Week of Reflection: 9/30
- Rate your overall experience of the week: 4
- Seven questions to end your week:
- Observe: It's October!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I taught my first observation lesson this week, and it went really well. I planned to incorporate technology, but was pleasantly surprised that I got to demonstrate my classroom management as well. I also started my classroom management this week.
- Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week? I learned that I often teach with a lot of full group playing. I want to get more comfortable with having groups play, back and forth, with a quicker pace. However, I have so much going on in my mind, that I have to take a couple seconds to figure out what I need to say. I take a slower pace than my CT's.
- Focus: How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned? I'm working consistently with percussion, and I met with Dr. Cole this past week to discuss techniques to best teach beginning percussionists. I haven't really taken the time to reflect on that yet, but I need to.
- Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing? I could have spent less time watching sports this weekend, and more time getting work done, but such is life. EdTPA is still looming, "get started Adam."
- Have Courage: How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
This week I taught the entire 6th grade woodwinds class. I had a lot of internal apprehension, but I buffered it with external confidence. Observing my CT for the past several weeks really helped with knowing the next logical steps for the class. - Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear? Monday- I need to really discuss with my CT some ideas for the EdTPA unit plan. This needs to get done by Wednesday, so that I can really start to formulate a real plan. Anyway, I also need to finish up the global awareness project.
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? I voice recorded a couple of my lessons with the middle schoolers, and was able to just reflect on my teaching abilities, and what I missed with the students. I realized that I go at a pretty slow pace, but that I have them playing a lot. I don't necessarily dislike this, but it is in contrast with my CT. I also notice that I let a lot of things fly by, such as the trombones sounding like "airplanes over Poland." It slips through the cracks, and I don't want it to.
- What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?
- I would say, to listen to some beautiful music this week. I will post a video of one of my favorite pieces that we listened to in Music History. This has been my mental "saving grace." This past Friday, I was overstimulated, and useless that afternoon. I listened to this piece, and it really helped calm my nerves, and get me back on track.
- 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.
1A-We are collaborating in 7th grade by working on Duets. My CT and I played a really cool duet to show how fun it is to make music together. - 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.
2A- Anytime I teach sectionals or do one-on-one instruction, I try to be inviting by smiling, and saying enthusiastically, "lets play some (instrument they play)." - 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.
3D- 21st century skills- I know that I have been teaching these. For instance, during the lesson that I taught this week with Band Elective, I taught "adaptability" and "personal expression" by having the students focus on musically and dynamics. When it wasn't what I wanted, we would try it again, and they were able to change their expression, and adapt. - 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.4D- I am engaging my students higher order thinking through technology. This week we used smart music in one of my lessons. I was able to use the technology to check for notes and rhythms so that we could spend our mental capacity to focus on musicality, and expression.
- 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.
5A- I was able to use data from the 6th grade note naming test this weekend to tailor my instruction. They wanted more work on ledger lines, so we did that, simple enough.
- Other:
- What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? Classroom management, global awareness
- What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
He's good - What support do you need from your university supervisor?
- I think I'm fine right now. It's just a matter of getting things done, and not feeling behind, all the freaking time.
Beethoven Op. 132, III Heiliger Dankgesang:
Adam-
ReplyDeleteI really liked that you voice recorded your lessons. I might try that because sometimes in my videos my computer doesn't pick up my voice really well and I miss out on the things I said. EdTPA is glooming over me as well, it is there and not going away.. haha I feel you when you said you just want to stop feeling behind all the time. That probably is everyone really. Lovely choice on the string Quartet, I definitely was jamming to that. Glad to see your student teaching experience is going good for you so far!
-Katie
Great job on starting the classroom management project. The technology component of your lesson was really awesome! The whole lesson was very good!
ReplyDeleteYou will eventually get the pace you like to take settled. Some of that is the fact that they’re not you’re kids, and you’re still practicing. It takes awhile to get that down pat.
Very cool that you got to come in and work with Dr. Cole’s class!
Indeed. College football and laying around is definitely the “Stop that, Morgan” for me.
I’m really glad that you were able to be confident (regardless of what was going on inside!) with the students in the woodwinds class. You know more than you think you know (but you’re also bright enough to know what you don’t know, and how to work on that!)
Yes. edTPA is going to eat your time. Tell him it’s D-Day, sit down and do it. Don’t put it off.
There is a lot of “bargaining” that you do sometimes in every classroom. You can’t correct everything all the time, or you’d get caught up in tedium and the children would revolt eventually. But yes, eventually address the “airplanes over Poland”, but it’s okay if you let a few things slide (as perfection is never attained. There will always be something to fix, which is why we have jobs).
I jammed out to classic rock last night. A lot of the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger, Pink Floyd, etc. It was good times. It may not be “beautiful”, but it’s deep tracks that I like to put on in the house. Cool breeze, windows open, Comfortably Numb, it’s a good day.
1A-SO COOL. Kids love this.
2A- I like that. It’s very you, and the kids will associate it with you and become your “thing”.
3D- Great way of interpreting those 21st century skills for the music classroom!
4D- I really liked that you used it to talk about evaluation. Talk to Katie about her edTPA learning segment idea, and see if you find any similarities.
5A- I hope they’re doing better and really getting into the swing of things now!
You’re on a roll. Keep it up. You’ll be done before you know it.
I always feel bad because I know those guys are all business, and I’m super chatty. Ya’ll are ALL business. I would try and change myself, but I suck at being anyone else. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to support your edTPA conversations if there’s any confusion.
You’ve got this. You’re probably balancing better than you think you are. I promise.
MCS