CURRICULUM PORTFOLIO
Classroom Structure and Lesson Delivery
View the planning document to determine the year-at-a-glance for Technical Theatre 1 and Advanced Technical Theatre (II-IV) curriculum. The previous year's YAG is listed to show comparisons and allow for edits into the following year.
Each year is broken into weeks, with each week listing the unit focus and activities/assignments planned for that week. School breaks are built in to allow for backwards planning to fill out the year.
New projects and activities are introduced or old plans are edited based on student reception, student performance, and time allotted. Units also have to be flexible around the production schedule for the department, as classes will need to be able to work independently during those times. Due to COVID, the YAG for the current year allows for more digitally-based independent projects.
An example syllabus for my courses is shown here. My contact information, course information, materials required, and grading policies are clearly stated.
Students are given the syllabus on the first day of school and a parent signature is required to be returned by the end of the second week. During those two weeks, the syllabus and safety unit are covered in class so students have time to determine if they want to change their schedule or not.
This syllabus is for the advanced technical theatre course. Students in this course are expected to have a sketchbook and appropriate work clothes for days when class is held in the scene shop. These students are responsible for the design and build of all productions and student-directed scenes. Students in this course are also expected to participate in productions and create/submit an entry for UIL Theatrical Design. Their performance in Theatrical Design is not tied to a grade, but the completion of an entry for submission is an expectation of all students.
These slides are used by the instructor in class to guide the pacing of the lesson. As you can see, each class day begins with a gathering prompt while students are entering the room/Zoom. These gathering prompts allow for conversation between peers and encourages comfortability as the year goes on. These gathering prompts take the place of normal classroom bellwork prompts prior to the hybrid COVID classroom.
Each day begins with an agenda and general reminders. Relevent annoucements, links, and explainations are written on the slides and discussed by the instructor at that point in the lesson.
Each lesson is concluded with a release to "work time", where students are permitted to work independently on the assignment presented that day. Students who are finished are permitted to work on other classes.
These slides cover a two-week Stage Management unit for Technical Theatre 1. At the end of this unit, students learn blocking notations and how to mark a prompt script. Students are given example script pages, cue sheets, and groundplans to create their own paperwork. Prior to these weeks, students learn how to communicate professionally in their grammar, language, and delivery of message.
These slides are a digital assignment that students complete every week. Each week, students are given a new set of slides with two new prompts to complete. These prompts can be over a variety of theatrical topics, such as theatre history, musicals, playwrights, tools, or design elements. These prompts may be, but are not necessarily, connected to the current course content.
Students complete these slides in Google Assignments and submit by the end of the week. These slides are a substitution for normal classroom bellwork prompts for the hybrid COVID classroom. This change accommodates for the asynchronous learners that virtually "attend" on their own time.
These slides would be used in non-COVID classroom with all in-person students. Each slide would be presented on the screen as students entered the classroom as prompts for them to begin working in their journals. Students without journals could complete the prompt on notebook paper for the day. The 10 minute timer would begin after the tardy bell rang at the end of the passing period.
For prompts that require some research, a QR code "starter" is provided so students have an example of a valued source for their prompt. This encourages depth of research and academic answers.
At the conclusion of the timer, teacher would guide students in a discussion over the prompt. Students would share their factual answers and opinions of the topic itself.
Twice a quarter, the teacher will conduct "journal checks" to make sure students have been completing the bellwork prompts as expected.
This document shows the delivery of project intent, examples, expectations, and instruction. This information will be provided to students via a link in their Canvas module. This link directs them to the live Google Document so students are able to view updates and changes. In a non-COVID classroom this document would be printed out and distributed at the beginning of class.
On the first day of a new unit, the instructions and timeline document is reviewed. Each class day for the unit is discussed and students can plan to manage their time to complete their work during independent work time.
As the class progresses through the unit, the timeline is frequently referenced. Students are constantly aware of how much time is remaining in the unit, the assignments expected of them, and the final due date/project delivery. As exampled, the timeline accommodates for interruptions such as half days and testing. Fridays are dedicated work days.
During class, students are given minimal instructions for the various parts of the project. This example is for the final exam project, so students have already completed the various pieces on a smaller scale throughout the year leading up. Students have access to all prior notes, recordings, and lessons from the year to refer back to as they work.
This video and slides show the differentiated instruction delivery provided in the COVID classroom. In a non-COVID classroom, the instructor would work alongside the students to complete the project together.
This project is the culmination of the costuming unit. Prior to beginning this project, students learned six hand sewing stitches in class. To accommodate for virtual students, the instructor made "take home" kits available to be picked up, which included the various materials normally provided in the classroom. Students are not expected to provide their own fabric to learn the stitches, but have the option to bring their own fabric for the final project.
Instructions for this project are delivered through video example and written instructions with photos. Students are also able to ask questions during class based on their progress that day. Students spend one week learning costuming terminology, one week learning hand sewing stitches (see Handsewing Sampler assignment below), and one week creating the pillows during class.
Students take photos of their work and submit to Canvas, along with answers to a few reflection questions. Students are asked to reflect on the process of the project and identify strengths and difficulties of the task and instructions provided. See sample of student work here. Feedback is used to alter project instructions, expectations, and delivery for the following year.
Scroll through the slides to view a Theatre History unit for a Theatre Arts 1 level class. PDF includes slides that are shown to the class daily as well as examples of completed student work with clarifying notes.
Students complete independent research to be stored in their interactive notebook. Students then choose one era and corresponding topic of theatre history to focus on and present, via the "timeline" poster created for the class. Students add their work to the poster so peers can complete a "gallery walk" activity, also stored in their notebooks.
This unit is helpful for students who prefer to work individually but are shy regarding performance and presentation. While Theatre Arts 1 students are required to perform, units such as these are used to give students a break from speaking in front of the class.
All students names have been hidden for privacy.