Hello,
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
Directing a show: One of the most rewarding things I got to do during my time as a student teacher was direct a show. I caught the directing bug during my Junior year of college and was given the opportunity to direct and assistant direct a few things. It was an awesome experience and so when it came time to help direct my first high school production it was a very welcome challenge.
HIgh School Theatre was my first love, so to be on the directing side of things for the first time felt like things coming full circle for me in a way. We began with the Audition. It was actually very challenging because there were only 6 parts and only 12 students or so auditioned. So that process was tough. Eventually we had our cast and began our production. It was determined by my cooperating teacher that I would direct a certain number of pages each day. It was funny how much the difference in our directing experience showed during this time. I would spend all of my planning period a day in advance meticulously writing down every piece of blocking. When we got to rehearsal and it was his turn to direct, he would just start blocking without having anything written down or anything. And It all made sense! It was very cool to see and it gave me something to strive for. I couldn't help but think "one day I would love to be that experienced" Part of me wanted the instant gratification of being able to do that right then and there, but as the cliche goes, Rome was not built in a day and I still have a lot to learn.
Another cool aspect of the rehearsal process was getting to tech week. While it was really stressful, it was also a great learning experience. The most important thing I learned during this time was that in the role of director and teacher, you literally must be actively involved in the lights, costumes, sound, props, and acting all at the same time. Not are you the director, you are also the sound designer, lighting designer, set designer, costume designer, box office manager, and properties master. You are also going to be doing the majority of the advertising for your production. While you may have great students, (which we did) you still have to find the balance between teaching them to do all of these roles while at the same time making sure they get done right. Essentially, what I learned was that to be a teacher you have to be a modern day renaissance person.
Finally the production opened after about two months of rehearsal. It was quite frankly very rewarding to see how much each and every one of the cast improved since the first read through. Were there mess ups? sure. However, the energy was there and overall the show was a success. It was a long process, but definitely one of the most important learning experiences I have had as a young teacher.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Making connections and hitting the reset button.
Hello,
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
Classroom Management: Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of my time student teaching was attempting to manage five different classrooms with five different classroom environments. So for this post I want to briefly talk about my attempt to learn how to manage these classrooms and the one important rule I learned about class room management.
As stated before, each individual class was unique. Some students were incredibly enthusiastic. Other students could not have been more bored. Some students were super sweet. other's acted with hostility. As a teacher it was my responsibility to cater to each one of these students.
Of course this was no easy feat. I found however that one of the important rules about classroom management is to establish an individual connection with each class. I know this sounds like text book knowledge, but it is one thing to read about it and another thing to actually experience it.
There were a few ways I helped to accomplish this. For one, before each class I would give the students the opportunity to share anything (school appropriate) that they wanted with one another. This made the students feel more of a connection to one another and to the class. If the students ever got out of control or the lecture was not going well, I would stop class and calmly address the negative behaviors. This allowed for me to basically put the reset button on the class and I believe this also helped make the class room environment more positive. Any individual issues with students would be
handled on an individual basis.
In college, I learned that the most effective form of class room management is effective instruction. I found this to be very true. I also found that effective instruction means adapting instruction. For example, if a class is growing restless during a lecture, it is a good idea to break up the lecture and let them do a theatre warm up or work on a scene in order to provide them with a little variety. Conversely, if the students are doing independent work and the majority of the class is off task, it may mean that they no longer need that time and it time to come back together as a class. In other words,Taking theatre classes would be a great idea for any teacher to learn how to gauge a crowd as well as how to help think on your feet.
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
Classroom Management: Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of my time student teaching was attempting to manage five different classrooms with five different classroom environments. So for this post I want to briefly talk about my attempt to learn how to manage these classrooms and the one important rule I learned about class room management.
As stated before, each individual class was unique. Some students were incredibly enthusiastic. Other students could not have been more bored. Some students were super sweet. other's acted with hostility. As a teacher it was my responsibility to cater to each one of these students.
Of course this was no easy feat. I found however that one of the important rules about classroom management is to establish an individual connection with each class. I know this sounds like text book knowledge, but it is one thing to read about it and another thing to actually experience it.
