Artifact 5 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #5


Title of Artifact: Managing Outside the Classroom
Date Experienced Completed: Fall 2008

Description of Artifact:
While student teaching at Wisconsin Dells High School, I had many, many
opportunities to teach outside the classroom! I think that being a band teacher is
one of the only teaching positions that has a lot of out of the classroom activities.
Marching band, halftime shows, pep bands, concerts, and extra performances. This
artifact is a series of pictures from my time teaching outside the classroom. I have
pictures from the following events:
1.) Pep band, played in the gym at the high school.
2.) Fall marching band concert, played in the gym at the high school.
3.) We had Japanese teachers come to the school and teach the students
about Japanese life, music and dance. I got to help teach the 6th graders a
traditional Japanese dance called “Tan-Ko Bushi”.
4.) 6th grade beginning band concert, played in the gym at the middle school.
5.) When Wisconsin Dells re-opened County A after it had been washed
away with the draining of Lake Delton, WI Governor Jim Doyle was there
to cut the ribbon. At his request, the band was there to play. It was ten
degrees Fahrenheit, and the biggest problems were instruments and
students freezing. Our most challenging outing yet.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Five: Environment. I feel this
because standard five is about managing a classroom using self-motivation and
creating a safe learning atmosphere. As a music educator, you realize that the
average band you teach is way bigger then a normal classroom. Here in the Dells,
we have 90 students in the symphony band. You would never run into an English
room with 90 students in it. And when you move these students out of the
classroom setting into a performance or activity situation, it makes classroom
management that much more important.
All these outside of school activities and performances require tons of
planning and preparation. They have to be organized, and executed precisely for
student safety and to obtain the goal of the outing. It’s not just about classroom
management; it’s about the preparation needed for classroom management. You
have to be accountable for every child. When you have something like a concert,
classroom management is more formal. The students are dressed nice, and you are
there to perform for the parents and the community. But when you play at a pep
band it has a whole different feel to it. The band is sitting next to the student
section, and now you have all these outside influences on the band students. It is a
very relaxed setting. Students are watching the game. There is a bigger chance of
something going wrong at a pep band, just because there are so many other
students to influence or contribute to the “classroom”.
But all of these situations outside the classroom still need the elements of the
everyday classroom. Respect, responsibility, and personal accountability follow us
everywhere we go. The students understand this. That is why we are able to do so
much with them.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with many KSDs. KSD2.b-Establishes a culture for learning,
because that is what every teacher strives to create. When you have a concert, the
student can’t help but walk of stage knowing they accomplished something great.
The weeks or months before a performance the student will make large strides in
improvement. Improvement they can actually hear and measure for themselves. I
feel KSD2.c-Manages classroom procedures, and KSD2.d-Manages student
behavior, go together because once classroom procedures have been established
student behavior management will take care of itself. The band room has a rule of
mutual respect. You respect your peers, you respect your teachers, and you respect
yourself. All other discipline areas fall into those categories. The band room has
always been a safe place for students to learn, and to find a place to belong.
And lastly, it aligns with KS2.e-Organizes physical space. When you have 163
students to cram into a small section of bleachers, you have to organize space the
most effective way. In and out of the classroom, you need to not only organize
students where they will learn their best, but also where they will play their best.
This means knowing each student and what they can and cannot handle in a
classroom. Do they need more wiggle room? Do they need to sit next to someone
who can help keep them in their place? You have to take each student and put him
or her where they are going to have the most success.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned some really important things from all these experiences. One very
important lesson is that “HotHands” personal hand warmers, when wrapped
around valve instruments, will keep instruments from freezing up. This absolutely
saved us when played for the governor.
I also learned 6th graders love to dance. When we brought the Japanese
teacher in and taught the 6th graders the dances, they were so cooperative and
respectful. I learned what a fun lesson can do for classroom management. You
don’t have to be sitting still to have the students behave.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
I learned just how excited I am to perform so much. It’s kind of backwards in
music education. While in other subjects you have time to study and prepare
before a final exam, in music, you are thrown in the first week with a field show.
You have more performances in the beginning with less preparation. Within the
first month of school you could have four half time shows, two parades, and maybe
even a school pep assembly.
I also learned just how much exposure you get as a music teacher. When you
do a field show, you have more people in the audience then you will probably
have at any concert. Other teachers are there. Lots of your student’s peers are there.
Parents and administration are there. Your students’ progress is being monitored by
everyone that comes to a football game, or a parade. And thankfully, band kids are
up to the challenge.
I learned a lot about placing students where they are going to excel. Some
students need to be placed where they can feel comfortable playing out. Some
need to be placed where they can watch and model the student next to them.
There are a million and one combinations. You just have to keep trying until you
and the students get it right.