From one of my students- Page 2

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 1:56am

Wicked = a tuneless musical. Not sure where you got the idea that Schwartz was some genius tunesmith (I think he's occasionaly able of coming up with something catchy, but he can also be completely awful) but there's a difference between writing a melody and a hook, I think. Either way, the concept of melody is vastly overrated. There are 12 notes and they can only be rearranged so many ways.

[mateo]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:00am

oops sorry for the double post - i dont know how to get rid of it.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:07am

I also don't see a problem with IMing a teacher. My old theatre teacher was more like a friend to some of us. If we were having a problem or upset, we would often just stop by her house to vent. Granted she was a unique example; I don't think I would do that with just any teacher. I mean, even my English teacher handed out her home phone number so we could call her if we have questions.

Back on topic, there's just no comparing a masterpiece like Sunday... or Sweeney to the tuneful pop of Schwarz. Don't be silly.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:09am

I don't know, I usually dislike Schwarts, but I really LOVE "Popular".

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:20am

It's still not really a MELODY like Somewhere Over the Rainbow or Hello, Dolly! or something like that. It has that hook, but there's a whole lot of meandering song in it, like in all the Wicked songs. That's not a bad thing, I like the song a lot too. I'm jes' saying. Melody is overrated.

I had a teacher to whom I was pretty close in highschool as well. I don't think it's weird if a teacher and a student develop a close relationship.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:26am

It's great to have a close relationship with a teacher! Although it makes it all the more crappy when they get laid off! We had a budget crisis and all the teachers that had actually made a difference in my life got laid off... Stupid school board.

[kec]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 3:34am

There is a thread on the main message boards of the Internet Movie Data Base devoted to musicals -- not just screen musicals but statge as well. Someone started a thread a couple of days ago with the title "There is more than just Wicked and Rent You Know" written by someone who was frustrated because all her schoolmates keep talking about the two shows as though they were the only shows in the world. There have been some interesting responses, including one from someone who had been in a production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and got into a conversation with someone else in the cast about theatre. This person, predictably, mentioned Wicked, but when the poster mentioned some other shows, the friend had no clue. The poster was horrified to find: "He didn`t know who Joel Grey,Nathan Lane,Carol Chaning,Judy Garland,Idina Menzel,Bebe Neuirth,Jerry Orbach,Hugh Jackman,George Hearn,Angela Lansbury,Patti LuPone,Bernadette Peters,Harvey Fierstein,Gary Beach,Lee Wilkof,Tyne Daly,Bete Midler,Charles Nelson Riely,or even LIZA Minnellie was!!!!!!!"

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 4:08am

HOLY ****! I mean, COME ON!

[astonishing1985]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 8:10am

Both in HS and college some of my teachers gave us their phone numbers and e-mail addresses. This was really good when we had exams if we had any questions. I guess giving out their sn is supposed to have the same idea.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 8:25am

Ahhh yes, your student came to the bright side! I am a huge Wicked fan, but not for the show itself anymore. I made so many friends and learned so much from the show and it really thrusted me into the Broadway World. (haha)

One thing that I never gave into was the idea that Wicked is the best show and blah blah blah.

But yes, your student is quite intelligent. Good job!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 9:08am

I see nothing wrong with IMing a teacher. My theatre teacher from high school is now one of my best friends. I used to babysit her kids. This meant I had to have her phone number and spend a lot of time at her house. I really don't see much of a difference.

As for the student no longer thinking Wicked is the best, that's just crazy talk. Is it a male student? Must be one of those homosexuals.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 9:16am

Yea, I too am a little weary of students IMing teachers.

E-mail- I can see, but directly IMing...not so sure.

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 10:50am

Ok I am glad I waited until this morning to post after people have mostly stopped with the creepy connotations of IMing a teacher.

I would have LOVED if my teachers in middle/high school had done it. All of my college professors did and it made it a lot easier because it was a lot faster than email. I think a teacher giving students their screen name is a really good thing, it makes the teacher more readily available. I think it great especially for English techers because a lot of times students have questions about papers. It also allows there to be an actual relationship between the students and their teacher, something I had with pretty much almost every teacher I ever had.

So those of you who put creepy connotations to it, seriously shut the *uck up. Have you ever even conversed with Jason on IM or PM? No? Then don't assume that kind of stuff.


And like I said before, that is awesome about your student! I would be really proud of them too!

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 10:51am

when I was in high school, I had my music teachers' IM name, and we talked about life, love, and other liberties. I don't see a problem with it.



and I think that it's possible for both Schwartz and Sondheim to co-exist on this board. I like them both, and think they are both geniuses in thier own right, even though they are on opposite poles of the Musical theatre spectrum. But I would have no problem if in one of her cabarets, Bernadette sang a Schwartz song right after a Sondheim song, or vice versa. It's all about the delivery at the end of the day.

[haverchuck]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:05am

There is a major moral issue with 13-17 yr olds IM'ng Adults - 22 - 55 yr olds. In this day and age, that is creepy any way you look at at. College students are adults by law and many times that is required by their courses. But being a teacher - and going to meetings and in-services where they discuss this EXACT thing, telling us the touble and confusion - (even innocent online conversations) can cause.

