As you noticed in my "rules and regs" sheets, I required a notebook that included two handouts: Grade Sheet and Productions Around Missoula. Why did I think these two things were so important?

Grade Sheet

Grades, when I was in school, were a BIG SECRET!  All of my teachers guarded their grade book with their lives, locking them in their desks. We were never privy to any information until the report cards came out.

When I started teaching I vowed that grades would never be a surprise to my students. I would always share their grades but as that happened, my students would not remember and there were many parents who also wanted to know how their children were doing.

This was the time before computers and grade programs so I created a form, a grade book of sorts, so at any time my students or students’ parents would know their grades.  I also asked them to keep all their quizzes, papers, and handouts in the notebook as well, just as a precaution! I would take time during each quarter to check my students’ grade sheets. Sometimes they had forgotten to record a grade and on several occasions, I had not put down the correct grade in my grade book. It became an excellent way for all of us to get up to date. I also passed out a new sheet each quarter.

I used the point system that corresponded to the school district’s policy rather than percentages for my grades. Numbers were so much easier for me to work with. When an assignment was very important I just assigned it a higher number of points. As our district changed its requirements, I changed my grade scale.

Productions Around Missoula

We all know that seeing theatre enriches our lives, but first we have to get our student into those theatre seats. Plays were written to be staged. We were studying theatre so a natural requirement would be to see live theatre. I began this quest by requiring my drama students to see our productions but it was equally important that they see shows produced by others, whether it be another high school, University, traveling, church, or community theatre. I wanted them to see live theatre using their classroom knowledge to analyze productions they attended. The list of plays included in the Productions Around Missoula ensured that all my students knew what was happening theatrically around Missoula. This handout can give the basic information about a production: Dates, Play Title, Place, Time, Price.

So how did I know they had seen a production? By requiring a written essay. Not only was I assured they had seen the play (about 98% of the time, but I also know I was hoodwinked on several occasions!), but it satisfied the English writing requirement.  As my drama class could be used for English credit, I included this writing component much like the five paragraph theme. My specific critique form will be discussed in my next blog.

GRADE   SHEET

Name_______________________________Quarter_______

Sr.English_____   Dr. 1_____   Advanced Dr. _____

Please record each score that you earn throughout the quarter.  At any point during the quarter, you may average the points and determine your current standing in the class. All you have to do is total the amounts of POINTS POSSIBLE and MY POINTS.  Then divide the total of MY POINTS by the total POINTS POSSIBLE and you’ve figured your average. If at any time you are unsure of a grade or your average, feel free to come in to see me after school and I will be very happy to figure your grade with you. 

Assignment              | Pts. Poss.             | My Pts.

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In my last blog I shared my beginning drama class’s “rules and regs.” Now I would like to share my advanced drama’s management and content. As 90% of the students had taken my beginning drama class and/or my English class (I used the same management for all my classes) I did not need to spell out the management in such great detail.  In retrospect, it might not have been such a bad idea to be a little clearer. See Advanced Drama Course Management and Content Sheet below.

When my advanced drama class primarily became a play production class, I was in seventh heaven.  It allowed me to create some interesting character exercises, which are touched on here and I will share in my coming blogs.  I loved teaching this advanced class — we even did some pretty amazing theatre, of course, some wasn’t!  In fact, I just got a call from a parent who hosted one of my A.F.S. advanced drama students (American Field Service, the way students from other countries apply to go to school for a year in the US) who has become a drama teacher/director in Germany. She is going overseas and wanted me to sign my book for Miriam as a present. The world is indeed a small place. Again I am reminded of why teaching is so special and I was so fortunate to have such good “kids.”