User:Dgiovag/sandbox/Illinois State University Theater Teacher Education

Illinois State University is home to one of the highest nationally ranked Theatre Teacher education programs in the country. The program is a part of both the College of Education and College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University. The program requires students take 42 total hours of theatre and dance and have an endorsement in another teachable area. According to the College of Fine Arts, the mission of the theatre teacher education sequence is "to prepare highly qualified artists/teachers to meet the challenges of teaching in the secondary school system." Illinois State University hosts the Illinois High School Theatre Festival every two years, which provides Theatre Teacher Education students with the opportunity to take on a leadership role with high school theatre students and interact with high school theatre professionals across Illinois. This is just one of many clinical experiences that all Theatre Education students are required to complete before being accepted into professional studies their Junior year. The capstone of the theatre education program at Illinois State University is when they are in charge of mounting a full-scale theatrical production at one of the university high schools in the area. The successful completion of the Theatre Teacher Education program results in an Illinois Certification in Theatre, which allows the degree holder to teach grades 6-12 in Illinois and the surrounding states.

Theatre Teacher Education Sequence

Freshman year

First semester

First year theatre teacher education students are enrolled in the first class of the four-and-a-half to five year program titled "Continuing orientation to theatre education", which is only half a credit hour, as it is a recurring class that is required every semester, which will result in 4 credit hours once the sequence is completed. This class meets on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8-8:50am. All theatre students of the School of Theatre and Dance are also required to take on a theatre practicum assignment, which is also worth half a credit hour since it is also recurring. However, students are only required to take theatre practicum four semesters as opposed to nine or ten. Practicums require theatre students to sign up for a crew assignment for a specific show in Illinois State University's current theatrical season. Students are also required to take Acting I and Fundamentals of Theatre I, with the option of taking stagecraft, during their first semester at the university. Students will only teach two lessons during the first semester of their freshman year. This semester is designed to introduce students to teaching theatre in the classroom and how to develop the skills necessary to be an effective teacher.

Second Semester

Second semester students will be enrolled in the second part of their first semester classes (Acting I is now Acting II, and so forth). Students who did not take stagecraft first semester will be required to take the course second semester. Theatre education students are required to take a psychology course titled "Explaining Human Behavior" during second semester. The theatre education class focuses on diversity in the classroom and how to overcome it as a teacher. Second semester also brings two more lessons for each freshmen to teach.

Sophomore year

First semester

Sophomores are in the same "Continuing orientation to theatre education" class as the freshman, but freshman and sophomores do not always meet on the same days. Sophomores have more opportunities to lead the class and help guide the freshman. Sophomores will teach at least two times during the semester depending on the schedule. This semester, sophomores are still required to take on a practicum assignment, and are required to enroll in Oral Interpretation of Literature, Introduction to Costume, and Educational Psychology.

Second semester

This semester offers an additional two teaching opportunities for second year students. However, unlike the freshmen, Sophomores enroll in different classes than their first semester. This semester they are required to take Stage Make-Up, Principles of Stage Direction, and Issues in Secondary Education. Sophomores will also take on their final practicum assignment during this semester.

Junior year

Juniors meet with the seniors Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8-8:50am. Students are required to take Directing Workshop and Social Foundations their first semester. Second semester students are required to take Creative Drama and Instructional and Evaluative Methods in Secondary Education. Focuses on the theory and practice of teaching inside the classroom.

Senior year

Senior year students will have completed 100 clinical hours prior to the school year. During this year students will take Principles of Theatre Education and Integrating Multiple Literacies and Technologies Across the Secondary Curriculum. After they have finished their first semester, students will teach in a high school classroom under observation of a master teacher for 10 weeks. Most students in the theatre teacher education sequence do not finish within four years and require an extra semester to complete the sequence. During this final semester, students will be fully responsible for putting on a fully mounted production at a local high school. They will cast, and direct a show of their choosing, using everything they have learned and collaborating with a technical director, costume designer, stage managers, and all other members of the stage crew to bring the show to life. Once they have completed their last semester students will receive their Illinois Certification of Theatre, and be able to teach grades 6-12 in Illinois.

Clinical Hours

Each theatre teacher education student is required to complete 100 clinical hours. Students at Illinois State have a unique opportunity to earn these hours because of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.

Illinois High School Theatre Festival

The Illinois High School Theatre Festival is a 3 day event that falls on the second weekend of January every winter. Theatre students from high schools all over the state of Illinois gather to watch other schools' shows, take workshops, and see the All-State production. This event is hosted by Illinois State University every other year, and shared with The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Theatre teacher education majors get the opportunity to earn their clinical hours by teaching workshops, supervising workshops, working on planning committees, and assisting theatre professionals throughout the duration of the festival. Students have this opportunity regardless of if the festival is at Illinois State or University of Illinois that year.

Creative Drama

Another way to earn Clinical hours is through signing up for creative drama. Creative drama is a saturday class geared toward kindergarten through 6th grade students. In creative drama, the instructor teaches kids how to use their imagination, body, and voice to improvise stories and characters. Creative drama teaches little children the basics of theatre and develops the tools necessary for theatre, should they choose to pursue it as they grow older. Creative drama is open for any theatre education student to teach.

Gateways

Before students can progress through the Theatre Teacher Education program, they must complete certain gateways, as outlined by the College of Education

Gateway 1

Gateway 1 must be completed by February of sophomore year at the latest, and it's completion is required to be admitted to Gateway 2. In order to complete Gateway 1, the following criteria must be met:

• Initial Reflective Essay
• 30 hours of course work
• Disposition Assessment
• GPA Requirement in Major
• Cumulative GPA Requirements (at least 2.5)
• Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly known as Basic Skills Test) or SAT/ACT
• Communication 110 (grade of C or better)
• Department Approval
• English 101 (grade of C or better)
• Communication Concerns Assessment
• Teacher Education Orientation Sessions
• ePortfolio Fundamentals Workshop
• PBA Orientation Workshop6
• Criminal History/Background Check
• Illinois State Police fingerprint check prior to first clinical
• Assessment of Legal and Ethical Conduct
• Clear Sexual Offender Registry
• Clear Violence Against Youth Registry
• Special Chicago Public School Criminal Background Check Requirements
• Safety Education Assessment
• Mandatory Reporter of Child Abuse Training

Gateway 2

Gateway 2 is admission to student teaching. In order to complete Gateway 2, the following criteria must be met:

• Major/Cumulative GPA Requirement
• ISBE State Content Test
• TB Test
• Clinical Experience Hours
• Disposition/Communication Concerns Assessments
• Department Approval
• Verified by the TEC the semester prior to student teaching:
• Illinois Sexual Offender Registry
• Clear Violence Against Youth Registry

Gateway 3

Gateway 3 is the final Gateway before licensure. To complete Gateway 3, the following criteria must be met:

• Final Reflective Essay
• Student Teaching (Grade C or better)
• Realizing the Democratic Ideal Student Teaching Assessment
• 50 Clinical Hours in Diverse Setting
• Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)
• Disposition/Communication Concerns Assessments
• edTPA