Summer
Musical
On May 27, 2015, I observed the theater teacher conducting the summer theater class in Adel, Georgia. This was the first day off-book, which means that students could not look at their scripts, and have to already have lines memorized. According to Mr. J., this is a difficult time because if one person misses their lines, then the rest of the cast could possibly become stunted. Although, I was very optimistic because of the improvements made over the course of the last week. The theater director, Mr. J., stated “the show has high hopes, so it flow smoothly without worry.”
Arriving early at 12 pm, I headed towards the auditorium to find a place to observe these bright actors and actresses. Before and also during practice, Mr. J talked with individual students on how to “be free” on stage. This tactic would relieve any stress or anxiety these students may face from time to time. Many students were already rehearsing there scenes on the stage, and as the teacher went by he would say positive words to them to keep going. When the official class started, he sat in the farthest part of the auditorium to listen for student projections and body language on stage.
At 3:30, a few of the students began to get loud off stage with each other. At times they can become restless, but this time it was much worse than anticipated. Instead of using a nonverbal tactic, Mr. J. had to raise his voice. This did not fully quiet down all of the students. He physically rose from the back and went to the side of the stage that was being loud and told the students to leave the area if they did not be silent. This advance, rather put an end to their discussion, it fully disrupted the structural flow of the class.
By 5 pm, the remaining students went to Mr. J. for additional help on stage presentation. Although he was tired, the teacher continued to help the students with one-on-one contact. They all went back on stage and began to move set piece of back drop creations that show a specific scene to exact places on stage. Mr. J. began showing them where this should go and at what time it should be on stage. He was very exact on what moods a scene was about and what way it should be presented to the audience.
Summary
Personally, I would have not raised my voice. It is said that teachers who yell at students will not get respect from them in the long run. If I were to be teaching these students, I would have put exact class management appeals in the area where the students would be working. They would be able to see what I expect of them in this classroom or on stage.
Summer Musical
On May 28, 2015, I returned back to the Cook High School to observe another teacher helping with the production of Shrek the Musical. Mrs. Williams, the chorus teacher of the school, takes time to show the students how to sing out into the audience for them to be heard. She believes that all of the students are special in their own ways and should present themselves accordingly.
I arrive at 12 pm to observe her rehearsal time slot with the major characters. She begins the lesson saying how proud she is if each of them to step up and be diligent in their work. Once the students have warmed up, they begin with the opening scene. Mrs. Williams watched carefully as they execute higher notes and change facial expressions depending on the intensity of the songs. If she liked how they presented themselves, she would move on. Although if they did not seem to put their all in it, then she would say “I know you all can put an extra percent on that,” and smile.
After a short break to help paint, she went on to another group of students. This group took longer than expected to catch on the rhythms of the song, but she did not get flustered. Instead she began to count out the beats as they song along with her. The students responded positively by catching on to how fast the tempo was and began to sing louder with confidence. I was able to speak with the group after the class, and ask if they felt as if they were being called out. They said that “I am glad she stepped in to help, because it is very difficult for me to read the music.”
At 5 pm, the students sat at the edge of the stage to be critiqued by both Mr. J the theatre teacher and Mrs. William. She began by saying how proud she is of this hard working group of young individuals. I expected her to be harsh towards them because of the amount of time they have, but she would say only one mistake then overflow with positive comments. Mrs. Williams used this tactic to help improve the students without them feeling as though they only made mistakes. It was a joy to see her give her students’ confidence over critique.
Summary
Personally, I would want to continue in her footsteps shown during these classes. Mrs. Williams presented herself to her students as a curing teacher devoted to having them at their best. She was a wonderful teacher to observe for these five hours.
On May 27, 2015, I observed the theater teacher conducting the summer theater class in Adel, Georgia. This was the first day off-book, which means that students could not look at their scripts, and have to already have lines memorized. According to Mr. J., this is a difficult time because if one person misses their lines, then the rest of the cast could possibly become stunted. Although, I was very optimistic because of the improvements made over the course of the last week. The theater director, Mr. J., stated “the show has high hopes, so it flow smoothly without worry.”
Arriving early at 12 pm, I headed towards the auditorium to find a place to observe these bright actors and actresses. Before and also during practice, Mr. J talked with individual students on how to “be free” on stage. This tactic would relieve any stress or anxiety these students may face from time to time. Many students were already rehearsing there scenes on the stage, and as the teacher went by he would say positive words to them to keep going. When the official class started, he sat in the farthest part of the auditorium to listen for student projections and body language on stage.
At 3:30, a few of the students began to get loud off stage with each other. At times they can become restless, but this time it was much worse than anticipated. Instead of using a nonverbal tactic, Mr. J. had to raise his voice. This did not fully quiet down all of the students. He physically rose from the back and went to the side of the stage that was being loud and told the students to leave the area if they did not be silent. This advance, rather put an end to their discussion, it fully disrupted the structural flow of the class.
By 5 pm, the remaining students went to Mr. J. for additional help on stage presentation. Although he was tired, the teacher continued to help the students with one-on-one contact. They all went back on stage and began to move set piece of back drop creations that show a specific scene to exact places on stage. Mr. J. began showing them where this should go and at what time it should be on stage. He was very exact on what moods a scene was about and what way it should be presented to the audience.
Summary
Personally, I would have not raised my voice. It is said that teachers who yell at students will not get respect from them in the long run. If I were to be teaching these students, I would have put exact class management appeals in the area where the students would be working. They would be able to see what I expect of them in this classroom or on stage.
Summer Musical
On May 28, 2015, I returned back to the Cook High School to observe another teacher helping with the production of Shrek the Musical. Mrs. Williams, the chorus teacher of the school, takes time to show the students how to sing out into the audience for them to be heard. She believes that all of the students are special in their own ways and should present themselves accordingly.
I arrive at 12 pm to observe her rehearsal time slot with the major characters. She begins the lesson saying how proud she is if each of them to step up and be diligent in their work. Once the students have warmed up, they begin with the opening scene. Mrs. Williams watched carefully as they execute higher notes and change facial expressions depending on the intensity of the songs. If she liked how they presented themselves, she would move on. Although if they did not seem to put their all in it, then she would say “I know you all can put an extra percent on that,” and smile.
After a short break to help paint, she went on to another group of students. This group took longer than expected to catch on the rhythms of the song, but she did not get flustered. Instead she began to count out the beats as they song along with her. The students responded positively by catching on to how fast the tempo was and began to sing louder with confidence. I was able to speak with the group after the class, and ask if they felt as if they were being called out. They said that “I am glad she stepped in to help, because it is very difficult for me to read the music.”
At 5 pm, the students sat at the edge of the stage to be critiqued by both Mr. J the theatre teacher and Mrs. William. She began by saying how proud she is of this hard working group of young individuals. I expected her to be harsh towards them because of the amount of time they have, but she would say only one mistake then overflow with positive comments. Mrs. Williams used this tactic to help improve the students without them feeling as though they only made mistakes. It was a joy to see her give her students’ confidence over critique.
Summary
Personally, I would want to continue in her footsteps shown during these classes. Mrs. Williams presented herself to her students as a curing teacher devoted to having them at their best. She was a wonderful teacher to observe for these five hours.