Professional Development Workshop for Teachers
The purpose of the FAE Professional Development Workshops for Teachers (PDW) is threefold:
- to inform teachers about the Educational Performance they will see and assist them in preparing students for their upcoming theater experience;
- to provide training in the arts for teachers; and
- to demonstrate and articulate possible applications of the arts to other curricular subjects.
These workshops are led by professional artists and arts educators, and are designed in correlation with the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools – Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, which includes connections to other curricular subjects. The FAE PDWs also serve as a forum for educators to exchange ideas and brainstorm on ideal teaching practices for arts education.
The PDWs are an integral part of the FAE core program, and teachers are required to attend the workshops related to the performances they select for their students. Teachers are welcome to attend any additional workshops that interest them.
The FAE Curriculum Guides: Each Educational Performance and Professional Development Workshop is complemented by written curriculum materials designed to support educators in integrating the arts into their teaching practices. The FAE Curriculum Guides are distributed at each Professional Development Workshop for Teachers. Each guide includes:
- Background information on the Educational Performance
- Specialized vocabulary
- Suggested hands-on activities in the arts
- Suggested applications of the arts activities to other curricular subjects
- A reference to the education standards and guidelines that are being addressed
- A rubric for assessment of student learning
- A list of additional educational resources
- A section reserved for teachers to write notes and record arts lessons they create
- General information about FAE
- A chapter on audience etiquette