Phil Kleven Week 8

Week 8 was my biggest week by far. We had our first of two concerts this semester at the high school and all three groups performed 2-3 pieces. This was my first concert as a conductor, and it was a little weird driving to a performance without my violin. I remember joking with the students beforehand that it was easier for me to travel with my baton and scores! I did try to lighten the atmosphere with some jokes because many students were tense. One student had her first performance as concertmaster - the first or lead violinist. The concertmaster always enters the stage last to tune the orchestra after the audience has settled down. She was nearly crippled with anxiety over this. I took her aside right before the performance and offered advice from my own experiences as concertmaster.  I imagine it helped a bit, because she took the stage with confidence and led the string sections very well.

I learned that putting a student in these types of positions can cause stress (one of my social emotional standards), but having these experiences encourages future student leadership in the group. I saw many of the concertmaster's peers excited by her new position, and many will attempt to rise to it in our upcoming auditions for the next school year. Although our class is almost entirely performance based, it is easy to forget that students are not just coming to it to learn how to perform. They are learning how to be musicians and the successful habits that lead to it. I strive to teach them as much about music as I can, but it is important to remember that there are aspects and qualities of music education beyond performance. This includes leadership, discipline, and routine/tradition. I will remember this situation as I place students in my future ensembles. I will need to take great care in the psychology of placing students in certain groups and positions, and the possible side effects of the competitive side of music.

In the week ahead, I hope to learn more about selecting music for my ensembles. So far, I've had a chance to hear auditions, prepare students for concerts, and perform with them. I haven't selected music for the groups though. This is a delicate process that must be taken with care. Selecting music that is too easy can affect the self esteem of a student and can help or hinder performance progress for a group as a whole.

This week, I chose to focus on standard 7 - assessment.

"The competent teacher understands and uses appropriate formative and summative assessments for determining student needs, monitoring student progress, measuring student growth, and evaluating student outcomes. The teacher makes decisions driven by data about curricular and instructional effectiveness and adjusts practices to meet the needs of each student."

I was able to see the effects of all my formative assessments as my students beautifully displayed their summative assessment for an enthusiastic audience. This type of assessment helps students connect and take ownership of their work because they must present it in public. The concert was wonderful in pushing students to practice. The closer we got to the date, the better my ensembles sounded. I was able to measure substantial student growth - from no ability to perform the music to playing so wonderfully that the audience erupted in a standing ovation. 

Goals for the upcoming week:
Watch and discuss performance videos with students
Select new music with confidence
Finish edTPA task three
Apply to jobs (It's early for postings, but there are a few orchestra positions available right now)