There were a few ways I helped to accomplish this. For one, before each class I would give the students the opportunity to share anything (school appropriate) that they wanted with one another. This made the students feel more of a connection to one another and to the class. If the students ever got out of control or the lecture was not going well, I would stop class and calmly address the negative behaviors. This allowed for me to basically put the reset button on the class and I believe this also helped make the class room environment more positive. Any individual issues with students would be
handled on an individual basis.
In college, I learned that the most effective form of class room management is effective instruction. I found this to be very true. I also found that effective instruction means adapting instruction. For example, if a class is growing restless during a lecture, it is a good idea to break up the lecture and let them do a theatre warm up or work on a scene in order to provide them with a little variety. Conversely, if the students are doing independent work and the majority of the class is off task, it may mean that they no longer need that time and it time to come back together as a class. In other words,Taking theatre classes would be a great idea for any teacher to learn how to gauge a crowd as well as how to help think on your feet.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Hulk Hogan and a bag of canned goods.
Hello,
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
Let us try this again: A week or two after my first lesson crashed and burned, I was to be observed again. This time with one of my theatre one classes. I was motivated and determined to do better than last time. Granted, I could sat there and done nothing and it would have given my last lesson a run for its money. I had a few advantages going for me this time, For one, I was much much more comfortable with the subject matter. While I knew the material I was teaching in theatre production, acting and teaching acting has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. The class also only had about twelve students, as apposed to thirty. As every teacher will attest too... win.
The lesson ended up being a case of organic simplicity. These students were beginning actors, many of whom, had no experience, or desire to be on stage. Because of this, we started them off at the very beginning, and I do mean, very beginning. Before this lesson, the students had been given a monologue. They were to memorize the first four to eight lines and recite them in front of the class. They had done the best they could, but as to be expected, their energy level made Ben Stein look like Hulk Hogan. (or someone famous with a lot of energy). It was my job to help bring them to the next level. From recitation, to performance. This is a neccesary step for every young actor. But how? How am I going to get these kids who have barely been on stage, who are petrified, on the road to performing in front of their peers?
Canned Goods, thats how.
I had an idea earlier in the week. My cooperating teacher ran a food pantry for underprivileged students. Because of this, I had brought in some canned goods for the pantry. Then the idea struck me, "What if we used them for props before they went in the pantry?" Simple, not exactly complex, perfect.
The students were to put the canned goods in their bags in a way that would fit their characters all before they finished their lines. This would work on incorporating business, and timing into their pieces, two things that are necessary. After the initial tentativeness wore off, the students also realized it was an opportunity for them to explore and be creative. As time went one, the students began putting the cans in the bag in different ways and with different vocal inflections, dare I say they were developing characters.
While this was happening, I played the role of cheerleader. I constantly encouraged them and praised each student. More importantly, I attempted to ensure that they also encouraged each other. The end result was one of the most positive classroom experiences I ever had. The environment was a safe place for the students to explore their creativity, and almost all of them came out further along than they were before class started. It doesn't get much better than that. After my first lesson fiasco. This was very refreshing, and needed.
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
Let us try this again: A week or two after my first lesson crashed and burned, I was to be observed again. This time with one of my theatre one classes. I was motivated and determined to do better than last time. Granted, I could sat there and done nothing and it would have given my last lesson a run for its money. I had a few advantages going for me this time, For one, I was much much more comfortable with the subject matter. While I knew the material I was teaching in theatre production, acting and teaching acting has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. The class also only had about twelve students, as apposed to thirty. As every teacher will attest too... win.
The lesson ended up being a case of organic simplicity. These students were beginning actors, many of whom, had no experience, or desire to be on stage. Because of this, we started them off at the very beginning, and I do mean, very beginning. Before this lesson, the students had been given a monologue. They were to memorize the first four to eight lines and recite them in front of the class. They had done the best they could, but as to be expected, their energy level made Ben Stein look like Hulk Hogan. (or someone famous with a lot of energy). It was my job to help bring them to the next level. From recitation, to performance. This is a neccesary step for every young actor. But how? How am I going to get these kids who have barely been on stage, who are petrified, on the road to performing in front of their peers?
Canned Goods, thats how.
