Submitted by Jill Young, North Carolina

Idea posted April 24, 2002

Question: I teach in two schools (K-4), and for both I do a program (basically a play) for each grade level except K. I am just feeling like all I do is programs, and it takes so much instructional time out of my year. I do perform the same program per grade level in each school, but I'm feeling overwhelmed. Can anyone help?

Answer: Here is the solution for me:

  1. The classroom teachers help with all practices, and THEY decorate the stage. My principal insists on this. Since I do the entire program, she figures that is the least they can do!
  2. I rarely, if ever, do actual plays. It really has to charm me for me to use it! I use songs, poems, and instrument activities that I would normally use as part of my classroom instruction. For example, this month, 1st and 2nd are performing songs from the "Get America Singing Again" songbooks in honor of Music In Our Schools Month. I've found as long as a program is on that stage, parents and teachers don't care if it is an actual play or not! The one teacher that doesn't like the way I do things tends to back down when I cross my arms, look at her, and say, "If you want it that way, YOU do it. Fine with me, one less program I have to worry about!" Using things I would normally use in the classroom enormously frees up time.
  3. I have an after-school chorus and an after-school instrument club. They take care of Christmas PTO meetings; I just combined the grade that used to do the Christmas program with another. For example, in the fall: October - 3rd grade, November - 4th and 5th, and Christmas - after-school groups.

I used to be in tears around November to December and near the end of the year, especially from the stress of trying to do full-fledged plays with every grade, but now it really isn't all that bad! I didn't stress a single time over my K program last month - now THAT'S a first! :-)

Good luck!