- Rate your overall experience of the week: 5
- Seven questions to end your week:
- Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?I knocked out my website design this week, and really started putting entries into my "standard notebook." I'm also almost done with EE6 and the brochure. I also got to get in front of the band this week. We warmed up and began rehearsal. It was a really positive experience.
- Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?My CT taught me this skill where you leave your hands up for a few seconds after cut-off. No one talks, including yourself, and then everyone bring theirs horns down together. It's extremely effective, and helps the students actually listen to the next thing you are about to say. I got to try it some, but its not ingrained into my rehearsal techniques yet.I was given to opportunity to work with several small groups of students during class. I noticed that while I feel competent on beginning percussion technique that I need to figure out a basic curriculum for them to follow to improve their skills sequentially. I also noticed that a lot of students never fully learn how to read musical notation. They just memorize the patterns of fingerings and how the song/piece goes. I want to learn how to combat this in a positive way, for beginners and more advanced players.
- Focus: How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?Honestly, I haven't finished my goals sheet yet. I will complete that at the beginning of next week. Oops!
- Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?I spent a decent amount of time either eating lunch with the other directors or going to get coffee with them. It has been really fun, and I've learned so much about them. I think it has been extremely valuable, but I will probably slow down how much I do this with them, mostly because the schedule is getting more and more full as 6th grade starts next week.
- Have Courage: How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?There was only one day when I was really apprehensive to take the percussion out of class because I wasn't sure if my teacher wanted me to take them out. So I didn't. Not a big deal, but I did it the next day.
- Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?I really need to identify the few students for EdTPA, finish my professional goals, finish EE6, and the SIP. Those are some good goals for next week. My mental clutter mostly comes from the overload of assignments to do. I'm just trying to do each assignment one or two at a time and do them really well.
Adapted from: Cernoff, M. (2013, August 7). 7 Questions to End Your Week With. . Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/08/08/7-questions-to-end-your-week-with/
- What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?Honestly... I haven't gotten to this yet. This is just showing me some things that I should probably start doing soon... (awkward chuckling)
- What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?
- Get to know your students. They will appreciate your interest, even surface level. Meeting their parents is a great way to get a great relationship started.
- NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
- Pick an element from standard one of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.1C- I'm making professional connections and relationships with other teachers in my school. I'm visiting classrooms, and seeing how they do things. This has been very valuable.
- Pick an element from standard two of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.2C- Over a couple days I noticed a trumpet player was struggling to read the marching music. It looked like she was struggling to read the fine print. I offered to make her an enlarged copy, and she heartily agreed. I hope my accommodation was useful, and helpful to her musical endeavors.
- Pick an element from standard three of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.3B- I prompted student curiosity outside the classroom. I noticed that a particular clarinet player was extra curious. I suggested a couple Vivaldi pieces for the student to look up (RV 452 and 537). He wrote them down, and he seemed excited to go listen to them.
- Pick an element from standard four of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.4E- One student gave a suggestion for how we march on the field for a particular thing. Anyway, I decided to give it a shot, and encourage his critical thinking. It seemed to work at first, in that context, but later on it ended up not working and we changed it, but it was a good idea, and I encouraged that student by trying it out.
- Pick an element from standard five of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.5B- I am constantly finding musical scores and listening to them while following score to build my professional skills as a music educator.
- Other:
- What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?I answered this mostly in the first question, but the brochure and the website are basically done.
- What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?I'm not sure, but he seems to be autonomous.
- What support do you need from your university supervisor?
- I would like to start writing some basic lesson plans that are more like one week culminations for these first couple weeks. Any suggestions on how to get started with these?
Adam,
ReplyDeleteYou've definitely had a productive week. It's encouraging to also know my peers are committed to their student teaching, not simply to earn a degree but also to truly encourage the students with whom they come in contact each day.
My goals for next week are very similar to yours, to finish those aspects of the portfolio that can be completed right away. This will definitely help reduce work load when we're full time teaching.
I wish you many more "5" weeks!
