Field Experience

About the School Where You Are Observing or doing Field Experience

School Name and City: Curtain Call Theater, Mokena, IL

Type of School: Elementary school, Middle School, High School, or Other: Theater Company 

Setting: Urban, Suburban, or Rural: Suburban

Write your responses to the three questions below in paragraph form.

1.     List any special features of the school or classroom setting (e.g., themed magnet, classroom aide, bilingual, co-taught with a special education teacher, pull-out program).

There are three directors. One that is for music, one that is for dancing, and one that is for acting. The acting director is also the head director. The rehearsal space is a church classroom with folding tables and folding chairs.

2.   Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that affects the planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.

            Since this is a private company and not a school, the cast contains students from various school districts in which they are cooperating with the theater company. Rehearsals are planned in advanced. Once something is taught from a director (a dance, for example) the cast member is responsible to practice it. Not all cast members will be attending every rehearsal. A few strategies used include modeling, repetitive learning, feedback is being provided from the director, collaboration/group work, and performing/reading lines or songs.

3.    For special education only: List any educators with specialized expertise in the school/district (e.g., specific disabilities, subject-specific pedagogy, English language development, speech therapists).

About the Students in this Class [Give a brief or one word response]

1.   Estimated percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch:

2.   Grade level(s): 9-12, some college level mixed in.

3.   Number of

a.   students in the class: 25

b.   males: 7

females: 18

c.    English language learners: 0

d.   students identified as gifted and talented: They are all talented in my opinion.

e.   students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans: 1 at least (more are possible)

4.   Complete the chart below to summarize required accommodations or modifications for students receiving special education services and/or students who are gifted and talented as they will affect instruction. As needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the chart. The first row has been completed in italics as an example. Use as many rows as you need.

Special Education Category	Number of Students	Accommodations, Modifications, and/or Pertinent IEP Goals
ADHD	1 (at least)	Focus checks and repetition of lines, songs, and choreography.

About the Class You Observed

1.   How much time is devoted each day to instruction in the classroom? Describe the class periods (if applicable)? Choose a content area of your specialty or major. How much time is devoted to teaching that subject?

           

            3 hours a day are devoted to instruction in the classroom. My content area is music, so the time devoted to singing or singing and dancing would be around 1 to 2 ½ hours each rehearsal. However, it depends on the day and what was planned for the day’s activities.

2.   Is there any ability grouping or tracking? If so, please describe how it affects your class.

            The most noticeable way of tracking progress is displaying comfortability and confidence in performing lines, songs, or choreography. There is more self-tracking as the cast members are responsible and held accountable for their own lines, movements, etc. If affects the class in a positive way and provides healthy pressure to achieve the goal of performing from memory with confidence.

3.   Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.

            There is an all in one libretto/vocal book provided. It is entitled Working and it is from the book by Studs Terkel. Adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso with contributions from Gordon Greenberg. Songs are by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkhead, Stephen Schwartz, and James Taylor. The publisher is Music Theater International and was published in 2010.

4.   List other resources (e.g., SMARTBoard, manipulatives, online resources) used for instruction in this class.

There is an electric keyboard used for learning music. There is a smart speaker used for dancing. Scripts and libretto books (listed above) are provided to all cast members.

5. What do you know about what your students know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do? What do you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests?

  

Each cast member can sing, dance, act, recite lines, and memorize stage directions with varying proficient levels. They are learning the entire musical from cover to cover. They are also learning lines, choruses, and solo songs if they are assigned one according to their parts. Each cast member is passionate about music. Some are even considering it or already pursuing it in college. Others are looking at different directions like careers in engineering or psychology, for example. Most of the cast attend public schools but a set of sisters attend a fine arts school. Half the cast can drive and have driver’s licenses meanwhile others have learner’s permits. The cast is predominately white.

6. Describe one teaching event. What best practices in teaching were used?

The music director would lead the cast in singing by accompanying them on the piano. They would play different parts for the sections or soloists. This is an example of repetitive learning. An excellent way of rehearsing.