Phil Kleven Week 2

Week 2 can best be summed up in one word... reality. The kids are used to me and being a "real" teacher has officially started. I'm teaching a pretty heavy load - three orchestras of grades 9-12 and three orchestras at the middle school (6-8). I spent a lot of time rehearsing and working with groups at the middle school this week. Fortunately my high school students are taking finals, so there was some time to catch up on grading. 

My cooperating teacher demonstrated many successful techniques this week. Most notably, she helped me see how rehearsing smaller sections of music with the students was more effective. She would rehearse a song while I watched, and I would take the next song, mimicking many of her strategies. I learned that I can better hold student attention when they play less music, and they retain and apply instructions more efficiently. 

One interesting behavioral situation took place this week. We didn't talk much about behavioral management in previous Trinity classes, but I knew I would encounter some issues. With the students getting to know me better, they are testing their boundaries. Their regular teacher is very tough, but also has fun with them. The 7th grade group was a bit chatty (during my evaluation), and I had to calm them down. Thankfully they listen well, but need constant reminders. 

I learned several new techniques and strategies this week. First, I spent considerable time working with my cooperating teacher on my conducting technique. When I conduct the ensemble, there are many different ways I can move my arms to convey moods, signal instrumental entrances (cues), and direct sounds. After watching several videos of my conducting, I was able to move my pattern to a more suitable location and students responded in a positive, musical way. 

I'm also learning more about the importance of student roles in the classroom. Certain middle school students take care of daily tasks (attendance, setup, tuning, etc.). The students who help in the class are generally very positive and have a sense of pride in the classroom. I see them becoming leaders in the orchestra, but also in the school. As we teach high school too, I predict these students will become ambassadors for the higher level groups, taking on greater and greater roles. 

In the week ahead, I hope to learn more from the videos my cooperating teacher is taking. I'm learning a lot about my conducting style, and the more I watch these videos, the quicker I'm able to make small changes for the better. I also hope to discover more about student learning strategies at the high school level. I'll be taking over for my cooperating teacher next Thursday and Friday, and I want to do a great job with the high school students. I now know that I can utilize a few different instructional strategies. First, I can be a lot bossier with the students. If something doesn't sound good, I have to stop the ensemble and let them know. The students actually seem to like it when I get picky with their sound. I'll also do a better job of addressing all the sections. I tend to pick on the violins because their music is the hardest, but it is important to address other sections so they don't feel neglected (especially the basses!). 

Standard Connection: 

Standard 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge – The competent teacher has in-depth understanding of content area knowledge that includes central concepts, methods of inquiry, structures of the disciplines, and content area literacy. The teacher creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge, and evidence-based practice. 


In week 2, I focused on standard 2 - content area and pedagogical knowledge. I'm jumping into fairly high level classes that require considerable pedagogical knowledge. There are many ways to instruct an orchestra, but the way comments are phrased can elicit expected or unexpected sounds from the ensemble. My cooperating teacher is really helping me understand best practices for orchestra, and to develop solid pedagogical strategies. Not only do I need to have a firm understanding of performance strategies for student instrumentalists, but I also must develop my own pedagogical strategies. Some are developing naturally and others are coming directly from my cooperating teacher. I'm quite the perfectionist, and love hearing feedback about what is going well, and what isn't working. 

·      Goals for the upcoming week
- Recognize when I'm losing student attention and shift activities
- Continue to develop my teacher voice (without losing my voice)
- Continue to complete my lesson plans to prepare for the edTPA

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