Chrysalis
Adam-
ReplyDeleteSeems like you have really dove head first into this student teaching experience. It still doesn't seem real that we are actually in the classroom! I really like what your CT said abut keeping his hands up after a cutoff. That is a really good tip that I am going to try!! I'll let you know how it works out for me. I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of this semester goes for you, I know you will be very successful!
Katie
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ReplyDeleteYou seem to have dove head first into this, I admire your enthusiasm! You've inspired me to try to be more hand-on, even this early into the semester.
ReplyDeleteAdam,
ReplyDeleteYou've done such a great job at being proactive, and taking care of the portfolio assignments that didn't require you to be at the front of the classroom. Your website is excellent. Glad you had an opportunity to get up in front of the band!
I really like the technique that your CT showed you. That's a wonderful way to really get everyone's attention, and probably very centering for you too. actually listen to the next thing you are about to say. I'm curious as to what ways your CT scaffolds the percussion instruction. This might be a place to talk with Dr. Cole, and see what he's got to say about it. It has also always baffled me how many students who play instruments have difficulty reading music, mostly because I had been taught so young. It's great that you want to find a proactive, not punitive way to address it! That's definitely a good way to approach it.
It's okay that you don't have your long and short term goals mapped out yet, especially for the PDP. This is more just your regular old goals, as opposed to the professional development goals.
Getting to know the folks that you work with, and who work on the team with you is really important. Even if your schedule becomes such that you can't do it all the time, please try to do it as often as you can! I'm glad you took the percussion class!
I'm glad you're thinking about the students you'd like to focus on for parts of edTPA. You've really been knocking out a lot of the projects, and you've been doing a great job. There really are so many assignments in this portfolio, you've done an excellent job. You've always done high quality work.
The relationships you create with your students and their parents are so important. I'm really glad you're taking the time to cultivate them.
Those relationships with other teachers are so important, glad you're taking the time to create those types of relationships. I'm also so glad to hear that you had a great experience with a student who wanted to use the larger-print music. That is far more common than a lot of people realize, and a lot of students would probably use the accommodation if it were offered to them. That's so cool about the Vivaldi pieces!
That's so neat about entertaining the student's suggestion for the marching technique. I think it's awesome when students get the opportunity to see their suggestions in practice instead of just being told, "That's neat. That doesn't really work though." and actually seeing it through. Good on you for doing it! i'm glad you're doing score study. I love checking out the state contest lists for pieces I've not heard before. Because I didn't teach in NC, the lists are different. I'm glad it's working out well for you!
HA! Your CT is definitely autonomous.
I think for some combined lesson plans, you can list the objectives, the assessments, and the activities through which you're going to lead the students to achieve them. The lessons don't have to be nearly as detailed as your plans for my previous classes. Maybe send me something that you might want to try, and I'll give you some feedback. Or, provide me a basic sketch of what you want to do, and I'll let you know.
You're tearing it up Adam (in the best way). Keep it up. Don't forget to take time for you. Work life balance is a real issue in this profession, and I want you to make sure that you're taking some time for yourself in addition to doing great work.
Adam,
ReplyDeleteThings are going great with résumé. You've been really plugging along on your assignments outside of teaching. I feel like you're going to be really comfortable toward the end of the semester. It will pay off. :)
I have also found that middle schoolers don't like to sing in band. It's just something that they have to get used to, and that they make a new "normal". If it becomes the expectation and everyone does it, they don't complain. That can take awhile though. But, I think it's a great thing for bands and orchestras to sing!
I'm glad you're working on instilling confidence in your low brass. This is one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish, and there's no set formula. I hope that you see positive results! I also love the way that your CT approaches literacy, particularly in the idea that it is reinforced, and the STUDENTS explain what the vocab is, and extend it. That's SO important these activities having the desired effect.
I am SO GLAD that you're working with percussionists and giving them something to do. Differentiation is so important, and frankly, percussionists are "made" to be "the way they are" and it's often because they're ignored, and bored. Stay at that!
Tell me a little about your research verified strategies. Where are you looking, and what are you finding?