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:08am

I don't agree, Chuck. there really is only a moral issue if the adult has "alterior motives" and in my case, he didn't, and I am sure in JasonF's case, he does not as well. I know that nowadays we have to be more careful and alert to things, but I believe there are more trustworthy and moral adults than not.

[haverchuck]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:13am

"when I was in high school, I had my music teachers' IM name, and we talked about life, love, and other liberties. I don't see a problem with it."

As a high school student you discussed LOVE with an adult teacher?

I feel sorry for both of you.
And how do you know the true motives of everyone involved?

Far too often Teachers and other "trusted" adults are being arrested for online activities. My advice - save all your questions and discussions for the classroom.

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:14am

I still think you are so wrong about that. I remember being in middle school and during study hall going to different teacher's rooms who had free periods and just sitting around talking ect. I talked to two on AIM (both males) and no one said anything was creepy about it. They were inspirations to me and by the end of those two years, they were friends that I still talk to.

In high school, that increased. By my senior year, I talked to most ofd my teachers in and out of school and the summer after I graduated actually hung out with them socially.

By younger students talking to their teacher online or one on one or in other ways teaches students something that is so important-how to intereact with adults in a social setting. It also teaches them maturit and how to have intelligent conversations and get their voice heard. Not to mention when applying to jobs amd colleges it makes the recommendation that much better

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:20am

I actually wasn't expecting this debate to pop up like this. Believe me, I gave a lot of thought to giving my kids my IM address and giving them the ability to talk to me outside of school. I follow certain rules with the kids, that I lay out for them AND THEIR PARENTS at the start of the year:

1)They can talk to me about anything regarding school on IM - that's the main reason I give it to them.

2)I will not respond to any IMs if I don't know who it is coming from. If they write but don't identify themselves immediately, I don't answer.

3)If they want to drop me a note during break or whatever to say hi and tell me about a movie they saw or something, that's fine. I won't sit for hours and IM with them. I have my own friends and they have theirs.

This particular students happens to be in a play I'm currently directing and often talks to me about theater because he knows I share his interest and for him I'm an authority on the subject. The conversation I posted lasted all of ten minutes, talking about which shows he liked, what he should listen to next, and me reminding him to study his lines for this week's rehearsal. At the same time, I was actually IMing my assistant director (another student) giving her a list of things I need her to get ready for our next rehearsal.

I see nothing wrong with this at all, and am frankly kind of offended that some of you would think so little of me. Yes, I understand the dangers of speaking with kids on the net. The parents ALL know that I am available on line, as does my supervisor (who, in our climate of technological education right now, has separately praised me for this) and in fact I often get notes like "my mom says hi" when a kid writes to me. Being available to the kids helps me connect with them (I'm not some old fart teacher who doesn't know the difference between a mouse and a modem) and gives them an opportunity to get help when they need it at times that it was not previously available. If every now and then a kid wants to chat about something innocuous outside of school topics, I see no harm, as long as the parents are aware that it is happening.

Frankly, it's MORE frightening that there are kids my students' age on this board who we all speak with, and don't even realize how old they are at times. That, to me, is a FAR more dangerous situation.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:20am

Sondheim, like many things, is an acquired taste. At least in my experience, i don't find that most people get into musical theatre via Sondheim. They get interested via composers like Schwartz, or Webber, or other very melodic or pop-style writers. It's after this that they start to further expolore the realms of musical theatre composition, and THEN discover the genius of Sondheim. Sure, it takes a few more listening sessions, but one can't deny the genius of Sondheim. I only hope you Wicked fanatics get further into your exploration of musical theatre and give Sondheim a shot as well. Trust me, he'll grow on you.

[Pippin]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:25am

oh, chuck, you poor soul. that was a joke. I'm sorry you don't have a sense of humor and couldn't realize the sarcasm, so next time I will spell it out for you, K?

oh, and my teacher has a great ass.




"oh, and my teacher has a great ass."

chuck- that was sarcasm.

[haverchuck]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:25am

"In high school, that increased. By my senior year, I talked to most ofd my teachers in and out of school and the summer after I graduated actually hung out with them socially"

Do you realize that the teachers you "hung out with socially" were or should have been strongly advised against this?

[Hawker]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:30am

Some peolple might think "Sunday" artistically superior because it won "The Pulitzer"--an award almost universally considered more prestigious than a handful of Tony Awards.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:31am

"In high school, that increased. By my senior year, I talked to most ofd my teachers in and out of school and the summer after I graduated actually hung out with them socially"

Do you realize that the teachers you "hung out with socially" were or should have been strongly advised against this?

Why? The original post clearly says they "hung out" after graduation.

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:33am

My parents knew about it and did not care at all. It wasn't like we were sneaking off. We were going out to eat, going to a baseball game, things like that. Maybe it is becasue I am in the Midwest...but we actually trust the people who educate us as a whole.

And you obviously are not reading entire post I said "the summer AFTER I graduated actually hung out with them socially. "

After graduation you are usually 18 9whwich i was) and OUT of school. That didn't change the fact that during school I would stay after and help out with different things in the classroom (organizing, grading ect) because there literally was nothing wrong with it!