Why I am a teacher....

There are many frustrations in the first year of teaching... especially when you are at a brand new school and you often don't have the equipment you need. I am often frustrated that I'm creating a theatre program without a theatre at my school. I am however grateful to have stage to use for our performances. But enough of the complaining, today I'm here to share some of those moment from today that reminded why I teach.

Moment #1: Today my theatre students started creating set designs for Pirates of Penzance, the show we are doing in May. I asked students for different ideas on how to create multiple set on one stage. Their answers ranged from drops using a fly unit to creating a set that changes scenes like a book. I then turned them loose to draw their sets. Not every student got really into the assignment, but oh, those students that did! They came up with some amazing ideas! Ideas that I hadn't even thought of before. AND THEN.... they kept coming to me through out the day with more ideas, sketches, and they got their friends outside of class involved with their ideas. Talk about a ripple effect! My students are amazing, creative, and energetic! Teenagers can conquer anything!


Moment #2: During theatre I taught the students a new game that I learned at a summer camp I worked at before I got married. It's called "The Captain is Coming!" The game had little to do theatre, but it related to pirates and since they had been working so hard on their designs for The Pirates of Penzance I decided that it was appropriate. Plus it does help students with their abilities to follow directions. ANYWAY, it was the first game where ALL of the students were got really involved. They loved it! I heard about it all day! There were a few students that I thought would only participate half-heartily... and I was wrong!They all participated fully! I LOVE IT WHEN I'M WRONG...at least about things like that!


Moment #3: At rehearsal after school for The Curious Savage we tackled Act III.... the act that has been killing our show. I was hoping to get through the entire act. We didn't make it through. We stopped to fix a few troubled scenes along the way. I don't know how to fully describe the changes we made, but let just say that the cast got so into their parts that everyone in the room could feel the emotion. The emotion in just two scenes went from being flat to being a wild roller coaster ride that left the cast reeling when the scenes ended. One actress produced so much of an emotional effect that the other performer couldn't help responding with emotions of their own. It was the perfect rehearsal. Perfect because we all became lost in the world of the play. They emotions felt by the characters was felt by the audience. It was a moment to frame in the my memory and to hang over the mantel of why I do my job. It was glorious... I CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW'S REHEARSAL!!!

MOMENTS LIKE THESE ARE WHY I AM A TEACHER.