Embedded Files
Monarch K8 (secondary)
I began my student teaching in the fall at Monarch K8, located in Louisville, Colorado, outside of Boulder. This is a community I have been somewhat connected to for the past three years because of my work with the Monarch High School marching band, but really feel like part of this community now that I have taught instrumental musicians within the same large feeder, spanning from 5th to 12th grades. My mentor is Dan Pinkston, who has been at Monarch for 16 years. The two of us met teaching the marching band together, and I knew from his upbeat energy and excellent pedagogy that this was the person I wanted to student teach with. Dan also has an advanced knowledge of the administrative side of teaching, as he has a principal's license, so I have been given insight on aspects of teaching and working with other teachers that I hadn't considered before. I had become a much stronger educator over the course of the two months I spent at Monarch, and was also able to make many connections with other professionals in the area and district. In addition to band, I also taught 7-8 "Food Facts and Fun."
Red Hawk Elementary (Elementary)
I continued my student teaching at Red Hawk Elementary School, in Erie, Colorado. Red Hawk is a community that is very supportive of the arts, however sometimes I was struck with the impression that some classroom teachers overlook music class as less important than their own, and so I had made an effort to encourage classroom teachers to be on time to specials so that students can maximize what they are able to learn in those classes. Red Hawk is made up of a largely affluent community with a very involved PTO. I have been connected with my mentor, Amy Abbott, for a few years now, and am continually impressed by her mastery in teaching general music. Amy is trained in the Kodaly methodology, and teaches a second level masters research course in the summers as Colorado State University. Amy has been at Red Hawk since they opened. In student teaching with her, I am learning a great deal about Kodaly, and I have the opportunity to teach K-5 general music as well as 4-5 choir. Each grade level puts on one performance a year, including an additional concert from the 4-5 choir, as well as a musical every spring semester. My biggest contribution to this group of students pedagogically was a two-rotation unit on ukuleles. Of all that I taught, I particularly enjoyed the joy and quick learning in kindergarten, and I enjoyed my ukulele unit, particularly with the 5th graders who were able to focus more easily than the 3rd and 4th graders.
My experience at Red Hawk overall was quite positive, thanks to the interactions I had with my mentor. I learned to not be strict all the time, but rather to let some things happen on their own, because not every beautiful moment in a music class will be planned. I also got a great deal of practice adjusting quickly in multiple ways, with a notable example being which octave I choose to sing in at a given time, due to me being a baritone and not having a very high beautiful range. Lastly, I learned a lot about professional communication when working in a team, because of the high amount of collaboration involved in teaching in an elementary school, and especially because of the lengths that Red Hawk goes to to put on fantastic productions of music for every single performance.
Dispositions Reflection
I believe I demonstrated proficiencies in every professional disposition listed. While it feels a bit arrogant to grade myself perfectly in self-assessment, I believe every standard set by the dispositions rubric is something that any teacher should strive for, and many that they shouldn't even have to think about. I developed the most in the resourcefulness areas implied by some of the standards, as at the beginning of my placement I leaned on my mentor significantly more than I had realized by the time I had improved, and ended up being able to do things alone, and make sure that I had the resources to be able to do so effectively. All of the above said, I can always strive to find more resources, particularly for working with students with special needs. For instance, During a large ukulele unit at Red Hawk, I had a 4th grade student with profound fine motor skill issues, and I am honestly still not sure what the best solution was to help him be successful. The child was incredibly happy to play ukulele at all, but I would have like to have found a way to help him be more successful with it as well.
CEP Professional Dispositions.pdfTeacher Quality Standards
Standard 1: Teacher demonstrates mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach
The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics, and is knowledgeable in all other content that they teach. The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in their content endorsement areas(s)
ELEMENT A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards and their district's organized plan of instruction.
The above lesson plan describes the intended instruction, as well as laying out the Colorado standards in mind. BVSD does not have a set of standards applicable.
ELEMENT B: Teachers develop and implement lessons that connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematics.
