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I am also a teacher and the schedule is really tight so I'm not sure but the way I've been doing it is to cue everything along with the script and have it all written with the 1) ON CUE (something is about to happen, you there?), 2) READY (ready to wake up and act), 3) GO (do it NOW) sequence (something I read on this board and found really very helpful).

Even if for the first few rehearsals the tech people can't do their stuff, they know when the stuff is supposed to be moved and what the cue is. Also, I add drawings or directions as to where to move what from or to and sometimes by whom in the script. I think it's best if you worked it all out (if time is pressing as you may have the best idea where everything should go and plot it all out).

As for the person you are working with, sounds like this person is serious about getting the acting right and wanting a good performance but a good performance is incomplete without everything else going smoothly as well and that can't happen if you don't run through the whole thing as the real thing at least a few times.

I remember in another post on this board someone mentioned accidents almost happening because the actors didn't know when the stuff was to be moved and they didn't get out of the way. So it's only responsible and sensible to do a tech run. But you have my sympathy.

Note also that for certain parts if no actors are needed, you could rehearse changes of scenery without them present and work on doing so efficiently but you definitely have to work it out with the actors present for a few times.

I guess with a few times I'd mean a minimal of 2-3 times.

As I started this post during our last production, finding it resurected during our current one seems funny to me. I can add that I "sort of" got a tech run this time around. I do mean sort of. I just flat out told the director we are going slow so we can get things in the right place and tape set pieces. That was as much as I could get, if it was wrong, there was no stopping, we just moved things around them while they acted....better than we usually get, but not what I want....yet. 

The show opens tomorrow night..thank god! I left rehearsal the other night ready to just throw in the towel.   But last night things went MUCH better , so I am feeling less frustrated now, this is just turning into "one of those shows"

I think we need several mottos. This week it's  " Just Tell me whose leg to break" Next week, who knows.