Classroom Management

With middle school, keep it SIMPLE! Here is the long 

version of my classroom management style

Classroom Management

-Statement of Purpose:

Our classroom will bring students and teacher together for the

learning, creating, and appreciation of music. This will happen

in a safe, respectful, and cooperating environment to aid each

student in their quest for knowledge and skill.

-Rules:

1) Come on time and be prepared for class

2) Respect and care for one another.

3) Be responsible for your actions.

4) Respect our classroom and all instruments and equipment

-What to expect (A Love and Logic Classroom):

1) I will treat you with respect so you will know how to treat me

2) Feel free to do anything that doesn’t cause a problem for anyone else.

3) If you cause a problem, I will ask you to solve it

4) If you can’t solve the problem, or chose not to, I will do something

5) What I do will depend on the special person and the special situation

6) If you feel something is unfair, speak to me “I’m not sure that’s fair” and we will talk

-Class Entry:

1) Entry Respectfully 

2) Check board for instructions and agenda

3) Get out instruments

4) Prepare yourself, your instrument, and your music

5) Warm up

-Class Dismissal:

1) Do not pack up until told

2) Carefully put away instruments

3) Clean up your area

4) Wait for dismissal

Artifact 10 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #10


Title of Artifact: Solo Ensemble Preparation
Date Experienced Completed: January-March 2008

Description of Artifact:
In spring 2008, while I was pre-student teaching at Platteville Middle
School, I got the experience of helping plan for this event. I had no idea what
kind of preparation has to go into planning a huge event like this. I was given
many tasks. One of these tasks was taking the students participating in solo
ensemble, and setting up times to work with their piano players. I had to take
the schedules from the orchestra teacher, and choir teacher, and make sure
student’s lessons didn’t overlap. This was challenging as many students are in
multiple events for each area (voice, band and choir)! Students were to meet
with their piano player two-four times before solo ensemble. What made the
job even more difficult was the fact that the piano players had only certain
times they could be there. My artifact is the actual schedules I made with the
student’s lesson times, and a note that was to be sent home with the schedule to
the student’s parents. Students were responsible for their own lesson time. So I
hung copies of the schedule all over the band area.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Ten: Collaboration:
Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community. I chose this
because during this planning process, I had to be in constant communication
with the students, teachers, and parents of Platteville Middle School. Each area
of music had its own room where it was to be performed. This way, a judge
who plays saxophone could judge the saxophones, and know what he/she is
talking about. The rooms were divided as follows: all vocal solos, all vocal non-
solos (duets, trios, quartet, and chamber works), all string instruments,
clarinet/saxophone/flue, trombone/euphonium, tuba/trumpet, percussion, and
piano solo/duets. In order to get all the rooms straight, we had to talk with all
the other teachers in the school and make sure it was ok to use their rooms for
the day. We had to take everything out of their rooms, and mark it with the
appropriate signs. This required mass collaboration with not only the teachers,
but also the custodial staff, and principal.
There also has to be constant communication with the other music
faculty. We are all planning this together, and all arrangements and changes
need to made public so everyone involved can keep up with the most up to
date corrections.
We also got the task of conveying all the information to the participating
schools. For Platteville’s district, this meant Belmont, Lancaster, Richland
Center, River Valley/Spring Green, and Bluff View Middle Schools. I personally
didn’t get to send information to these schools, but I got to witness all the paper
work that was constantly being shipped there.
And lastly, I got to communicate with the community. They are always
looking for helpers for these events. Someone to watch the doors, quiet people
in the hallway, hang up scores, and many other tasks that need to be filled that
day. I got the assignment of contacting the college community and looking for
volunteers. It was a hard assignment because most college kids don’t like to
give up their Saturdays. We also asked for help from the music boosters, and the
parents of the students (as you can see from my artifact).

