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Drama teachers have a lot on their plates. Between classroom, duties, meetings, rehearsals, and productions, the days are very full. How can you balance all these responsibilities and do them well?

You’ve got kids, you’ve got plays, you’ve got administrators, you’ve got an audience. What you don’t have is a season! How do you plan a season that will satisfy everyone?

If you’re a first-time drama teacher (or a first time teacher!) this is the PLC for you! Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of getting started. How do you launch a new program? What topics should you cover? How do you attract students to your new program? How is teaching theatre different from any other subject. If you’re a more experienced teacher, come help mentor the newbies. Join us with your stories of starting out. What do YOU wish you knew when you first started?

Do you sometimes feel like Goldilocks? This class is too big! This class is too small! How do you make your class feel just right? Join us to talk about how to zero in on adapting and adjusting your curriculum based on the size of your class.

It’s the beginning of the year and you have a classroom full of nervous students. I can’t do improv. I can’t act in front of the class. I can’t share an idea because everyone will laugh. How do you improve engagement levels in your classroom? How do you get students out of their comfort zone?

Learn from teachers who've been there, done that - the ins and outs of taking your students to festivals and competitions. What should students aim to get out of the experience? What pitfalls should you avoid? Turn it into a memorable, positive experience for all involved.

You’ve found the perfect play for your kids but there’s just one problem… some of the themes/language might raise eyebrows. Will raise eyebrows. Your administration doesn’t like it. Parents don’t like it. But you know it’s important to do work that tackles tough subjects. Your students know it’s important too. In cases like these, it’s better to get in front of the issue than behind it. Join us as we discuss best practices for communicating with your administrators, your parents, and your community.

The holidays are upon us. Whether you’ll be meeting a new group of students in January, or you’re at the midway point, now’s the time to reassess, refocus, and reboot your classroom.

Technology is everywhere. Are you encouraged (or expected) to use technology in your classroom? Join this tips & tricks sharing session where we’ll discuss best practices for integrating technology in your classroom, sometimes in unexpected ways! Bring your best tips to the chat room so we can all learn together.

A solid rehearsal process is the foundation of every successful show. How can you design your rehearsals to get the maximum result from your limited time? Our panel will bring their best rehearsal tactics and problem-solving strategies.

Getting lesson plans is easy. Adapting them can be challenging. Join us for a conversation on modifying and shaping existing lesson plans to meet the needs of your classroom.

How do you encourage students to delve deep into difficult, perhaps ugly characters, characters who do and say things your students normally wouldn’t? We’ll be talking about character and script analysis, separation of actor and character, and we’ll learn how to recognize the external nature of the work. How do we prepare our actors and our school environment ready for challenging roles?

Your show dates are booked, your cast and crew are hard at work… all you need now is an audience! The question is, how do you get it? Join us for a discussion with seasoned pros on how to market your show, learn unique ways to get the community involved, and walk away with tools that will help you make your production a sell-out.

It’s spring and it’s burnout season for drama teachers - shows are in full swing, assessments are looming, and work/life balance is almost impossible to find. Join us to talk about how to avoid burnout, keep your eye on the prize, and learn some tips and tricks to make sure you find time for YOU during this busy season.

Spring is still in full swing, but it’s already time to start looking to the fall. Believe it or not, this is the time for choosing plays, and to start adjusting your curriculum for your next group of drama students. It’s never to early to get organized and start checking things off of that to-do list for next year. This will be a discussion of the do’s and don’ts of planning ahead.

The school year is rapidly winding down and you’re knee-deep in assessment, rubrics, and reflections. But as a drama teacher, you also have performances to worry about. Which begs the question: What’s the best way to assess performance? This is the time to discuss strategies with our expert panel, and share your own best practices, as well as ways to fairly assess the performance aspect of the drama classroom.

As the year that just finished rides slowly into the sunset, (or mercifully falls off a cliff!) this is the time to take a minute and reflect on the highs and lows of your classes and productions from this past year. What new things did you try? What worked? What didn’t? How can I make it better and what are my goals for the coming year? Join our panel for a discussion on the process of looking backwards and moving forward.

Join us for a discussion on Creating the Ensemble-Based Classroom. We'll have course instructor Gai Jones live to answer your questions about this DTA course, and about how this type of classroom can work for you and your students!

The new school year is looming large on the horizon. It’s time to check the standards, examine your curriculum and write some lesson plans. But how do you make sure that those lesson plans actually advance your curriculum and meet the standards? This PLC will examine how to create and execute a curriculum that meets both the needs of your classroom and the requirements of standards.

How did your latest round of auditions go? Smooth sailing or full of choppy seas? This PLC will dive into best practices with the audition process whether it be for your spring musical or your next classroom production. Bring your best tips to share in the chat room.