The Art of Collaboration in the Classroom: Team Teaching Performance

Abstract

THE ART OF COLLABORATION IN THE CLASSROOM: TEAM TEACHING PERFORMANCE By Jenna Neilsen, MFA and Julie Phillips, MFA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007 Major Director: Dr. Noreen Barnes Head of Graduate Studies, Department of Theatre The Art of Collaboration in the Classroom: Team Teaching Performance is a cowritten master’s thesis which records our research in the field of team teaching as it relates to theatre education at the university level. It is our intent that this text be used as a tool for helping universities and teachers decide if a collaborative teaching model is right for their courses. vi A portion of the text is research-based, examining the scholarly writings which have preceded our work. In Chapter 1, we compiled a set of definitions, in the hopes of codifying the language used within this document as well as that used within the field. We establish a hierarchy of terms associated with teaching in collaborative forms. We then describe the various models associated with collaborative teaching, specifically the model which we have employed: team teaching. Chapter 2 explores the reasons for and against implementing collaborative teaching structures in higher education. Chapter 3 discusses team teaching specifically, and explores reasons for implementing it at the university level, and in artistic disciplines, specifically acting. We also discuss the practical appropriateness for this model in today’s classrooms. The second section of the text is practical in nature. Chapter 4 includes a description of our actual experiences working together in the classroom, including discoveries, failures and successes. Finally, Chapter 5 is a guide for implementing team teaching which covers the basic essentials of starting a team teaching program. This section of the document can be used as a training tool for future co-teachers in the VCU theatre graduate program. This document was created in Microsoft Word 1997.