The below image is from a lesson about counting rhythms in 6/8 time. Counting rhythms requires basic math skills, especially when being counted quickly, because each rhythm is worth a different amount of time, and the students are being asked to translate all of the rhythms at a very high speed due to the demand of the composition this relates too. Additionally, understanding compound meter is a concept that leads to an advanced development of literacy in music.
ELEMENT C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
Below is a screenshot of some feedback I am giving to a student (signed because I have to use my mentor's Schoology account) who has submitted his homework assignment. At this point, we are assigning the hardest sections of the repertoire, because we are about a month from the concert, so it makes the students practice their most difficult parts, and gives them plenty of time to apply individual feedback. The student in the example did quite well, however the focus in class recently has been articulations, so I took points off to reinforce that legato articulation should be full length notes.
Reflection
This is a standard I believe I am proficient in. The training I have been provided over the course of my collegiate career has aided greatly in my content area proficiency and pedagogy. These things will also continue to naturally develop as I teach more and more. The least proficient area of this standard for me is certainly element B. While I have started to find ways to incorporate other subjects into my instruction, such as the mathematical aspect explained in my artifact, I still struggle to include other subjects in my music teaching. One thing I plan to begin doing every week is using a literary quote that is unrelated to music and making it relate to my class. I did this once in this placement, using the quote "If you choose not to enjoy the snow, you will have the same amount of snow, but less enjoyment." I found success with this method, and think it may help me improve in element B in the future.
Standard 2: Teacher establishes a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students
ELEMENT A: Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.
Below is an example of a lesson slide that is displayed while students are walking in so that they can see everything they can expect to do that day. As can be seen on the left side, most slides use an almost identical format that students can learn to expect every day, with rare exception which will be addressed under a different standard. The Do Now tells the students what to play before class has started but after they have gotten their instrument out, and the Objectives tell the students what materials to have prepared in which order. It also details exactly what they can expect to work on within each rehearsal chunk.
ELEMENT B: Teachers demonstrate an awareness of, a commitment to, and respect for multiple aspects of diversity, while working toward common goals as a community of learners.
Blank rental form (will be inserted after I am able to grab a scan)
The above image is an example of our school instrument rental form. I have decided to use a blank copy as to not place sensitive information with students' full names on the internet. That said, there is one particular student that comes to mind when I think of this element. We have a 6th grade student who's first day with his instrument was in week 6 of school. The reason for this was that he refused to even try to get an instrument, and my mentor and I struggled to understand why. Things started to make sense when we received information from administration that this student is being raised in a very low income household within a community that is largely very affluent. We also learned that financial issues aside, this student has had a less that stellar life, which helped explain his combativeness whenever asked where his rental form was. We were able to reach a compromise with admin to give the student the instrument for free without the parent's signature, and the child has since been much better behaved, and as far as I can tell, enjoys band!
ELEMENT C: Teachers engage students as individuals, including those with diverse needs and interests, across a range of ability levels by adapting their teaching for the benefit of all students.
The below slide is an example of an exception slide as noted under Element A. This lesson was the first that had broken from our typical structure of class, so I created the slide to be more immediately engaging. This was successful, as many students came in and first said something to the effect of "what the heck is that" but then continued on to read the entire slide, which some students sometimes forget to do when the same structure is posted every day. Additionally, the seating arrangement as noted in light blue allowed for a class structured that let students who can't practice at home but don't necessarily need help to get their practicing done, while also allowing the students who do struggle to receive one-on-one help during class time.
ELEMENT D: Teachers work collaboratively with the families and/or significant adults for the benefit of students.
Below is an example of an instrument-tryout night worksheet. 5th grade students were given the opportunity to try every single typical band and orchestra instrument except for bassoon and bass, due to the size of the instrument versus the size of the child. I was the horn "person" that night, and on top of providing ratings for each student, the parents of most students were with them, and many parents had conversations with me regarding different aspects of how to ensure their child can be as successful as possible, either on the horn or looking for recommendations on what other instruments they may be successful on, considering various factors provided by each set of parents. This student had not quite finished his rounds, but he ultimately chose trombone.