I had an idea earlier in the week. My cooperating teacher ran a food pantry for underprivileged students. Because of this, I had brought in some canned goods for the pantry. Then the idea struck me, "What if we used them for props before they went in the pantry?" Simple, not exactly complex, perfect.
The students were to put the canned goods in their bags in a way that would fit their characters all before they finished their lines. This would work on incorporating business, and timing into their pieces, two things that are necessary. After the initial tentativeness wore off, the students also realized it was an opportunity for them to explore and be creative. As time went one, the students began putting the cans in the bag in different ways and with different vocal inflections, dare I say they were developing characters.
While this was happening, I played the role of cheerleader. I constantly encouraged them and praised each student. More importantly, I attempted to ensure that they also encouraged each other. The end result was one of the most positive classroom experiences I ever had. The environment was a safe place for the students to explore their creativity, and almost all of them came out further along than they were before class started. It doesn't get much better than that. After my first lesson fiasco. This was very refreshing, and needed.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Boring Lectures and Laser Tag
Hello,
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
The first lesson: Man this is exciting. My first ever lesson. I have been here about a month and I finally get a chance to show what I can do. My supervisor is coming from Longwood to observe me for the first time. I have a great relationship with her so I am not too nervous but I am very motivated to do well. The lesson should be pretty cool. I will be teaching the theatre production class and have prepared an awesome power point on the different technical jobs in professional theatre. I also prepared a Jeopardy game. I was excited because this was my favorite aspect of theatre production and I was going to get to share it with the students.
That is about where the positivity ended.
The first lesson I really learned first hand is that Theatre production is honestly and truly the dumping ground class. While several of the students were excited to be there, there were just as many who were just placed in the class and quite frankly could not care less. It makes pulling teeth look like playing laser tag(orrrr something universally fun). This is where my biggest mistake came into play. I assumed that because I loved this material, that the kids would too. This could not be further from the truth. I actually had one student say "are we done yet, because this is really boring." It was pretty much a kiss of death for my lesson. Of course because they had no interest, the students began either falling asleep, or acting up, which of course makes sense since they were not engaged in the material. Their behavior threw me off and my pacing of the lecture became ultra monotonous and I kept stopping to address bad behavior. The second big mistake I made was saying "This stuff is pretty boring huh?" My thought process was that I was letting the students know how they felt. Unfortunately all it did was reaffirm their opinion on the lesson and so any attention they were giving me was gone. I was about three fourths of the way done with my lesson when I decided to abandon the power point and instead play an improv game. This was the thing that I did right. Getting the students up and moving definately seemed to wake them up. From there we played the Jeopardy game which was meant with a decent reception for the students. Of course, I was not completely out of the woods yet. I did not time my lesson accurately and we were left with about 10 extra minutes. I learned a very valuable lesson that day: always be prepared for your lesson to be too short by preparing extra material.
After the lesson, My teacher, my supervisor and myself all sat down to discuss the lesson. By this point I was exasperated and exhausted. Luckily for me, both of them were very nice and super supportive. I had the sinking suspicion that they had both been in my position before. It was almost like a right of passage for new teachers to crash and burn I think. I remember having a job interview months later where I brought this lesson up and the interviewer began to chuckle remember his first lesson. The conversation with my supervisor and teacher was very much like an acting critique, starting with the positive, giving me some suggestions for feedback, then ending on a positive note. I ended up leaving the room with mixed emotions. On one hand, I am a total perfectionist. On the other hand, I always welcome feedback and looked at it as an opportunity to learn. One thing was certain though, my next lesson would go much much better.
I hoped.
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
The first lesson: Man this is exciting. My first ever lesson. I have been here about a month and I finally get a chance to show what I can do. My supervisor is coming from Longwood to observe me for the first time. I have a great relationship with her so I am not too nervous but I am very motivated to do well. The lesson should be pretty cool. I will be teaching the theatre production class and have prepared an awesome power point on the different technical jobs in professional theatre. I also prepared a Jeopardy game. I was excited because this was my favorite aspect of theatre production and I was going to get to share it with the students.
That is about where the positivity ended.
