Anyone with experience with this degree? This is for someone who wants to be a theater teacher K-12. I know its offered at Emerson and College of Charleston. Thanks for any advice you may have.
The question I would ask…How many schools have a full time k-12 drama teacher? I am a teacher and director for both middle and high school productions. We have a production team for our 3 show a year: A music teacher, an English teacher (who also teaches our drama elective, and a history teacher. I don’t know of a single school in my area who has a full time drama teacher - other than PA HS.
@toowonderful you make a great point. I believe the goal is to get a BA in Theater Education, then a Masters in Teaching (elementary). So elementary school teacher who is qualified to direct k-12 (so could direct middle or high school performances). I realize these jobs are hard to come by though and preference would go to teachers at that school.
Shaker Heights High School (outside of Cleveland) has a drama department. They employ a few drama teachers. The one I know well has years of acting and directing experience so comes at the job from experience vs. an education degree. I assume the positions are few and far between but more likely found in large public schools or “exclusive” private schools.
There are lots of Theater only teaching positions in Texas. Texas State, Midwestern State, and Texas Womens University all have Theater with teaching certification degrees. I think there also degrees at some Louisiana Universities.
@Nickih - you are correct that many college have full time drama teachers, we are speaking of k-12 positions, which is what the Emerson degree would certify in. @MDmom11 - what about a program where a student could double major in theater education and elementary education? That would seem to offer more flexibility. @artskids - I know the dept at Shaker too, those teacher are certified in other things, except the one you mentioned is (I believe) employed as am “outside specialist”. Now, maybe east coast schools are different, I can’t believe Emerson would offer the certification if it had no value. I have never heard of a need for an elementary age drama teacher in a public school - frankly I think it is a fabulous idea - young kids would absolutely benefit from that. Maybe it’s the wave of the future.
Yes a double major with teaching licensure is also a possibility (and probably a good idea). Maybe a certification that would enable her to teach middle or high school would make sense.
We have theater in public MS and HS here in DC suburbs, but not in ES unless it’s an after school program. Did see a job opening recently for a DC elite private school specifically looking for a theater teacher with the BA in Theater Education (plus experience). Seems like a new thing.
Personally would love to see more theater introduced to kids at younger ages and to special needs kids - I’ve seen how much this has meant to my daughter over the years and how great it is for kids.
I was talking about high school teaching positions. All the high school public schools around us have full time theater teachers.
Thank you @Nickih. I think that may be becoming more common … but certainly not everywhere. And not here in MD in the public schools at least. Wish they would focus more on the arts.
@MDmom11 I think it depends on where you are in MD - I know Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Washington County have magnet programs for the performing arts. So, it’s not at every school, but available - my D had 8-10 hours per week in acting training and more in other arts areas throughout high school.
James Madison University offers a BA with a Concentration in Theatre Education with teacher licensure to teach K-12. In VA there are full time theatre teachers in quite a few schools.