Classroom Teaching
Mr. Rotrekl and students from Reavis High School Theatre preparing for a field trip.
Note: All photos are click to enlarge for closer viewing.
Classroom Teaching
Mr. Rotrekl teaching an Oral Communications course.
As a child my friends and I would pretend we were teachers and students trading off who got to play what each time. These moments and so many others instilled in me the joy of teaching and being able to help my students achieve great things. I am a lifelong learner who believes in the power of education, knowledge, and working hard to achieve one’s goals. These beliefs and ideas are things that I pass on to my students, as so many of my amazing teachers did to me throughout my educational journey.
As a teacher of Theatre, Speech, and English I bring to my classrooms the passion and determination I bring to my productions. In my classrooms students are encouraged to try and even encouraged to fall short or “Fail”. In Theatre (and all my classes) the failing is the lesson that teaches us the most about ourselves, our resilience, and shows us how we can improve and grow. Teaching students to engage and learn content, not for tests, but for real life application and connections is key to me having engaged and active students.
Students in my classrooms are always invited to question, debate, and explore what is being taught and bring new ideas, concepts and ways of understanding to the class. I also show my students that my learning is never completed, as well, through my continual taking of classes, achieving my masters degree and by surrounding myself with people that know more than me on topics to help engage and further all of our educational journeys.
“I had first Mr. Ro last year when I walked into his classroom with some friends. He was a quiet, tall man. I didn’t think he would be the kind of person to make a big impact on me, but he has, more than any other program or teacher. He has showed me what it really means to be a TEACHER. I have learned to communicate with others, act, and even how to make new friends. Mr. Ro is an exceptional director, teacher, and man. He goes above and beyond what he needs to do, and I hope I can be at least half the person he is. I absolutely love Mr. Ro and now because of him, theatre!”
Equity in Teaching
Throughout my professional life I have strived to bring equity and opportunities to all my students despite their backgrounds, cultures, race, sexual preferences, gender, beliefs, etc. I know personally I have benefited from an unfair system of privilege. I know this has given to me an unequal advantage that has not been given to others. With this knowledge and privilege it has been my fight to help bring true equity and justice to my classrooms, productions, schools, and to our country as a whole.
An image depicting the ideas of equality, equity and justice in the educational system.
As an educator and a theatre professional it is very important to work with students and people from different backgrounds and cultures different from my own. Theatre and the arts teach us how to empathize with others and to put ourselves literally in the experiences of others onstage and in the classroom. I have always loved taking on various roles (whether it was a villain, a grandpa, a Wolf, or a professor of language) and embodying and understanding their story and background and growing into that character to perform onstage or in a classroom workshop. Since my time acting and performing I have found the passion of teaching Theatre and bringing those same experiences to my students and helping them empathize and connect to people and places they may have never imagined and opening their eyes to the hardships, cultures, history, and beauty of different races and cultures.
My background in education has been filled with students of all races, cultures, and experiences. I have taught at schools that were predominantly Black and Latinx, and also in schools that were very diverse. In each of these experiences I gained knowledge of my students, their experiences, and their cultures and backgrounds and it has shaped who I am as a person and educator. I have adapted curriculum, show choices, and my teaching to fit the needs and interests of my students and the community I serve. It has been one of the most rewarding things in my life to bring the arts (specifically Theatre) to the students in each school I have worked. These relationships and experiences have taught me to continue to grow and challenge myself and my students (along with community) to embrace the arts and grow programs that teach a love of theatre, develop excellence, and are a welcoming environment for all students no matter their background.
I believe and strive to create a classroom and stage that is full of equity and justice for all my students. This is a process that involves me acknowledging my privilege, listening, reading, and educating myself on new topics and materials that will make me a stronger educator who fights for my students and the equity and justice they deserve.
“I admire Mr. Rotrekl as a great English and Theatre teacher. Everyday I look forward to his class because I like the activities that we do, what we read in his class and having discussions and activities dealing with what we just read, etc. I enjoy that when you don’t understand something in his class you can just ask him and he will help you out. Mr. Rotrekl inspires me to enjoying reading and writing, things I never liked to do before, but now I don’t mind reading because it can be exciting, and writing has become a stronger skill for me since entering his classroom. Mr. Rotrekl also encouraged me to try something new and try out for the musical this year, and so far it has been an amazing experience seeing him work with students and create a memorable time for all of us involved.”
Content
Students learning stage combat basics in Theatre class.
Throughout my years of teaching I have always tried to continually adapt and change the content that I am bringing my students. The things that engage students now are not the same when I began teaching in 2007. I always try to develop my curriculums to be engaging. By using my knowledge of the multiple intelligences, technology, and continually updating and learning new ways to approach content it is my goal to have students engaged and learning real world applications for their skills and knowledge. I have developed many curriculums for Theatre, English and Speech/ Oral Communications classes over my years of teaching. Whether working alone, with other Fine Arts teachers within districts, or being on a team developing new curriculum it has always been my goal to keep the students at the forefront of everything I do.
Students in my English courses learn the importance of the written word and how to apply it to resumes, applications, and essays they will need to do in college. They also have learned to read and analyze a text making connections with themselves and the world around them. Students in my Oral Communications and Speech classes have learned to research topics, find credible sources, how to debate and hold conversations as well as the importance of listening. Students in my Theatre classes learn everything from the basics of acting to stagecraft and design to directing. These students are taught how to communicate, how to empathize, how to analyze, create and bring their ideas to life, and how to start a project and follow it through to being reality on stage. All of my students also have been taught to think for themselves, connect content to real life applications and to question why and how they are learning. I believe in activating a student’s voice and having them learn how to communicate their needs and have a stake in their education.
Students learning to apply makeup on during a Theatre class.
Teaching students real life skills, engaging them in empathy, and helping them fall in love with learning and becoming a life-long learner have always been my goals in teaching. Helping students understand the process and engaging them in hard work with rewards is key to a meaningful education. It has always been my priority to put my student’s needs and desire to learn at the forefront of everything I do and to engage them and bring the joy and fun of Theatre (and every subject I teach) to them!
“I like the way he teaches, he’s not aggressive but also not to be taken lightly. If I am stuck on something he will help you be the best you can. I like the way he teaches and if he sees a student struggling he will work with us, and sometimes even give us extra time to work to perfect our writing. If Mr. Rotrekl is not a good teacher I don’t know what is.”
Mr. Rotrekl’s first classroom on the stage at Jefferson Middle School.
“As the end of my 8th grade year approaches I just wanted to say that Mr. Rotrekl was one of my favorite teachers. I always looked forward to going to his class because we always learned something new and I could test my knowledge. He is a very nice teacher, and can put up with everyone in class and teach us all!”
Mr. Rotrekl’s current classroom at Acero Cruz High School.