Reflection
I believe that this always has been, and continues to be, my strongest area as a teacher. I have always had an easy time connecting and empathizing with students, and I believe I have demonstrated that here, particularly with element B. I was raised quite poor myself, and am able to understand on a more personal level than many of my colleagues what it is like to deal with financial disparity in a community that does not tend to experience it. Additionally, I believe the students themselves are the most important part of teaching, and I strive to make sure that students are getting as many of their needs as possible met within my classroom. I am glad to have experienced multiple ways that we can create additionally financial equity within the music classroom.
Standard 3: Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their students
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate knowledge about the ways in which learning takes place, including the levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students.
The picture below shows students using blocks to build rhythms. In the lesson shown in the picture, students worked in teams so they could work together to come up with the answers, but when the activity was repeated the next day, each student was given their own set of smaller blocks to build specified rhythms on their own. This demonstrates this element by demonstrating scaffolding, and catering toward both visual and kinesthetic learners. Students also did this in groups of 3-5, which hopefully met some of their social needs, and provided some with needed assistance in order to be successful.
ELEMENT B: Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student learning, provide feedback, and use results to inform planning and instruction.
The rehearsal detective sheet below is an example of a sort of assessment on student listening, and is given to student who do not have their instruments that day, so that they can still be involved in the rehearsal and be given feedback on what they say. On top of helping the kids learn how to use musical vocabulary with open ears, there are also times when students write things they heard or felt that would be easy to miss from a teacher perspective.ELEMENT B: Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student learning, provide feedback, and use results to inform planning and instruction.
Scan Oct 9, 2023 at 2.45 PM.pdfELEMENT C: Teachers integrate and utilize appropriate available technology to engage students in authentic learning experiences.
The link above is an example of a "Fun Friday" video shown to students. Every Friday, after warmup, we show the students a prepared fun video relating to music. This serves two purposes: first, it gives the kids something new and fun to look forward to every Friday, which sort of keeps them on the edge of their seats. Second, I like to insert educational value into even the silly videos. The linked video is a TikTok of two drummers "having a conversation," using their voices to trade off short drum solos, imitating the timbres of the different available drums and cymbals. After showing the video, I asked the students to tell me what they were doing, and extended the answers into a short conversation about the many ways that we can "do music."
ELEMENT D: Teachers establish and communicate high expectations and use processes to support the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
The following video shows a student who asked to teach a song and game that she had come up with. The game was slightly underdeveloped at first, and so after the first day we played it, I asked her to come up with a few more rules. In this video, you can see me guiding her through developing the ideas. The game came to fruition as a "Doggy Doggy Where's My Bone" style game, where the person with the mouse squeaks with their voice. This shows critical thinking and problem solving, because the class knew that there wasn't enough rules to be fair for the "cat," and, with the student standing with me leading most of the process, a successful game was created, and we will likely use it in that class again because of how much they enjoyed that process.
IMG_4246.MP4ELEMENT E: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership.
This video shows students' first attempt at writing a blues as a small group. Each group was given a broad category to write a blues about. This group was given the category of "food," and thought about escargot. We plan to re-explore the blues in greater depth for the first 2 days of the next rotation, and give them the chance to break into groups again to use what they learned from and since the first time to come up with a more cohesive blues. In their small groups of around 5 students, each student had the opportunity to pitch their own lyrics and pitches to the rest of their group, and one student from each group was also "elected" to lead and count off the group. This gave the opportunity to about 6-7 kids at a time to demonstrate and build leadership.
20231108_114112.mp4ELEMENT F: Teachers model and promote effective communication.
Below is the year calendar I created for the 7th and 8th grade band to be given to students and parents. This models and promotes effective communication because it provides all directly relevant information for families many months in advance. The use of color and images also make it more engaging, and thus more likely to be read.
