Running head: PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project Description
Danielle Suhr
Admin 591 B
September 3, 2015
Mary E. Carley and Brian Smith

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2
Project Description

Project Three: Management of Resources and Operations

Project three is focused on management of resources and operations. For this project, the
author created a plan for a teacher who is teaching on the stage. In the summer of 2014, Falcon
Middle School was allowed an additional five staff members to meet the needs of the growing
student population. Four of these staff members are to teach core classes (math, reading, writing,
social studies, or science) and one is to service the gifted students at the middle school as well as
a feeder elementary school. With the addition of these new staff members, the drama teachers
was moved from a classroom to the stage. This move creates obstacles for the band and choir
teacher, scheduling throughout the building, and the drama teacher.
Strategies and Solutions
Noise Level. The stage at Falcon Middle School is attached to the commons area. The
commons are where students congregate before school, eat lunch, and meet for grade level
assemblies. The drama teacher cannot teach on the stage if another group is using the commons
because of the noise level. The stage currently has movable walls they can pull out to help
block some of the sound, but it does not create an effective learning environment because the
sound bleeds through.
Since the sixth and eighth grade lunches overlap seventh grade exploratory time, the
drama teacher needed to find a new classroom to use. Originally, the administrative team was
looking for teachers who would give up their classrooms during their plan time for one period of
drama. Seventh graders have two periods of electives so that would mean that the drama teacher
would need to change classrooms between each of those classes. Once the administrative team
and the author sat down to discuss the issue, it was clear that she would need one classroom for

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

both of her seventh grade classes so she could be prepared for them. The author then was tasked
to find her a classroom for both periods and was successful in doing so for first quarter.
Stage Use. Another obstacle the drama teacher must deal with is people wanting to use
the stage and sound system during her classes. In previous years, the stage was free to use during
the day unless the band or choir teacher was using it. It was confusing to know who was using
the stage, when it was available, and how to get the sound system set up.
Last year, the author (choir teacher at Falcon Middle School) was tasked with keeping all
of the sound equipment and microphones in her office. The performing arts department
purchased a new soundboard and microphones for their performances. The author is now
offering trainings for those teachers who wish to use the sound system. Now, the performing art
department has created an electronic stage calendar for all events on the stage. It has been a great
experience for everyone to see how often the stage is being used and how it will not affect the
drama teacher, choir teacher, and band teacher. Creating this calendar has also given the author
new insight into the politics that goes along with scheduling.
Morale. Moving a teacher from their classroom can become a challenging situation
because of emotions attached with that classroom. In this situation, the teacher was removed
from the classroom to a communal space, which was very upsetting. Over the summer, the
author was able to speak with this teacher and assure that it the school would make the most of
the situation and help her in anyway they could. It is also important to keep the mood positive
with the whole team. As the leader of the exploratory team, the author has taken this opportunity
to encourage positivity throughout her team and the importance of keeping what is best for
students at the forefront of all decisions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Long term. After speaking with the administrative team, it is clear that teaching on the
stage should not be a long-term solution for drama. The district has been requesting a raise in
taxes for the last few years to build additional schools to help with overcrowding. If this does not
pass, the author and administrative team have been researching a pod (a portable set of
classrooms) to be added to the school. If the district approves the pod, the drama teacher will
once again be moved to a classroom. However, if the pod does not get approved, there will need
to be a set of teachers willing to give up their classroom during seventh grade lunch, the stage
calendar will be kept and all requests for the stage usage will need to be approved by
administration and the performing arts team.
Conclusion. The process of working with a teacher who has to give up their classroom
and move to a communal space is very challenging; especially when the area is used frequently
throughout the year for special events. In this case, the drama teacher has been moved to the
stage, where teams used to have their awards assemblies, presentations, concerts, the musical,
and the play. In order to make this move successful, the school had to purchase a new Apple TV,
find a place for her to teach during seventh grade, and find classrooms that are willing to house
drama when the stage needs to be used for something else. It is also important to keep the mood
positive in difficult situations and to keep what is best for students at the forefront of all
decisions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

I.
Project III: Management of Resources and Operations: Drama
will be held on the stage instead of a classroom.
A.
Noise Level: The noise level on the stage is not conducive to a productive
class environment.
1.
Removable Wall: The wall will be set up to reduce the noise level from
the commons and will be taken down for special events by the custodial staff.
The drama teacher also knows how to put the wall up and take it down if the
custodial staff is not notified or does not have time.
2.
Wireless microphone and speaker: On the stage, it is difficult to hear
and contain the noise level of a classroom because of the cinderblock walls,
high ceilings, and curtains. The drama teacher will utilize a wireless
microphone and speaker to amplify her voice for students to hear.
3.
Lunch room staff: The lunchroom staff was accustom to listening to
music while cleaning up from breakfast and preparing for lunch. They have
been asked to refrain from playing music while class is in session. The custodial
staff was also asked to lower their noise level as they clean the commons after
breakfast and after lunch.

B.
Lunch conflict: The stage is connected to the commons area that serves
as the cafeteria for the school; seventh graders have exploratory classes during
the sixth and eighth grade lunches.
1.
During training before school started, the counselor and author met
with seventh grade teams to ask if anyone was willing to give up their
classroom during their plan time and allow drama to utilize the space.
a)
First quarter: Social studies teacher gave up his classroom for 4th
and 5th periods.
b)
Second quarter: One reading teacher gave up her classroom for
th
4 period and a writing teacher (with a neighboring classroom) gave up
her room for 5th period.
c)
Third and Fourth quarter still have not been determined, but the
counselor and author are looking into incentives for teachers to allow
drama in their rooms during their plan time.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

C.
Events and Communication: In previous years, staff and community
members could schedule events on the stage without notifying any members of
the performing arts team. Now, the performing arts team must sign off on
events on the stage in order to plan for performances, concerts, rehearsals, and
equipment.
1.
The author and performing arts team created a Google Calendar that is
share with the activities secretary and athletic director/assistant principal for
stage availability.
2.
The performing arts team also meets regularly to discuss any changes to
the calendar and upcoming events to make sure the drama class has a
classroom to meet in and all three teachers know the plan for special events.
3.
During the musical and play, the drama class will need to cautious of
props and sets on the stage. Both the author (music teacher) and drama
teacher are aware of the space needed for drama and how to plan their set
design for the play and musical.
4.
The author was tasked to increase the morale and attitude of drama
being on the stage. She has done so by increasing communication and
resources offered to the drama teacher while informing other staff members of
policies in place and consideration for the drama teachers classroom.

D.
Future: Having a class meet on the stage can only be a temporary fix to
an overcrowding issue at Falcon Middle School.
1.
There have been many issues on the ballots to build new schools,
expand, and update current schools. Falcon Middle School received 5 extra
teachers this year, which left no empty classrooms and teachers sharing offices
and common spaces. There has been discussion about getting a pod for more
classrooms in modular giving the drama teacher a classroom.
2.
It has also been discussed that each seventh grade teacher only gives up
his or her classroom once during a rotation. This means that all teachers will
need to give up their classroom once before any teacher is repeated (with the
exception of science).