How do I put this class on transcript? (theater/Shakespeare/English?)

[Rhonda in TX]

DD took 2 semesters of a class at a local community theater. It was a home school Shakespeare class. The theater considered it an English class. They did not do any performances. They studied a ton of of Shakespeare's plays. They read them, watched them, "translated" sections to today's English, discussed them, memorized lines, and wrote papers. No grades were given, but DD is very strong in English, so I have no doubt she did A level work. She just "gets" Shakespeare. She was in 10th grade.

 

I'm not sure how to put it on her transcript. Right now, I have it listed as "A Study of Shakespeare", but I'm not sure about that. She doesn't need the English credit, but it can be an elective. Should I give a grade or just pass/fail?

[Junie]

You said that she did papers.  Were they graded by someone?  If not, you could grade them (if you still have them) and use that for part of her grade.

[Reefgazer]

Can you consider it a part of her English credit and just have "English with Shakespeare" on her transcript?

[Susie in CA]

I have one on our transcript called "Study of Shakespeare". Obviously, I would just leave as that if she doesn't need English credit.

 

Do you have to list it as a class, especially if she's got plenty of English credits?  Something like this might stick out more if listed as an extracurricular.

[GailV]

I'd simply call it something like Study of Shakespeare.

 

I'd collect all the papers written, grade them, and file them wherever you're keeping all her high school records. Were any of the "translations" written out?  If so, file them, too.  I'd also make a list of pieces memorized, performances watched, and anything else of that nature.

 

I'd assign a grade. 

[laughing lioness]

You could list it as English, History, Theater studies, extra-curric. How did you evaluate the course? I would come up with an objective measurement and grade her on that. 

1/2 credit or full? 60 hours or 120? 

 

My kids participate in Shakespeare Camp every summer and we do a GC Shakespeare program. I list the GC and Lit (they graduate with more than enough) and Shakespeare Camp as an extra curricular with the parts- esp if they've had leading roles). They also do drama and One ACt so they have too many theater credits, too. 

[Lori D.]

Sounds like a fun course! :)

 

If DD is heavy on credits for the transcript, and light on extracurriculars, this would make a nice extracurricular. Or, it would be great to count it as credit, too. Either way works.

 

Colleges prefer to see grades, not pass/fail, and an academic course with pass/fail, even if an elective, would stand out (in a negative way) with a pass/fail on it. So put a grade on the course. (PE is probably the only kind of course that would not stand out with a pass/fail.)

 

Since it's an elective, label as one; example:

Elective: Shakespeare Study

 

If you're organizing your transcript by grade/year, just add it in where taken. If organizing your transcript by subject, just add it under the Electives heading.

 

Just my aside here ;) : Even though the community theater group offering the course is calling it "English", to me it still sounds exactly like a Theater Appreciation course with a special focus on Shakespeare -- a Theater Appreciation class watches / reads / writes about plays -- which is exactly what happened here. :)

[Rhonda in TX]

Thanks, all! Really good advice here, as always. :)

 

She's needs electives, so I'll keep it on her transcript. She has plenty of extra-curriculars, too, so she's good. I like the idea of calling it a Theater Appreciation class. That makes sense to me. I'll definitely collect all her papers and grade them myself. I'm pretty sure the translations exist somewhere on the computer as well. I'll have enough to give her a grade. And it's definitely a full credit course. A lot of in and out of class work was done. :)

 

Thanks again!