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with KSD4.c.-Communicates with Families, because
we are continuously updating the parents on the student’s progress, and when
the student’s next lesson is being held. We also need to convey the specific
details for the day so parents know when and where their children need to be to
be heard by the judge. SD4.d. -Contributes to the School and District, because
one of my tasks for this artifact was finding and arranging volunteers to work
this festival. It also involved organizing different school districts, teachers,
parents, and students to come together for one unified event. And KSD4.f.
Shows Professionalism, because it was my duty to help prepare the student to
the best of their abilities. By working with and preparing these students, they
gain not only a good learning experience, but also confidence to know that they
can succeed in other aspects of life. They also learn time management, and
good practicing technique, which will serve them for their future in, and outside
of music.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned a lot about organization! You have to have everything in order
for this to run smoothly. I learned that not everyone is as flexible as they expect
you to be, and you have to be ready for that. By planning as many scenarios as
possible, you can best prepare for the unexpected. I observed how a community
can come together to help host an event that means so much to the students.
Most importantly, I learned how much work it takes to get something like this
together, even if the event only takes eight hours to complete.
It was such a wonderful experience! I had been to solo ensemble so
many times myself as a participant, that it was nice to see it from a different
perspective. I now have a new found respect for all the hours and organization
that goes into planning such a large event.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:

I learned that students can improve greatly with motivation. By having
this deadline, and the goal of getting a good score, children that don’t excel
above average in band, found themselves practicing everyday, and striving to
always be better. It is my personal philosophy that this is how students should
always feel. Many of the students did really great, but nerves got the best of
some of them. It was a really good learning experience for the students, and I
am really glad I got to observe it from a “teacher’s” perspective. Getting to
watch the students from the very beginning when they picked out their solos, to
the very end when they did their best for the judges, was something just short of
astonishing to me. I can’t wait to have students of my own, and watch them
grow and develop into young musicians!

Artifact 9 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #9


Title of Artifact: Reflecting on a lesson plan
Date Experienced Completed: Spring 2007

