Student Teaching in Music: Tips for a successful experienceMr. Blair Chadwick, Henry County High SchoolDr. Johnathan Vest, The University of Tennessee at Martin

The success of the student teaching experience depends on all its parts working correctly together. They include:

• The Student Teacher

• The Cooperating Teacher

• The University Supervisor

• The Students

• The Administration and other teachers and personnel in the building

The Basics• Punctuality

Early=on time; On time=late; Late=FIRED

• Dress and Appearance

Be comfortable yet professional. Be aware of a dress code if one exists, as well as tattoos, piercings, and hair length (gentlemen.)

• Parking/Checking-In

Know this information BEFORE your first day

• Materials and Paperwork

Contact your CT BEFORE the first day. Know what you need and bring it with you on the first day.

The Student TeacherCommon Concerns

• Will my cooperating teacher (CT) and school be a good fit for me?

• Will I “crash and burn” my first time in front of the class?

• What if my CT won’t let me teach?

• What if my CT “throws me to the wolves” on the first day?

• Will the students respect me?

• How will I be graded?

• Will I pass the Praxis??

How do I start?

The student teaching experience can be divided into three parts:

• Observing

• Participating

• Teaching.

ObservingTake copious notes, but don’t write down everything. Write down techniques, quotes, musical directions or teacher behaviors that seem important. Better yet, have a specific goal for the observation in mind before you begin.

Don’t be overly critical of your CT during the observation process. Remember, they are the expert, you are the novice. Your perspective changes when you are in front of the class.

Hand-write your notes. An electronic device, although convenient, is louder and can provide distraction for your CT, the students, and you. Write neatly so you can transcribe the notes later.

An small audio recorder can be very useful in case you want to go back and hear something again.

ParticipatingBe attentive to the needs of the students and your CT, if you see a need that arises that the CT cannot or is not addressing, then take action. Don’t always wait to be told what to do. These situations may include:

• Singing or playing with students who are struggling

• Work with a section or small group of students

• Helping a student with seat/written work

• Attending to a a non-musical problem (student behavior, other student or CT needs.)

Teaching

Your US and your Student Teaching Office will probably instruct you on how much and when to teach, but each school and CT is different.

In general, you should start teaching a class full time by week 3 and have at least two weeks of full-load teaching per placement. (This is not always possible.)

Remember that any experience is good experience, so be grateful if you are asked to teacher early on in your experience.

What the US is looking for during an observation

The Lesson Plan

Lesson organization (components, logical flow, pacing, time efficiency)

Required components included

National and State Standards Included—and these have/are changing!!!!

Objectives stated in observable terms and tied directly to your assessment(s)

What the US/CT is looking for during an

observationTeaching Methods

Questioning techniques (stimulate thought, higher order, open-ended, wait time)

Appropriate terminology use

Student activities instructionally effective

Teacher monitoring of student activities, assisting, giving feedback

Opportunities for higher order thinking

Teacher energy/enthusiasm

What the US/CT is looking for during an

observationClassroom Management

Media and materials are appropriate, interesting, organized and related to the unit of study.

Teacher with-it-ness

Student behavior management (consistency, classroom procedures in place, students understand expectations)

What the US/CT is looking for during an

observationStudent Involvement/Interest/Participation in the Lesson

Student verbal participation

Balance of teacher talk/student talk

Lots of “musicing” (singing, playing, listening, moving)

Student motivation

Student understanding of what to do and how to do it

What the US is looking for during an observation

Classroom Atmosphere

Positive, can do atmosphere

Student questions, teacher response

Helpful feedback

Verbal and non-verbal evidence that all students are accepted and feel that they belong

Resources for Student Teachers

A Field Guide to Student Teaching in Music, Ann C. Clements and Rita Klinger

Teaching Music in the Urban Classroom, Carol Frierson-Campbell, ed.

Intelligent Music Teaching, Robert Duke