The New Theatre Teacher? Advice, please.?

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I have been there/done that, both as a leader and as a follower.

You didn't mention whether this is high school or college. So, I'm going to address this as if we're talking high school.

You need to brace yourself -- some of the continuing students who loved the previous teacher are going to be unhappy that he/she isn't there, and some of them may resent you for being the replacement. On the plus side, you will likely also have some students who are more malleable -- they'll accept the change quickly, and have the benevolence to accept you.

Your best bet is to be prepared and project a feeling of knowing what you're doing. Decide the major points of what you want to do, and then be ready to stand by your convictions. However, you need to avoid adopting an antagonistic "take it or leave it" attitude, as I've seen several leaders over the years do that and quickly alienate a sizeable majority of people.

You didn't clarify if the previous teacher was let go. If that is the case, you need to decide how much [if any] of the truth you will impart. If the teacher was fond of his/her students, I would readily let them know that he/she sends them sincere good wishes -- sort of a diplomatic and benevolent lie.

If your predecessor left notes about each students strengths/weaknesses, study them. The students will be pleased to find a new teacher who already knows their good qualities -- and of course, you'll be prepared for any weaknesses that need addressing, without having to discover them on your own.

Also, prepare to reassure the students that major changes are not going to happen immediately. I think this is vitally important. Though you were hired to make major changes, you should not make them essentially "overnight". If the continuing students show up to discover 1) a favorite teacher vanished, 2) a new teacher in place, and 3) a completely different theatre department, they will flee like rats from a sinking ship -- it will be too much change to absorb, and they'll feel off-balance.

Your best bet is to have a few minor changes in place on Day One, but save major stuff for later. "Later" will be for you to determine, based on what they are and what part of the school year they affect. If it's something profoundly drastic, you might consider putting it off until the continuing students have graduated.

Finally, if your replacing the predecessor was amicable, you might contact him/her for guidance [e.g. the notes mentioned above]. It's very likely that there may be a few older students who are leaders -- liked and respected by their peers -- and you could talk to them privately and enlist their help in making the transition smooth. Students are always very gratified to be treated as young adults.

All of this advice comes from experience. I once replaced a very beloved retiring instructor at a youth theatre program. Some of the kids were great, but a few thought it was the end of the world. I don't mean this condescending, but kids in the arts often have more emotions than their peers, with some readily willing to give in to melodramatic impulses. So I was prepared and confident, let them know what happened, demonstrated that I had been educated in how the program had been run recently [so they didn't think I had just wandered in off the street], and told them what to expect. Oh, and I used my sense of humor to put them at ease. The result was that the "shock" was short-lived -- being up-front and informative helped them grasp the situation quickly -- and the few students who needed a little extra reassurance received it.

On the "been there" side, I have two "home" theatre companies with whom I do several projects per year [I no longer teach]. Several years ago, one of them lost their longtime music director [he got a significantly better job offer], and we were very sorry to see him go. If you look up "phenomenal" in the dictionary, his picture is probably there -- and he was a hell of a lot of fun to work with. Well, his replacement came in with similar direction skills, but with an "I'm in charge here" attitude that was grating and not a little condescending. The really galling thing is that most of us regular associates made it a point to be warm and welcoming from the start. He either wasn't able to pick up on it, or was so jaded that he thought we weren't sincere -- regardless, management spoke to him several times about his demeanor, he finally became hostile, and he was let go after two seasons. They then hired someone who had slightly less skills, but is a whiz at diplomacy and being able to deal with all personality types. The artists use their skills to build on his preparation [he's aware of this and appreciates it, and has made strides to become better], and things are going swimmingly.

But enough from me. Best of luck on this new chapter in your life!...Show more

wow, that's a real situation. If your choir director choses someone else over you, ask some of your friends (if it's an open audition) if you were better or worse. that counts the most if they think you're better because they're your peers. if so, could you at least talk to your choir director? But I'm sure if they want a good musical and want to get good reviews the will pick the best people for the parts. If they don't, well then it's they're loss. Just go in there and audition your very best and don't let it show that you're unsure that you will be picked. confidence is pretty much key in those type of things. i have to go through a similar case. I didn't take theatre or choir because I didn't have room because of my other priorities and now it seems like since i didn't take either class, i'm put in the chorus all the time even if I'm better than some other people. i live with it but it sometimes hurts. best of luck to you. i hope you get the part you wanted. i wouldn't worry about it too much especially if you are on good terms with your theatre teacher. They know that you're good at acting and will take that into consideration because a lead has to be good at both things. once again good luck!!...Show more

My high school just experienced the same thing. Luckily for me I was a senior this year and was able to avoid having to get acclemated to a new teacher because my director is retiring for next year. If your school is anything like mine, our theatre director was more than capable, he wasn't a hack, and was constantly used as a reason for making our school great. So our theatre students are going into next year distraught. If I were you, I wouldn't go in with the attitude that you're going to be resisted and that by making changes and sticking with them, they'll come around in the end-because that probably won't happen. Unless the changes are ones you find absolutely necessary, don't make them. Theatres usually have strong traditions, and as open-minded as theatre people are, we still resist change. Be willing to learn about their pre-show rituals and traditions, keep all of the tools in the same spots (this way only one person has to learn where things are and where things go), ask about the different posters, or (in my school's case) wooden objects, or props, and if they're any funny stories behind them. Don't go into this new job like Hilary Swank in Freedom Writers-unless the old teacher was bad. Our theatre teacher retired, I don't know what the circumstances are that you're coming into, hopefully it wasn't a firing....Show more

I guess it depends on if you are teaching at the grade-school or university level. If you are teaching high-schoolers, I've found that the best way to teach the students is to lead to a culminating project. Teach them the basics of acting, directing, playwriting, play analysis, etc. and have them create and produce a play at the end of the year. If you are teaching university, it would depend on the class. For either group, it is important to remember that children and adults can become bored. Do not be afraid to challenge them and make them see that the theatre world is not as easy as everyone makes it out to be....Show more

one thing that makes a huge difference is if you are the technical theater teacher, or a drama teacher. the technical teacher is the teacher who teaches kids about the work behind acting. if you are that teacher, i would recomend covering the stage, how to do lights and sound, how to build a set, and lots of other technical things that is the backbone of theater. if you are a drama teacher, talk about plays, and how to perform well, like getting past nervousness, and body acting, movement across the stage, and how to do facial expressions. i learned all of this stuff from drama and tech theater classes. my teachers taught me these things, and i want to persue a job in theater. if you teach students these things, you could really inspire people to pursue theater....Show more