Description of Artifact:
In the music education class “Elementary Music for Music Education
Majors”, we write mock lessons plans and present them to the class. We are
given a topic, and make a lesson plan for a targeted elementary grade (K-4). We
then give that lesson plan to the college class, as if the college students were
children from that targeted elementary grade, and see if our lesson plan would
be effective or not. My lesson plan was about teaching a song and dance called
“Blue Bird, Blue Bird, on My Window”, to a class of second graders. The lesson
plan describes teaching the class the simple song line by line. It was easy to
teach because it was to the tune of “Ten Little Indians”. Once the words were
learned, teaching the dance was as easy as putting motions with the words. The
college students acted like second graders-by moving around a lot and not
thinking like college students. They asked questions like second graders-if
something wasn’t completely explained, they weren’t allowed to make
assumptions, they had to react exactly the way it was presented. And they
misbehaved like second graders- by not keeping their hands and feet to
themselves, talking out of turn, and sometimes saying inappropriate things. But,
the song and dance were successfully learned by the end of the hour.
After executing the lesson plan, we had to write a reflection about how
the lesson plan went. Things we liked, things we disliked, and things we will
change or keep when we use it in a real classroom. We also had to access how
we handled the lesson, how we handled the class, and whether it would work
in a real classroom or not.
In this reflection, I addressed things I liked about this lesson plan. I
thought it moved at a really good pace for second graders. This would keep the
class actively involved the whole time. It was set up so that if anyone had a
question, the question could be answered by the class doing that certain part
over again. It moved fast enough that the students would be engaged the whole
class period, but moved at a pace that was easy to learn, and follow at a second
grade level. A second grade level means learning the pitches of the song by
listening to the teacher. It is slowly paced, and the children can learn at their
own speed. They learn the words with the pitches, but if necessary, the words
could be written on the board, or read from a book. I learned that there wasn’t
much to dislike about this lesson plan. It moved so smoothly. As for things that I
would change, I know that every child learns differently. If there was a child
with special needs, I would accommodate that. A child with a physical
disability could do a modified dance, or help me play an easy instrument to
accompany the song. A child with a learning disability could still learn this song
and dance. I wouldn’t expect it to be perfect, but the dance is easy enough, that
with a little help remembering what comes next, it could be executed with the
other students. I feel I handled the lesson well. What needed to be learned was
learned, and the students even had some fun with it. As for handling the class,
college students are NO WHERE near what a second grade class would be.
College classmates, being my peers, did and said things no second grade class
would do. Granted, a second grader may stop in the middle of the dance and
ask where babies come from, but it would be handled by the class differently
then the college students. I feel this lesson would be completely feasible for a
second grade classroom. Easy songs and dances are the focal point for second
and third grade general music classes. This song and dance is completely
plausible for a second grade class, and I would use it in my classroom. The song
is well known, and the words are repetitive. This song fulfills Wisconsin Music
Standard 1: Students in Wisconsin will sing, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Nine: Reflection: Teachers
are able to evaluate themselves. I align it this way because that is exactly what
my artifact is, evaluating myself. In this artifact, I have looked at my lesson plan
from a third party stance, and evaluated the positive and negative aspects of it.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with KS4.a-Reflects on Teaching. In my evaluation of
my teaching this lesson plan, I looked at the effective aspects, as well as the
things that need to be changed for future use. Effective things, like the pace at
which the lesson plan was given, can be kept. Things that may need to be
changed, for example, if there is a student with special needs, can be adjusted,
and adapted to future classrooms. In this reflection, I was able to look at my
teaching experience and give an evaluation that showed both negative and
positive experiences. Positive experiences like being able to control a classroom
with classroom management skills. And negative experiences, like not breaking
down the dance in small enough chunks the first time, and losing some of the
class. By being able to make these changes, and evaluations, I feel it will
increase the success rate of this lesson plan in future situations.
My artifact also aligns with KSD4.e-Grows and Develops Professionally. I
am always aware and willing to take the opportunity to improve and further the
teaching skills. I know that there will always be something different I can try. I
know that there will always be ways to better myself, and my teaching methods.
I use this to constantly evaluate myself, and teachers around me. I pull ideas
from teachers that have inspired me, and cast aside things I would never do in a
classroom. Only from self evaluation can we fully develop our teaching skills.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned so much from this experience. I learned that a classroom of
college students can in no way prepare you for an elementary classroom!  I
learned that the best experiences you can have as an education student is with a
real classroom. Observing, teaching, and evaluating.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
The main thing I learned is that I can write a lesson plan, teach that
lesson plan, and evaluate myself critically. Peers can give you all the feedback
in the world, but until you sit down, and look at what you are doing, you can
never really grasp your effectiveness in the classroom. I was really nervous to
teach this lesson plan, because I thought it was going to need more time than
the class hour allotted. As we started going, I realized it was going to fine, and
could really have fun with the lesson. I learned to take a good hard look at how
I am teaching, and the ways I can improve, or compliment myself. By doing this
evaluation, I was pleased with just how much I have created my own style of
teaching. When I started to teach, I tried to be just like teachers that I had, that
had inspired me. But now I feel like I have taken the positive ideas they had
instilled in me, and adapted them to my own way of teaching. I really liked
writing this evaluation. I feel I learned effective tools for the future.

Artifact 8 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #8


Title of Artifact: Mock Solo Ensemble at High School
Date Experienced Completed: Spring 2008

