Emily Mathews, Irving Theatre Arts Teacher: R.I.P

I come to you today with a heavy heart.

After performing their last scenes and playing their last theatre game the students are gone.
And I, my room stripped bare, am gone too.

In a small act of hopeful defiance, I left one thing in Room 116, the first classroom I could call my own.

Hanging on the hallway wall, just outside of my classroom, is a room sign, welcoming one and all to Ms. Mathews' Theatre Arts class. With any luck (and lots of shameless plugging on my part) that sign will have a purpose next year.

It's funny, because when I first started at the Irving my room sign did not hold up too well to the students' abuse. Neither did I. I was an inexperienced teacher and had much to learn. By the end of the year that sign had a few choices words on it letting me know exactly what they thought of me. This year, my room sign looks almost like it did in September when I hung it. I'm a 4th year teacher now, and everything has changed. Unlike my room sign, the words of my students linger inside of me, reminding me exactly what I mean to them. It makes me so proud to know the teacher I've become and I feel so lucky for the students I've had that make me a better PERSON.

This is a sad day, and while there's hope on the horizon, I am going to wait a few days before I share the details of that hope. I'm like a movie sequel: just when you think they've killed off the main character, she manages to resurrect herself bigger and better than ever before!

The perfect job...

would have:
(in no particular order)
1. about 20 kids in a classroom.
2. be in a high school (1st pref) or middle school.
3. give me the flexibility to design my curriculum.
4. let me bring my dogs to school.
5. allow me to have a drama club that does multiple productions a year.
6. a principal/administration I can go to and feel comfortable no matter what's on my mind.
7. a staff of caring teachers who are interested in supporting the arts and helping out after school on some awesome productions.
8. I can take public transportation to get there.
9. doesn't start before 8am.
10. JOB SECURITY!!!
11. people in the building who respect one another, their property and all the walls, sticks and stones around us.
12. vegetarian options in the cafeteria.
13. theatre arts is either a. an elective or b. kids can "choose" the top 3 or 4 specialty classes they want to take.
14. there are other arts teachers in the building I can collaborate with on classes, projects, and performances.
15. a teacher's lounge where people actually...lounge.

And a district where...
1. Arts teachers get together and have regular discussions about art and education
2. several workshops a year both for teachers and students to hone their craft
3.maybe more later...

Job interview from Monday

Monday I interviewed for a half-time Arts position at an elementary school in Dorchester.

I was really excited to do so, because at this point that school doesn't have theatre arts. It is reminiscent of my tenure at the Irving because when I applied and interviewed at the Irving they had not had a theatre arts program either.

Regardless, I think it went quite well. But interviewing, much like auditioning for a part, requires practice. I know I talk too much in general, so when someone asks me about something I'm passionate about like teaching Theatre, woo! Watch out!

And while an interview isn't the best place to share a philosophy I've been working on, I have such little opportunity to talk with other drama teachers about ideas and methods I've been working on, so when someone DOES ask me about my philosophies for teaching theatre, I let loose....and sometimes those ideas aren't fully formulated.

Maybe I've said it here before, maybe I haven't, but I think I was born to be a classroom teacher. Many teachers end up in an administrative position or going down to "Court Street" as the admin offices are called here in the BPS, but I don't really like that idea at this point. Of course, I'm a young teacher, finishing my fourth year (YAY!!!!). So with that in mind, I do have a vision of where I'd like to see myself in 5, 10, 15 years. But it all relates to being in the classroom.

So, I'm going to say this, while one day I hope to have a job where, not only am I using the arts to teach, but I am surrounded by teachers who have similar methods. AND we have the time, be it in professional development, content meetings or another setting to discuss and develop ideas.

I get lonely in my basement cave---connecting with other teachers is sometimes the only solace in an otherwise difficult day. But I need something more sometimes. I remember in grad school Bob & Bethany (theatre ed instructors extrodinare) asked us to list everything we could in the "perfect job."

I don't know where that list is...I'm going to take some time to look for it. But before I do, I am going to list NOW what I want in the perfect job.

To be continued...

Talent Show pics just posted!

Please see the fantastic Talent Show pics taken by the awesome Ms. Heather Buckland, a 6th grade math teacher here at the Irving. Thank you, Ms. Buckland!!!
Without her, I'd have no way of showing off our fantastic students.
Especially since I took Ms. Pick's batteries from her so we had a working microphone.
Thanks again, Ms. Pick :)

Talent Show 101, and sad to go

After our wildly successful Talent Show I am relieved and saddened.

I'm relieved because it's over, and I don't have to stress over it anymore! It was fun and I can't wait to do another one (especially after all I've learned from this year). We had a few technical glitches, and as my husband said, I was definitely spread too thin. Apparently, I can't do everything myself.

First, a few shout outs!
I had such awesome student help: Kareen ran lights, Aliyah ran the curtain, and Geneva just RAN! Before the show, I had Brendan and Mikey setting up lights and Jeru and Hayden moving large objects off the stage.

My teacher help made me look sooooo good! Sharon Rusconi, Terri Dsida and Maureen Magee-Quinn made this all possible. In my thank you card to Maureen I said, thanks for doing all the work and making it look like I was responsible---which is all so true. I feel like I was able to do so much else because I had these 3 awesome ladies' help.

Interesting fact about the 4 of us: only 1 of the 4 of us had a contract guaranteeing employment next year in BPS. Differently said, 3 of us were unemployed as of the opening of the Show! That night, Sharon got home and found a letter in her email inbox congratulating her on her position being reinstated.

That being said, neither Terri nor I have a job for next year. I hope that I will be blogging about that change...and not regretting the title of this blog!

As I said before, the Talent Show went really well. A few things that went well:
1. Performers were AMAZING!
2. Potluck before the show was a hit.
3. Our teacher support really showed me how the Irving can come together.
4. The show's attendance was shocking. There were probably about 200 people in attendance.
5. Our partnership with Making Music Matters allowed us to rent lights and have a sound system. Thanks, Sarah!
6. Did I mention the performers????

A few things that need worked on:
1. Potluck needs to be condensed to a smaller area. Too much space in the cafeteria.
2. Do a sound check/cd check closer to the time of the performance.
3. 2 words: Extra batteries.
4. Leave house lights at half so as to identify students who do not know how to behave as an audience member.
5. DO NOT let a performance go on until the audience is silent.
6. Hold people accountable for their trash as they leave (and don't let them bring in food to begin with!).

As to why I'm saddened, if you keep up with my blog I'm sure you can guess. As I have no job at the Irving next year, these last few weeks are my last. I told one group of 8th graders that I started at the Irving when they started 6th grade, so it seems fitting that I leave when they do. While they may be ready to leave, I know I'm not.

Tired...but not so tired I can't blog a bit!

When the awesome group of ladies and I made up the Talent Show schedule, we carefully planned.
Then, a person named Murphy and his stupid Law showed up.

Up until yesterday everything was great! We were making gigantic strides toward tackling this huge project.

In the case of our Talent Show, Murphy showed his face in the form of a non-working sound system. Oh good, the thing I know least about!!!
Our lights are hung, the acts are set...and there's no microphone or cd player. Greaaaat.

A teacher from the Mozart, Mr. Trotman, came in and saved the day, but not before some harm was done.
Regardless, the show MUST go on. And as they say, the worse the dress rehearsal, the better the show!

I thought we had a bad dress for "A Simple Task." Boy---if I'd only known! This show is going to be awesome after today's dress rehearsal!
Break a leg, performers!!!