work as they do.

I call these young leaders the teachers. They are the ones set out to bring out the very best in we who are named teachers. They are the ones in charge. It is by serving them that we old folks truly learn our stuff. We teach to learn. They learn to teach – – and they learn quick! Read more →

One can tell the history of a theatre department by a catalogue of speeches given that first arts area meeting or perhaps by the end-of-the-year banquet tear-fest for the seniors. You could weave together all of the syllabi (if that is the correct plural) – and patch together all of the tests and essays (and ridiculous what-were-they-thinking government tests) – – but still you would never have a clearer history then told by that single chair that sits in the back or on the side or lost under the risers in every theatre classroom. Read more →