Description of Artifact:
High school music students at Platteville high School spend a large
chunk of second semester preparing for solo ensemble. This means picking out
a solo, working through all the notes and rhythms, and eventually getting it
together with a piano player. The students are expected to work on this music
between lessons on their own.
There are many different and difficult aspects of a solo preparation, and
the best way to test them all at the same time is to perform them as much as
possible. Music teachers want to make sure that every study is progressing on
their solo. A great way of testing this is with something called “Mock Solo
Ensemble.” This is where the student plays through their solo at different stages
of learning it. They play it for the teacher and another judge who can offer
comments and a “score” just as they would receive at the real solo ensemble.
While I was pre-student teaching, I got to be one of those judges. My
artifact is a blank comment sheet, and a comment sheet that I filled out for one
of the students playing their solo. The comment sheet is very versatile. It can be
used to provide comments, give a numerical score, or as a peer evaluation
sheet. No matter how it is used, the student will learn from it, and grow as a
musician.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Eight: Assessment:
Teachers know how to test for student progress. I aligned it this way because
when you have a comment sheet that lays out what is needed at this stage of
solo development, you can fully asses what needs to be worked on, and what is
going well. This is an excellent tool for music teachers because it is the same
sheet a real judge at solo ensemble would use, and you can best prepare the
students for the real thing through thorough and accurate assessment. It also
comes in very handy with peer evaluation. I feel peer evaluation is important
because the peers evaluating not only assess the player, but also reflect on their
own performance. They have to use the knowledge they have gained through
assessment to correctly evaluate their peers. By having this sheet, students can
know and understand exactly what needs to be worked on, and what the judges
will be listening for. These comment sheets can also be used with everyday
playing for defined evaluation from the teacher.
This form of assessment takes aspects from both formal and informal
assessment. Formal, because it is taking the students and breaking their playing
down into points, and comparing them to other students. By setting the standard
of “A senior in high school should be able to score a “1” on a class B solo”, you
have set that bar of achievement. When a student does better or worse, they are
above or below average, like in standardized testing. The teacher has data to
support these conclusions.
It can also be considered informal assessment because it is performance
based. Especially when being assessed by peers without being assigned a grade.
You can’t set a standard for how everyone plays something. Music isn’t as easy
to grade as more content-based subjects. It’s all subjective. Anyone can read a
note on a page, it’s how you play that note, or add emotion to that note, that
makes it different than everyone else’s. It’s more than just content based.
I feel this form of evaluation is a good mix of both because there are too
many variables (grade, instrument, judge, years played, etc.) to standardize
musical ability. You have to identify performance objectives, instruct the
objectives, and assess based on their completion.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with a couple KSDs. KSD1.f-Assesses Student
Learning. I align it this way because comment sheets that are arranged in this
manner are very clear, and completely state the goals you’re trying to
accomplish. It is organized, and lays out exactly what objectives the students
should work on. KSD3.d- Provides Feedback to Students, because that is
exactly what a comment sheet is. It is a reference point for feedback for the
student. You can be as precise as you need to be. It is also something the
student can take with them, and look back on when practicing. It would serve
as a good source to show parents their child’s progression during parent teacher
meetings. You can take the sheets from the different weeks, and show the
parents how their child’s scores have changed. KSD4.b-Maintains Accurate
Records, because these comments are now recorded. They can be filed, and
referenced back to if needed. At the end of the semester, you can take out all
the comment sheets and look through to see if their scores have progressed.
This can help assess student improvement. If their scores have progressively
gotten better, this means that they are growing and practicing at a steady rate. If
their scores are stagnant, this could indicate that the student didn’t prepare to
their fullest.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned where to find helpful assessment tips online, and where to
download these comment sheets from the WSMA (Wisconsin State Music
Association) website. Also, I learned from an outside perspective how much
nerves play into a performance. I observed the most talented students making
errors on easiest parts because they were nervous, and they knew they were
being judged. It really made me appreciate why we were doing this: so we
could prepare them for the real thing. Solo ensemble is just a small part of their
music education, but it is one of the hardest parts of being a high school
musician. For some students it is their first time being judged on their playing.
By doing this mock solo ensemble, we help them take that first baby step
towards professional evaluation.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
The biggest thing I learned about myself as a future music teacher is that I
feel comfortable assessing problems. I feel confident enough to listen to
instruments I don’t play, and assess what needs to be done to make their
performance step up a notch. I thought I was going to have a hard time
assessing brass, being a woodwind player, but I realized that the fundamentals
of music are there no matter what instrument you play. Even if you can’t
completely give alternate fingerings on the trumpet, you can explain dynamics
and tempo, or that small articulation that will really make a difference in their
playing. I enjoyed doing this because it made me think about all those method
classes I took in college. To accurately assess a student, I really need to draw
forth everything I’ve learned in college, and apply it all together!

