Kansas Music Standard #8: The teacher of music has skills in establishing effective music-learning environments.

Knowledge

• The teacher understands appropriate administrative, financial, management, organizational, and operational aspects of an overall music program.
• The teacher understands planning and implementation skills for music classroom instruction and performance at all developmental levels.
• The teacher understands use and implementation of appropriate technology for the music classroom.

Performance

• The teacher manages instructional time effectively through appropriately structured learning-activities, efficient transitions and pacing, balanced presentations of music education materials, and music for performance.
• The teacher develops strategies for a balance of auditioned and all-inclusive musical participation.
• The teacher incorporates technology in instruction.
• The teacher applies music assessment strategies that evaluate the program and ensure students’ continual improvement.
• The teacher operates and maintains musical instruments and equipment.

I as a teacher will be making lesson plans, designing curriculum, checking sound equipment, and balancing budgets throughout my days at school and at home. I feel the one who is most prepared does the best. Being prepared includes:

-set criteria for ritual daily assessment

-use technology for music educational purposes

-constant reminders of clear objectives through verbal and visual communication

-having teaching materials neatly set up before class

-writing a daily schedule on a board

-“over-planning” lesson plans so class fills the entire time

-student leaders delegated simple classroom duties

-maintaining a music inventory

These duties may seem simple, but they make a classroom run more effectively. In my handbook, I have specifically outlined many categories within class such as classroom procedures, appropriate dress for concerts, ALL concert dates for the entire year, and a contract they sign as well as their parents at the very beginning of the year. Not only do I intend to keep my students organized, but also myself. I plan on keeping the music inventory in an Excel database, using the technology we have readily available. Also, the handbook will be made into a .pdf document and put on the music website for all students and parents to see. PowerPoint is a helpful tool I am proficient in using and allows for visual presentations of ideas for the day’s objectives. Here is an example of a PowerPoint a teaching partner and I did to accompany a lesson about the history of the radio and its cultural and social impacts. Along with the students, I will also learn to improve and grow in my technology background as so maintain the highest standards of technology in the music classroom. I also have worked with Mac computers and feel very confident in them. The following link will take you to my personal website I created for a technology class. It is a Podcast I created, describing some of the wonderful music teaching resources I have come to know and use on a regular basis.