Laura Matthews, principal of Ruth Brown Elementary School, has been placed on administrative leave, according to Superintendent Charles Bush of the Palo Verde Unified School District.…
I observed Mrs. Ball’s 7th grade science class at Helen Tyson Middle School on Thursday November 5, 2015. The classroom had a great climate and was decorated with interesting scientific educational material. She had the desks set up in organized rows with two kids per table. This set up allowed for less interaction between the kids because they were so spaced out, which seemed to keep them on task. The dynamics in the classroom were great. She connected well with each student and was interested in what they had to say. She was very in control of the class and the students seemed to respond well to her. The students interacted pleasantly with one another and were were all very welcoming. They came into class, sat down, and got right to work.…
After she figured out she wanted to teach elementary school she went back to college for her masters in education, a fourteen-month degree. Deaton financed her many years of university by working and living at home to save money, as well as scholarships. Deaton went on to say that any kind of small and personal classes were her most enjoyable. She very much disliked large lecture classes, Econ 150 was an example she used. I finally moved on to asking what inspired her to become a teacher. Deaton’s father is a college professor while her mother is a special education teacher, she said that it was always assumed she would become a teacher. However, it did take her quite a bit of time to come to the same conclusion. I believe it was a mixture of many influences and circumstances. Deaton holds a Post Grad professional license pre-k to general education and a common core vocal music license. I asked her what kind of problems she faced at a student teacher she replied that learning how to control a classroom was the most difficult part. We moved on to present day, Deaton’s favorite things about her job are the many possibilities she can take to make a difference in the students…
It is important for teachers to know what the community, school, and statistics are before deciding to apply at a school. Knowing these facts, can help teachers decide whether or not the school is the best place for them to work at knowing their abilities. A teacher can use these facts to help benefit them in the interview and in the classroom. Creating a game plan to attack the educational areas in need will help make the teaching experience easier. Let’s say the teacher is applying to Hillcrest Elementary School part of the Revere School District. Exploring the community around Revere is also essential in understanding what the populations of people who go to Revere are. A teacher will need to research…
The organisation is Oxford Spires Academy which is a large school based in Cowley. It consists of around 1000 students aged between 11 and 19. It is currently run by Principal Miss Sue Croft who took over the school in January 2011. The school offers a wide range of courses from academic to vocational. Music is one of the performing arts subjects on offer which is compulsory for years 7 and 8 then optional choice for years 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The course gets about 5-8% of students in that year group selecting to continue it on to GCSE or A levels which gives classes of about 9 -12 students. This gives between 150-250 student music lessons a weeks. The school originally was failing GCSE’s and was then turned into an academy to try and improve GCSE results. The fact that the management team are concerned about GCSE results is putting music tuition under threat in school as students are missing lessons. A lot of…
Prior to actually stepping foot into the classroom, I was not prepared to deal with the kinds of real problems that many of my students were facing. Problems such as abuse, neglect, hunger, out-all-night mothers, and jailed fathers were and still are common for many of them. When I found that many of these children performed below expectations in their academic classes, I eagerly began to try to find ways to assist. As a music educator, I began teaching and composing songs and chants to help motivate students to do their best and make big dreams, regardless of social issues that affect them. I began to collaborate with their home room teachers to incorporate the areas that needed reinforcement into my…
Effective instruction requires teachers to be knowledgeable of the content in which they are teaching. When instruction is effective teachers are aware of different learning styles along with the various methods of teaching strategies to meet the needs of the all students. At Deerfield Beach High School we use a common board configuration in our reading department that I feel is very effective. Everyone uses the same terminology along with the same format. Collaborative planning plays a big role in our effective instruction. The learning goal and learning is clearly stated in student friendly vocabulary so that students can understand and own them. Students have a very clear understanding of what the long and short term goals are and what…