Artifact 7 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #7

Title of Artifact: Lesson Plans for All Ages
Date Experienced Completed: Fall 2008

Description of Artifact:
While student teaching at Wisconsin Dells High School and Middle School, I
realized just how many lesson plans teachers have to make every week. My artifact
is two lesson plans I made while student teaching. One lesson was for the 6th grade
beginning band at Spring Hill Middle School. I taught a lesson about time
signatures where we worked on playing in 3/4 time. And one was for the
upperclassmen band, Symphony Band, at Wisconsin Dells High School. I ran a full
band rehearsal where we worked on “Suite in Bb” by Gordon Jacob.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Seven: Instructional Planning. I
aligned it this way because lesson plans are instructional planning!  This standard
talks about knowing the subject, pupils and instructional goals enough to plan
different types of lesson plans. In this artifact, I have two very different lesson plans.
One is for a beginning band, and the other is for the most advanced band. This
really shows not only the diversity of the subject and ages, but also on what the
final instructional goal is. The lesson for the young band focuses on them learning
something generic. Understanding basic musical concepts. While the lesson for the
advanced musicians is something that requires knowledge, practice, and abstract
rhythmic thinking. They are two very different lessons that meet two very different
educational needs.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with KSD1.c-Selects Instructional goals. I feel this because
the goals set in these lesson plans are made to be easily assessed. Music teachers
have it very lucky. When students get advanced enough to start to separate into
those who get it, and those who are struggling, band music modifies itself. By
creating different parts (i.e. Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3) students get
challenged to their own ability while still reaching the class goals, and state
standards.
I also feel it aligns with KS1.e-Designs Coherent Instruction because both
lesson plans set goals, and take the proper steps to reaching those instructional
goals. The lessons take into account the age and experience of the students, and
sets goals appropriate to ability and school standards.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned a lot about forward planning and organization! You have to be
organized to have full band rehearsal. You have to be able to make progress
everyday, no matter how big or small that progress is. And lessons change! You
don’t have to stick to a lesson to the word. Let the class take you where it needs to
go. If you go further then your lesson plan, that’s great. If you don’t accomplish
everything, hopefully you taught them something else towards your overall goal.
I learned how much you have to know about your students to write lesson
plans. For full band rehearsal, you have to know what sections need the most work.
And for beginning band, you need to know how far they can get in an hour.
And the biggest lesson is time management! You have to get really good at
estimating how long it will take your students to learn something. I found that I
would rather have too much planned, so you always have somewhere to go, rather
than not enough, leaving you scrambling in front of your class. I’m good at pacing
and time filling.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
I learned that I have the ability to plan really detailed lesson plans, and execute
them in the allotted amount of time. I learned that I really know my students, and
know their abilities and weaknesses. I made the lessons so that we could start with
something to get their attention, then work on some really tricky passages, and end
it all on a positive note so they leave feeling good about what they have
accomplished. Not all my lesson plans are this detailed, but I found I like to write
as much as I can. I set lots of tasks, but in bitable amounts.

