A Professional K-12 Teacher Education & Licensure Program
Theatre BA Area of Emphasis
The K-12 Theatre Education Program offers students:
- A professional inclusive program in theatre and drama teaching;
- Opportunities to learn about education in urban schools and communities;
- A quality course of study grounded in state and national frameworks;
- Models and resources in best practices and innovative methods for teaching theatre in K-16;
- Curriculum that includes acting, applied theatre, directing, production and design, storytelling, and playwriting;
- Fieldwork and Practicum experiences embedded in schools and arts organizations in the Greater Milwaukee area;
- Opportunities to teach and perform theatre in the Greater Milwaukee area;
- Mentoring that prepares you to teach theatre at all levels, K-12;
- Support for portfolio and PDP development.
The program is open to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students. Its goals are to:
- Support the continuing development of professional theatre teachers.
- Encourage theatre educators to use and demonstrate best practices in their respective classrooms and educational institutions.
- Focus on theatre as a cultural, educational, and humanitarian art form.
- Build professional capacity through hands-on curricula and to encourage students to be constructors of their own knowledge through immersion in creative and collaborative theatre/drama processes.
- Support the schools and cultural institutions of the State of Wisconsin and encourage implementation of creative arts education.
Graduates from our program teach theatre worldwide as well as locally. Some of these sites include:
- Apel Farms Children's Theatre
- Betty Brinn Children's Museum
- Boulder Colorado School District
- Bradford High School
- Brown Deer High School
- Discovery World
- Dominican High School
- Elm Creative Arts School
- Étude School for the Arts
- First Stage Children's Theatre
- Golda Meir School for Gifted and Talented
- In Tandem Theatre
- International Baccalaureate Program
- Lincoln Middle School for the Arts
- Los Angeles California School System
- Madison Children's Theatre
- Milwaukee High School for the Arts
- Milwaukee Repertory Company
- Milwaukee Shakespeare
- New York City School System
- Normal In Schools
- Pius XI High School
- Roosevelt Middle School
- Rufus King High School
- Shakespeare First Project
- Skylight Opera Company
- Austin Texas Children's Theatre Company
- Waukesha Schools
- West Allis Schools
Upper level students in this program are required to participate in the PSOA laptop program and to develop a professional e-portfolio through LiveText.
Basic Required Course of Study:
THEATRE CORE
- Acting I
- Play Analysis
- Stagecraft
- Costume Construction
- Acting II
- Production & Design
- Performing Arts Management
- The Theatrical Experience in Milwaukee
- Theatre History I & II
CONTENT CORE
- World Theatre
- Practicum
- Directing
- Storytelling
- Electives of choice
METHODS CORE
- Educational Psychology
- Exceptional Education
- Reading in the Content Areas
- ACT 31 course(s)
- Theatre in the General Classroom
- Theatre in the Elementary Classroom
- Theatre in the Secondary Classroom
- Fieldwork
- Student Teaching I & II
To qualify for a teaching license in the State of Wisconsin, students must pass the PPST, Praxis II Theatre Content test, maintain a GPA of 2.75, and (at the end of their course of study) pass a professional competency review.
For further information:
Dr. Robin Mello, Program Director
Associate Professor
Department of Theatre
Office: TH 278
Phone: 414-229-6066
Theatre Office Phone: 414-229-4947
rmello@uwm.edu |