I would like to be in the PLTW Pathway at Folsom Middle School for many reasons. My teacher, Mr.Schiele, teaches us PLTW. He won the 2015-2016 PLTW Teacher of the Year Award of the State of California. We (the students) are proud of him. We have more hands-on experience. The students actually do it themselves. Now, it's up to you and your group. Your teacher is only to help you. PLTW is different than other subjects: the teacher doesn't tell you what to do, you do. You find the answer and you solve the problem. PLTW also builds essential skills for life: like teamwork and creative thinking. These skills will help me later in life. PLTW and STEM are the foundation of my learning. The Pathway is the road to my…
My Jr High choir teacher, Mrs. Bradbury, was the most challenging teacher I have ever had. She would never cut the choir a break, and never stopped pushing us to be our best; “I can’t” was not acceptable to her. I hated her with every fiber of my being, and every time she spoke all I wanted to do was sew her lips together. It wasn’t until the beginning of ninth grade when I realized she was amazing. Once I let my guard down, we instantly connected. Recognizing how much I loved to sing and becoming one of the top singers in my choir was thanks to her. I started working for hours every day on my songs, staying late after class for help, and going to voice lessons. I excelled exponentially and Mrs. Bradbury noticed it.…
Elementary schools and high schools across the U.S. have lately suffered from financial strain. Because of this, budget cuts have to be made and music programs often suffer before sports and academics. Although some people believe that music is not a key component in preparing for employment and higher education, yet several others express otherwise, who say music has been shown to stimulate other parts of a student’s mind that can help them excel. Statistics have shown that the correlation between music class and other academia is not only positive for students, but also can improve future scholastic abilities, and thus should not be cut from schools. Through the evaluation of various sources it becomes clear that students will suffer consequences such as losing the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument, a tool that can be used to boost grades in classes and improve every-day reasoning.…
I believe teaching individuals about singing, playing instruments, moving, composing and listening is incredibly important, ranging from infants through to adults, but starting in early childhood would be most beneficial for long term benefits. These key elements contribute significantly in developing their music skills and knowledge; contributing to their education on a more broad scale (Broad, 2007 pg23); and/or assisting the student’s emotional/mental development.…
On a cold December afternoon, a shy 10 year old waited with her family in a quaint restaurant. She sat nervously wondering if she could play in front of all these people. What if she made a terrible mistake? What if she cried? What if she couldn’t perform? These are the questions that consumed her mind. With encouragement from her mother, the girl hesitantly approached the electric piano. Opening to the page of her first song, she placed her fingers and began her elementary Christmas song. She submerged herself in the music she created. When the song ended, the patrons responded in applause and looked on in wonder at this girl’s talent and ease. At that moment, the young girl realized she wanted to pursue music as a career. For me, that little girl, nothing has changed since.…
Music classes can be easily overlooked as just another hour of the school day wasted for most young teenagers in seventh and eighth grades. Those same kids who write it off as useless information that has no real-world application will most likely go home at the end of the school day and listen to popular music. Secondary music teachers can show a whole new world outside of just modern-day songs and albums, a world that says it is okay to be unique. Music teachers not only lecture about the history of music from Beethoven leading up to rock-and-roll bands like The Who, but teach the life lesson of being unique and blazing your own path.…
However, although music is present everywhere in society and has proven to be valuable in more than one way, schools proceed to cut music programs first due to budget cuts and the higher cost of non-core classes per student. Prior to budget cuts, from 1999-2000 and 2009-2010, 94% of schools had music programs. However, starting from next year many elementary schools will not have a music class. When dealing with budget cuts, schools unfortunately put better scores on standardized testing over music programs, mistakenly or selfishly thinking the latter is more profitable. In reality, music education develops important lifelong traits necessary for being successful in life and provides both enriching and recreation opportunities. In keeping music education, it would not only benefit the student as a whole but also the school and the world as a result. The things gained from music will far more impact the lives of students rather than a good test score, which promotes limited thinking and is impractical to use in the real world. Although music programs cost slightly more, the benefits outweigh the…
Requirements: longer paper outlining some teaching strategies for two contrasting pieces of high standard (approx. grade 7 and above). Both musical and technical aspects should be addressed. 1800-2000 words…