Standard Three

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.

Artifact: Evidence Observed from Mentor Teacher | Secondary Placement

Rationale: This artifact is very straightforward; utilizing a formative assessment that my mentor teacher filled out around the mid-point of the placement, she denotes that she has seen evidence of this standard to an advanced degree. I can definitely continue my own work so as to find future opportunities to archive evidence of this — especially when I am able to spend week after week with my own set of students.

Element B: Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student learning, provide feedback, and use results to inform planning and instruction.

Artifact: BAGC Note Decoding Sheets | 3rd Grade

Rationale: While the artifact does not denote the entirety of what it will represent, these sheets were used a formative assessment to figure out whether students were individually finding success at decoding notes on the staff. What you will notice in this artifact is that some students were more successful than others. The artifact here is a sample of the 3 classes of 3rd graders in which this activity was done. Prior to this activity, the whole was invited to stand up and participated in a diagnostic assessment of spontaneously decoding one note on the staff in an unknown song. Then, after reviewing, these sheets were used everyday to assess whether the students could apply their knowledge to new song material. After decoding, we then began working on the technique required of playing each song.

Element C: Teachers integrate and utilize appropriate available technology to engage students in authentic learning experience.

Artifact: Lesson Slides 2.8-2.12 | Grade 2

Rationale: This artifact, while large, showcases several examples where technology is being used effectively for entire learning sequences. Over the course of several days within the slides (you’ll find each one labelled accordingly), there are several concepts that are scaffolded in preparation, presentation, and practice all within here. Two good examples include 1) The sequence of introducing gallop from an unknown, prepared rhythm to a known readable symbol; and 2) The ability to read and decode Do-Re-Mi on the staff (without knowing the associated pitch names). With gallop, I utilized several rhythmic warm-up activities (such as the vocal sounds rap) and then the song Oliver Twist to teach the rhythm. The first day with the song, students played the game and read the rhythm via the iconography. Then, we presented gallop as the musical symbol that it is and allowed them to re-interact with the song with the real notes. Decoding Do-Re-Mi was similarly scaffolded in utilizing All Around the Butter Cup to prepare them via the space differential then reading the icons with letter names, then finally again on the staff. This culminated in preparing and presenting So to them in the same sort of sequence.

Element D: Teachers establish and communicate high expectations and use processes to support the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Artifact: Video of a Teaching Sequence (Tempo Transition) | Secondary Placement

Rationale: This video is me giving my students a tool and walking through different scenarios about how to use it, finally applying it to the repertoire we are studying. As I do this, I ask the students to think critically about why we are doing what we are doing. What is the point of it? We have some discussion and I keep them aware of how they are doing the whole process. All the while, I am maintaining high standards for the other elements of music that are known to them (i.e. notes, rhythms, good tone, etc.).

Element E: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership.

Artifact: Photo of Teaching Student Conductors | Secondary Placement

Rationale: This is a photo of me teaching one of our students how to conduct before letting them conduct a run through of the song “Jurassic Park” by John Williams. After I help them with the basics of the form, I begin to play with the ensemble and offer little tempo reinforcements and visual cues to the student conducting. I think it is really important for students to have opportunities in front of the ensemble for multiple reasons. The first is, as the standard notes, to develop leadership skills. While the student was necessarily leading the ensemble in the sense of a teacher role, they were still taking a risk by being the person whom the ensemble looked for time (mostly). The second is that it allows the students to take ownership of their group; it breaks down the barriers between student/player and teacher/conductor. These roles can be flexible and students can assume more responsibility and be a conductor on their own in small groups as well.

Element F: Teachers model and promote effective communication.

Artifact: Concert Day Announcement Home to Families | Secondary Placement

Rationale: Because Ms. Hollenbeck was out recovering from surgery, I was given the opportunity of constructing and sending the letter we used to announce our concert date, time, and information. In doing so, I was practicing and modeling professional and efficient communication to my students. The language choice, formatting, and overall appearance are all ways in which professionalism is conveyed.

Overall Reflection on This Standard

Standard three is where I believe I need the most work. While I think I have made great strides in this standard, there is certainly a lot of room to grow over the course of my career. Delivering instruction that facilitates student learning is certainly the thing that all teachers try to get better at every single day. For me, I’d like to focus on trying to make students independent learners who are curious, persistent, and supportive of one another. In planning my instruction to help aid in this goal, I think giving students more opportunities to apply the learning tools they receive in sequences in leadership roles (or groups) would be helpful. This requires fostering a community of learners that aren’t so dependent on me as the teacher. In order to do this effectively, I think I need to take a wider look at my scope and sequence with my future students.