Artifact 6 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #6

Title of Artifact: “Music Family” PowerPoint
Date Experienced Completed: Spring 2005

Description of Artifact:
Education majors take a class called “Computer Applications in
Education”. In this class you learn how to use computer programs you will be
encountering when you are a teacher. You learn Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint,
Word, how to use a Mail Merge, how to create a calendar, and many other
applications. For this class, I made all of my assignments as if I were a music
teacher. One of the assignments was to create a PowerPoint of the topic of our
choice. I chose to make a PowerPoint explaining the different sections of a
band/orchestra. I explain them as a “Music Family”, and how each section is
unique.
I break them into the separate sections of a band/orchestra. I explain:
woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboards, and strings. I took pictures of them
all, and compare them to each other within the respective “family”. An
example: When I explained the woodwinds, I divided them into “high winds”
and “low winds”. The high winds consist of: piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn,
Eb/alto/and Bb clarinets, and soprano/alto saxophone. Within this “high winds”
family, I show pictures of each one, and how they all differ, but belong to the
same family. A piccolo and a flute are both long, silver instruments that like to
play high, and have a beautiful tone. The clarinets are made from wood. They
all look a little different from each other. The clarinet is the “section leader” of
the band, meaning that they are the ones in charge of tuning, and they are the
section that usually gets the recognizable melody. The saxophones are made
from brassy metals. Like the clarinet, the bigger they are, the lower they sound.
Saxophones are used a lot in jazz. They have a very airy sound, and like to play
fast. Oboes and English horns are made from long pieces of wood, and have a
very nasally sound. If you hear an oboe, you can instantly tell what it is. It has
one of the most unique sounds of the band. I explain that although they are all
different, they are part of the same family. They are called “woodwinds”
because a long time ago, when they were first invented, they were all either
made of wood, or played on wooden mouthpieces. They all have a beautiful,
lyric sound, unlike the harsh brassy sound from the brass section. They all like
to play high, and they are some of the most popular instruments in the band.
This PowerPoint is full of slides just like the examples I have given. It is a
detailed, yet easy to understand breakdown of the instruments. It could be used
in elementary general classrooms to introduce the instruments to the students,
in a high school general music class to get more in depth when learning about
score order, or in a middle school to help the beginning band students choose
what instrument they might want to play. This PowerPoint is very versatile, and
is something I will use in my classroom.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Six: Communication:
Teachers Communicate Well. I aligned it this way because standard six talks
about using verbal and non-verbal communication as well as technology to
teach, and encourage interaction. To make this a fully successful lesson plan, I
would actually bring in the instruments or a recording of the instrument being
played. I would create a “musical petting zoo”, so the children would be able to
interact with the instruments, and see them up close and personal.
As for technology, I feel PowerPoint is a very effective use of technology,
and a very effective way to communicate everything that needs to be said,
while keeping it interesting, and actively engaging the children. This
PowerPoint can be given to any music teacher, and be used in any classroom,
and the information is still accurate, and timeless.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with KS3.a-Communicates Clearly and Accurately. I
chose this because the PowerPoint uses language accessible to the students.
Any new language introduced is clearly defined so the students can learn it, and
adapt it into their music vocabulary. By using pictures, sound, and text, you can
appeal to many different forms of learning. It has been adapted to that any
student can take something from it. Advanced student will walk out of the
classroom, and be able to describe each family in detail. Other students may
walk out and know that there are different sounds in the band, and instruments
all look different to get different sounds. The younger students will appreciate
the pictures and sounds, and the older students will appreciate the text and
content.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned that I love making PowerPoints! I feel it is a very efficient and
interactive way to make your lesson plan stick! They are easy to make, and fun
to share. They can also be easily changed and adapted to any need you may
have. You can also print them to hand them out, or send them to parents over
email. I feel PowerPoints are one of the most versatile technology options
teachers nowadays have.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
I learned that I can fully and clearly explain the sections of a
band/orchestra. Through my experiences in instrumental technique classes, and
being in a band and orchestra for many years, I can break down, and compare
and contrast the instruments all students of music should know. I also learned
that by making a PowerPoint, you learn the information better yourself. You
have to think critically about how you are going to project the information so
that all students can learn and understand. You have to take into consideration
anything that might alter the lesson, such as disabilities of students, or grade
level you are presenting to. I learned that when it comes to introducing
instruments, this multi-media venue is my lesson of choice!

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.