The first lesson I really learned first hand is that Theatre production is honestly and truly the dumping ground class. While several of the students were excited to be there, there were just as many who were just placed in the class and quite frankly could not care less. It makes pulling teeth look like playing laser tag(orrrr something universally fun). This is where my biggest mistake came into play. I assumed that because I loved this material, that the kids would too. This could not be further from the truth. I actually had one student say "are we done yet, because this is really boring." It was pretty much a kiss of death for my lesson. Of course because they had no interest, the students began either falling asleep, or acting up, which of course makes sense since they were not engaged in the material. Their behavior threw me off and my pacing of the lecture became ultra monotonous and I kept stopping to address bad behavior. The second big mistake I made was saying "This stuff is pretty boring huh?" My thought process was that I was letting the students know how they felt. Unfortunately all it did was reaffirm their opinion on the lesson and so any attention they were giving me was gone. I was about three fourths of the way done with my lesson when I decided to abandon the power point and instead play an improv game. This was the thing that I did right. Getting the students up and moving definately seemed to wake them up. From there we played the Jeopardy game which was meant with a decent reception for the students. Of course, I was not completely out of the woods yet. I did not time my lesson accurately and we were left with about 10 extra minutes. I learned a very valuable lesson that day: always be prepared for your lesson to be too short by preparing extra material.
After the lesson, My teacher, my supervisor and myself all sat down to discuss the lesson. By this point I was exasperated and exhausted. Luckily for me, both of them were very nice and super supportive. I had the sinking suspicion that they had both been in my position before. It was almost like a right of passage for new teachers to crash and burn I think. I remember having a job interview months later where I brought this lesson up and the interviewer began to chuckle remember his first lesson. The conversation with my supervisor and teacher was very much like an acting critique, starting with the positive, giving me some suggestions for feedback, then ending on a positive note. I ended up leaving the room with mixed emotions. On one hand, I am a total perfectionist. On the other hand, I always welcome feedback and looked at it as an opportunity to learn. One thing was certain though, my next lesson would go much much better.
I hoped.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Honeymoon Phases and Ready lines.
Hello,
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
The First Day: "I am tired, but excited". This is my first thought as I sprang out of bed at 6 AM that August Morning. Not to long after that I have the thought "Man I hate dressing up". Yep, I picked the right line of work. When I arrived at the school around 7:00 I just assumed I knew what to expect. I had two practicums under my belt and have been involved in educational theatre for eight years. How different could this be? When I walk into the room, My cooperating teacher hands me an agenda and with a smile on his face introduces himself. He then asks me "Are you just observational for a bit?" I was since the first week or so is supposed to be spent observing. However the question got me thinking. What if it wasn't? What if I was supposed to start right away? Even when I do start will I be ready? because right now, I sure as hell don't feel ready. Far from it. If there is a line with the word "ready" written on it, all the way on the other side of the line there would be a picture of me smiling nervously.
The first day of classes were pretty much what you would expect. The students would come in, exchange pleasantries, go over house keeping stuff, and then maybe play a game. I sat in a chair near the teacher and I felt like I was on display at a zoo. I was 22 so I kind of looked like the students only slightly older and in a suit an tie. I think this perplexed many of the students so they stared. Or at least it felt like they stared. It most likely would have been easier If I introduced myself, but I just waited for the teacher to do it. Another thing I noticed is that there was an overall vibe on positivity in every class. The kids seemed genuinely happy to be there. In fact, when my teacher introduced me to everyone in the school, everyone seemed to be in a good mood, all the time. It was odd. Not necessarily bad, but strange. Later on, I heard one of the other teacher's say "well while the honeymoon phase lasts". I guess it was just a beginning of the year thing. Over the next several months, the good mood was there, but in a much more realistic way.
I later found out that day that my teacher was also in charge of the school beautification project, which involved ensuring that the gardens and pavilions were well managed. "you have to make yourself valuable to the school" he explained to me. This is just one example of the many hats teachers wear.
During lunch time, We went and ate with two of the other arts teachers, and one of the PE teachers. I discovered very quickly that teachers, like most people, also break off into social groups. Over the next few months I learned that lunch time is one of the most valuable times of the day. As a teacher, you are always and I mean always on. You are constantly performing and functioning in some type of role or another. Lunch time allows you to catch a breath and just be you for a while. It also allows for venting, joking, fun stories and for me, the opportunity to pick the brain's of my fellow teachers. It was always interesting to say the least. The teachers are half way expecting stories from our lunch time to end up in a book someday.