Reflection
I believe that this always has been, and continues to be, my strongest area as a teacher. I have always had an easy time connecting and empathizing with students, and I believe I have demonstrated that here, particularly with element B. I was raised quite poor myself, and am able to understand on a more personal level than many of my colleagues what it is like to deal with financial disparity in a community that does not tend to experience it. Additionally, I believe the students themselves are the most important part of teaching, and I strive to make sure that students are getting as many of their needs as possible met within my classroom. I am glad to have experienced multiple ways that we can create additionally financial equity within the music classroom. To me, effective instruction is instruction that is accessible and digestible within a reasonably short amount of time. I learned in these placements just how much more accessible and digestible instruction can become by modeling musicianship as the teacher. This, paired with a pacing that is quite fast but also not chaotic, was one of my largest areas of growth during my student teaching.
Standard 4: Teachers demonstrate professionalism through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate high standards for professional conduct.
I believe that this always has been, and continues to be, my strongest area as a teacher. I have always had an easy time connecting and empathizing with students, and I believe I have demonstrated that here, particularly with element B. I was raised quite poor myself, and am able to understand on a more personal level than many of my colleagues what it is like to deal with financial disparity in a community that does not tend to experience it. Additionally, I believe the students themselves are the most important part of teaching, and I strive to make sure that students are getting as many of their needs as possible met within my classroom. I am glad to have experienced multiple ways that we can create additionally financial equity within the music classroom. To me, effective instruction is instruction that is accessible and digestible within a reasonably short amount of time. I learned in these placements just how much more accessible and digestible instruction can become by modeling musicianship as the teacher. This, paired with a pacing that is quite fast but also not chaotic, was one of my largest areas of growth during my student teaching.
ELEMENT B: Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
The above document is an ever-changing tracking of where I believe I am currently at as an educator, and where I would like to go from that given point. Within this doc are both points of professional growth and goals moving forward. I consider myself a fairly self-aware person, and this document is a way for me to track my own awareness over time as well.
ELEMENT C: Teachers are able to respond to a complex, dynamic environment.
The context of the above video is what really allows it to fulfill this standard. Originally, Mrs. Abbott was teaching this lesson, and I was mostly observing since I had entered late coming back from an interview. As I watched the students react to the lesson, they were having a hard time understanding the difference between words and syllables, and I thought I had the new language to help them reach proficiency with the rhythm, so I asked Mrs. Abbott if I could try. As seen in the video, I was able to clear up most of the confusion that students were having, and I was also able to successfuly redirect students without disrupting the flow of class.
ELEMENT D: Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school, the community, and the teaching profession.
The program below shows my involvement in the 4th and 5th grade concerts. This demonstrates leadership in the school because I lead 4 numbers, as well as taking care of the off-stage classroom management, particularly in preparation of the 5th grade concert, since it was immediately after the 4th grade concert. These concerts took place in the evenings, and included the entire grade at a time. I was able to demonstrate leadership not only on-stage as a director, but also through managing the large group of classes while off-stage, even with their classroom teachers present.
4th and 5th grade concert Programs 2023.pdfReflection
I believe I am nearing proficient in this standard. I have had many wonderful teaching opportunities over the course of my undergrad, with a large variation in the types of population I have interacted with. That has given me an expanded teaching repertoire of how to reach students of all kinds in an effective way, ensuring that it is accessible to them any way I can manage. I have had much practice with professional communication through student teaching and through my work with other teaching organizations, as well as being the music librarian for CSU’s wind bands, and that has since improved. Now, this skill set expands to colleagues as well, and not just people that are “above” me. I have also had practice with leadership, as alongside student teaching I have been managing the State of Colorado chapter of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education chapter. This was an elected position in which I have been working hard to connect collegiate chapters across the state with each other in preparation for the Colorado Music Educators’ Association conference in January. I am a very reflective person, and I have been practicing my ability to adjust quickly quite a lot. For instance, during my large ukulele unit at Red Hawk, I realized during my second rotation, that there were things during my first rotation that I could have done in a more effective way that student could reasonably be successful with quicker, and was able to adjust my instruction for all of the remaining rotations to meet such a standard. Finally, throughout all of the above, I believe I conducted myself ethically at all times. As an example, I always respected confidentiality in terms of students with IEPs.
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