Assessing Theater Students

Assessing Theater Students
Assessing theater students is easier than I would have thought originally. I thought it would be hard because it is hard to tell how much natural talent a student has and grade them according to them improving. However, it is easier to tell if someone is trying then I thought it would be. They give off the kinds of feelings like they are embarrassed or nervous, which I have found out in Jr. High students most times that means they laugh and giggle. They also get excited and jumpy. If someone was not trying they seem to be more distant and find the activity boring. They sit in their spot with their eyes glazed over and don’t really talk. It is also easier to assess the students when they are not with their friends. When they are not with friends they are focusing more on what they are doing intrinsically and work harder. They also get more nervous and are more afraid of taking risks. Hopefully by the end of the class they let go of this fear and are able to embrace the activity. Each of the students improve on the new activity in every class and it is easy to see where they started and where they ended that day. And through that you can see if they were applying themselves. I also see the importance of written out assessment sheets so the students have clear expectations and know what we want to see the improve on, and also so the parents can see what we grade on because they are not in class and cannot see the students development as easily.