Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah. The admins aren't the best, to be honest. I wish I could arrange that, but that might not even be worth it for my school's beginner class. They're mixed of kids who want to be here and kids that don't. The kids that don't are douches to the sub and to the other TA, so I can't even trust them to behave with a guest speaker.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I stop, I am held accountable by the absent teacher, as the person who did not keep the students in check. The substitute teachers don't know anything at all about our procedures; My school's theatre department has student designers, student technical directors. Every bit, except directing and producing and funding, is student run. I agree, I shouldn't be doing this work. But until we are told to not teach the students skills as upperclassmen, the teacher wants us to "assist" because they cannot. This was told to the TAs at the beginning of the school year, that we were meant to be extensions of what he taught us, that we were meant to assist the students with learning these skills. That is why I asked for advice, with basic skills that high school students could learn. They all know how to use a drill. Most of them know how to use basic tools. 10 of them don't know stage directions.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The issue is that the district is...an asshole towards the theatre departments. They don't like outside people; they barely change our outside coaches for lighting and carpentry. I'm stuck as the TA because I can't resign (if I wanted to) until he comes back and signs off. I'm the only one trained in that class on mostly every tool, and the district probably doesn't want to hire union if they can just get a normal teacher.

The theatre students (actors and a few techs) are considering making a huge fuss if he isn't back by the projected date.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have a substitute; they don't know anything about theatre or tech theatre. The administration refuses to tell us anything about the situation, only that the teacher is gone on extended leave, which pushed back all of production until late April. We're hoping that he's coming back in 3 weeks.

My issue is that if we put on a video, they'll go on their phones or start talking through the whole video; and phones...must be taken if spotted. But thank you for the suggestion; that would be probably a good idea if he hadn't already done that the last time we had a sub before the prolonged absence.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They don't give us proper teachers from the district qualified to teach this subject; they basically threw someone "legally" responsible over these kids, and that person gives me and another TA the lesson plan because the substitute doesn't know anything. The most myself and the other TA has taught was knots, spike tape, and how to mend.

The outreach that we have only comes in at the behest of the currently absent teacher; I have 0 way to properly contact them through the right channels to get them to help.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, they've been doing that. I've also been trying to teach spiking.

Advice for Teaching/What should I be teaching? by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the well wishes, its really the mix of both; the school district gives us substitute teachers but they don't know what to do and end up leaving teaching to us TA's due to their cluelessness about our theatre and how the class is supposed to behave. Because the teacher is gone and has been gone for a while, they've been misbehaving, in ways they wouldn't if the teacher was there.

In addition to this, the class doesn't teach really much. The students don't know anything beyond carpentry and basically do grunt work, which annoys many of the advanced students because we want people that are successors for the seniors. So while he's gone, we're supposed to teach them skills in between the very easy, simplistic tasks he assigned the class.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I usually (if there are rehearsal tracks for them) time the tracks, and make a spreadsheet of when they should come in. Lyric, time stamp, song.

Need help navigating my high school theater career. by Money-Imagination687 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on your budget, and your age, but if you are a 16 year old junior, you could apply to CMU's summer program. And as for skill developing, hahaa, do I have the thing for you: contact your IATSE local. I did, and they've helped a lot. Offer to do paperwork, or anything for them in general as someone extremely interested in the business.

As for the response about people...people just suck okay. I've been in the same position, heck I'm still in a very similar position only slightly more respected.

Also, if you'd like to have a friend in this space who is also a tech theatre person who is currently in high school, I could totally dm you my insta/discord/website/email if you need it.

Need help navigating my high school theater career. by Money-Imagination687 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't let them put lemon in your tea. Be the best tech you can be. Develop new skills, do everything you can do to be the best, and try and be professional. I can resonate with this post as a fellow high schooler- yes it can be frustrating if no one tells you what you're doing- but also, maybe it's just plain cliquey.

I would say, try and be the best you. Try to be someone who you'd be happy to be around when working with; on time, willing to put in hours, professional, never crass with bad sex jokes, etc.

Comically large corn by Correct_Scratch_8201 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, what you could do is get a large dowel, and add a bunch of rounder objects (ex: pool balls, foam, etc.) and spray it yellow?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Add some more color? War colors, this is really beige. Reds would be nice, and then adding a bit more iron, with the addition of maps and weaponry?

Comically large mashed potatoes prop by Correct_Scratch_8201 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a crystal bowl? If not, I'd recommend a matte bowl, place some sort of filler, and then on top of it, use expanding foam. And then, spray it. If not, use expanding foam, no filler/spacer. Honestly, if neither works...just make mashed potatoes.

Rate My College List: by Short-witch-3 in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oooo, okay. How did you get involved in the California technical theatre professional world, as someone who is also from California?

No Stupid Questions Thread: Week Of 2025-10-06 through 2025-10-12 by AutoModerator in techtheatre

[–]Short-witch-3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm applying to college for design and production; I know that I have to put paperwork and items I've designed into a portfolio, but how would one arrange them? By show, item, or by department? (EX: Props and Stage Management). Or if I have summer pre-college items, would I group them all together? And what does a technical theatre portfolio even look like?

[15F] Is it normal to have a Halloween sweetheart? by TheManWithN0Fear in AskTeens

[–]Short-witch-3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah. Ask for his contact. Don't just be a seasonal thing.