A Year In Review

As the final few days of the school come to a close and the chaos wanes, I can finally take a moment to reflect on the entire course of this year.  And as I look back, I see that I am a far better, more effective teacher than I was on day one of this school year.  The evidence of this is clear, as I think through the triumphs of my students and grade their final exams.  This has been a year of growth and rigorous learning for all of us.  I am thankful for their graciousness as I tried new techniques, tried new lessons, attempted new assessment methods, and planned more discourse.  There were growing pains during much of the "change," but in the end, when I look at the joy on their faces, hear the beautiful music they perform, watch them sight-read a new piece of music in minutes, and listen to their intelligent and academic discussions, I'm in awe of the amazing things these students have accomplished.  So here are the three things, I'd say are the biggest changes in my development as a teacher that led to this beautiful result.

1. It is worth the extra time to slow down and empower students by giving them opportunities to tell and show what they know or are learning. 
2. Music literacy skills are only maintained if they are worked on daily. 
3. Simplify, simplify, simplify! Seriously, you don't need to do it all today!

So there is it folks.  This list is obviously not the complete index of what I've learned this year (I'd need a least another 50 pages to list all of the learning and growth), but it is important to note that these particular elements really made an impact on student engagement and learning.  So I will count that as a win, and continue to strive to be a better educator each day.  

Advance Organziers

Contrary to many of the constructivist teaching philosophies of today, Ausubel believed that instruction should begin with a focus on teaching metacognition rather than student perception or induction models (Joyce, 2015). He advocated for the use of advance organizers as a mean to scaffold student learning.  Advance organizers facilitate students' cognitive structures by allowing them an organizational framework with which to process new information.  Educators can prepare students for learning by providing a general context or structured outline before launching into the more detailed and specific content.

In my high school ensemble classes, I utilize advanced organizers when we begin our music history unit.  Students are given a handout that gives them a general timeline of the musical periods and the main idea "Music is a mirror of the society that created it." This main idea provides the lens through which they process the more specific concepts and information for the remainder of the unit.  Moreover, I restate this theme before each lecture and facilitate student discussion about the conclusions they can draw about society based on their new knowledge of the musical elements at the conclusion of each class.  Not only has this instructional model has allowed my students to better retain the information they learn, but I've found that they are far more engaged in learning about music history when they understand the relevance to the greater society.

*Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2015). Models of Teaching. Boston: Pearson Education. Ed. 9.

Characteristics of an Effective Educator

Maria Montessori once said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.” Effective educators are identified by their ability to nurture students’ natural curiosity and passion for learning, by equipping them with skills to become independent learners.  These educators are well-prepared, organized, and clear in their expectations.  They are masters in their respective fields and radiate confidence, enthusiasm, and passion as they teach.  Effective teachers know and care about their students’ academic strengths and weaknesses, personal interests, and unique personalities. They create engaging lessons that spur on independent thought, active learning, and in-depth discussion.  Their humor and wit provide the perfect amount of comic relief.  Students would say that these effective educators are fair, approachable, and wise.  They are a source of support for their students academically and personally.  But most important of all, effective educators inspire their students to become life-long learners by making learning a source of joy.