After school we had a faculty meeting. This was a first for me. We sat with the same teachers, while the administration gave the same welcome back speech that I am sure they gave every year. Most of the teacher's zoned out on their computers since they had heard it all before. Before the meeting started, My cooperating teacher stood up and introduced me to the entire faculty as they clapped. (you know us theatre people love our applause) Like with the student's before, I once again felt on display. This time however it was different. I looked around and saw all of the teachers and I felt like this is something I could do. I didn't feel like a student. I felt like a peer. After four years of college, and two practicums, and countless lectures on educational theory, it was my turn to start putting theory into practice, or at least attempt to.
I'm Chad Ownby, I am a recent graduate from Longwood University. Last fall, I completed my student teaching experience for theatre education . And what an experience it was. I kept thinking throughout the entire placement that it would be an awesome sitcom. I figured this blog would be a good place to share the experience I had with fellow teachers, aspiring teachers, or anyone interested.
The First Day: "I am tired, but excited". This is my first thought as I sprang out of bed at 6 AM that August Morning. Not to long after that I have the thought "Man I hate dressing up". Yep, I picked the right line of work. When I arrived at the school around 7:00 I just assumed I knew what to expect. I had two practicums under my belt and have been involved in educational theatre for eight years. How different could this be? When I walk into the room, My cooperating teacher hands me an agenda and with a smile on his face introduces himself. He then asks me "Are you just observational for a bit?" I was since the first week or so is supposed to be spent observing. However the question got me thinking. What if it wasn't? What if I was supposed to start right away? Even when I do start will I be ready? because right now, I sure as hell don't feel ready. Far from it. If there is a line with the word "ready" written on it, all the way on the other side of the line there would be a picture of me smiling nervously.
The first day of classes were pretty much what you would expect. The students would come in, exchange pleasantries, go over house keeping stuff, and then maybe play a game. I sat in a chair near the teacher and I felt like I was on display at a zoo. I was 22 so I kind of looked like the students only slightly older and in a suit an tie. I think this perplexed many of the students so they stared. Or at least it felt like they stared. It most likely would have been easier If I introduced myself, but I just waited for the teacher to do it. Another thing I noticed is that there was an overall vibe on positivity in every class. The kids seemed genuinely happy to be there. In fact, when my teacher introduced me to everyone in the school, everyone seemed to be in a good mood, all the time. It was odd. Not necessarily bad, but strange. Later on, I heard one of the other teacher's say "well while the honeymoon phase lasts". I guess it was just a beginning of the year thing. Over the next several months, the good mood was there, but in a much more realistic way.
I later found out that day that my teacher was also in charge of the school beautification project, which involved ensuring that the gardens and pavilions were well managed. "you have to make yourself valuable to the school" he explained to me. This is just one example of the many hats teachers wear.
During lunch time, We went and ate with two of the other arts teachers, and one of the PE teachers. I discovered very quickly that teachers, like most people, also break off into social groups. Over the next few months I learned that lunch time is one of the most valuable times of the day. As a teacher, you are always and I mean always on. You are constantly performing and functioning in some type of role or another. Lunch time allows you to catch a breath and just be you for a while. It also allows for venting, joking, fun stories and for me, the opportunity to pick the brain's of my fellow teachers. It was always interesting to say the least. The teachers are half way expecting stories from our lunch time to end up in a book someday.
After school we had a faculty meeting. This was a first for me. We sat with the same teachers, while the administration gave the same welcome back speech that I am sure they gave every year. Most of the teacher's zoned out on their computers since they had heard it all before. Before the meeting started, My cooperating teacher stood up and introduced me to the entire faculty as they clapped. (you know us theatre people love our applause) Like with the student's before, I once again felt on display. This time however it was different. I looked around and saw all of the teachers and I felt like this is something I could do. I didn't feel like a student. I felt like a peer. After four years of college, and two practicums, and countless lectures on educational theory, it was my turn to start putting theory into practice, or at least attempt to.
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