Education Reform
Josiah Porter
EDUC 101
11/19/12
Summary Report of Junior High Observations Throughout the week of November 5, 2012, my required observational hours were conducted at Kingsley Junior High School of Unit 5 in Normal, Illinois. I was assigned to observe Music instructor Kathy Vermillion, and I completed a total of five hours over the course of a three day period. Two and a half hours were completed on Monday the 5th, One and a half hours were completed on Tuesday the 6th, and two more hours were finished on the 9th which in all, totals out to five hours. While observing Ms. Kathy Vermillion, I noted a few key things that made Kathy stand out as an exceptional teacher. She was able to effectively communicate with students, she also used positive reinforcement to uphold standards for students in her class, and in addition she had an interactive type of method when it came to discipline in the classroom. As a steady flow of students rushed into her class attempting to avoid tardiness, she quietly awaited at her desk while filing a few documents away, greeting each student respectively. Once every student retrieved their sheet music from the community cabinets, she gained the students’ attention by repeating a series of claps in which the students responded by repeating the exact same pattern. After quieting the class, she would take roll and commence to start her lesson. Considering the fact Ms. Vermillion is a music instructor, her lessons would begin with general announcements of upcoming due dates, then the class as a whole would go into basic vocal warm- ups. After warm- ups, the class would rehearse different selections of music. During rehearsal is when Ms. Vermillion’s teaching skills were greatly displayed. She had the ability to not only play the piano and direct her students simultaneously, but also hear when a student was singing off- key, or any other musical flaws within her twenty- five voice choir. When an issue did
EDUC 101
11/19/12
Summary Report of Junior High Observations Throughout the week of November 5, 2012, my required observational hours were conducted at Kingsley Junior High School of Unit 5 in Normal, Illinois. I was assigned to observe Music instructor Kathy Vermillion, and I completed a total of five hours over the course of a three day period. Two and a half hours were completed on Monday the 5th, One and a half hours were completed on Tuesday the 6th, and two more hours were finished on the 9th which in all, totals out to five hours. While observing Ms. Kathy Vermillion, I noted a few key things that made Kathy stand out as an exceptional teacher. She was able to effectively communicate with students, she also used positive reinforcement to uphold standards for students in her class, and in addition she had an interactive type of method when it came to discipline in the classroom. As a steady flow of students rushed into her class attempting to avoid tardiness, she quietly awaited at her desk while filing a few documents away, greeting each student respectively. Once every student retrieved their sheet music from the community cabinets, she gained the students’ attention by repeating a series of claps in which the students responded by repeating the exact same pattern. After quieting the class, she would take roll and commence to start her lesson. Considering the fact Ms. Vermillion is a music instructor, her lessons would begin with general announcements of upcoming due dates, then the class as a whole would go into basic vocal warm- ups. After warm- ups, the class would rehearse different selections of music. During rehearsal is when Ms. Vermillion’s teaching skills were greatly displayed. She had the ability to not only play the piano and direct her students simultaneously, but also hear when a student was singing off- key, or any other musical flaws within her twenty- five voice choir. When an issue did