FIU

Off-Campus Observation Map

Your Name Daniel Kilbury_______________________________________

E-Mail: dkilb003@fiu.edu___________________________

Name of School Seminole Middle School___________________ Town Plantation__________________________ State FL___________

Name of Teacher Observed Anthony Church__________________________ Class Beginning Band_____________ Grade(s) 6th (some 7th)
Observation Date 11/24/14_________________________ Time 11:10-12:45_______________ Date Submitted 11/24/14________________
Describe the teaching environment.
Who are the children? Who is the
teacher? How might the school
environment impact what happens
in the classroom?

One could say that the teaching environment was very diverse. The students were from many different backgrounds
(financially, socially, and musically). The location of the school is in between two completely different neighborhoods, with
one consisting of middle to upper class families and the other consisting of more lower class families. This created a very
diverse environment in the classroom. As a result of this, the teacher has had to find ways to address the various needs of the
students, whether it be financially, musically, etc. The physical environment of the classroom is simple, with various music
posters displayed around the room. There is a musical word wall that contains many musical terms and phrases (however,
no definition was displayed. Just the word/phrase). One of the more interesting items I saw in the room were expectations
at each section. For example, in the the low brass, woodwind, and percussion sections, there were posters (made by the
teacher) that outlined the expectations for each section before, during, and after rehearsal/class as well as the consequences for
not adhering to them (i.e. 2 points off, 5 points off, etc.).

What were the teachers goals for

the class/ensemble? How did
she/he act on those?

The goals for the ensemble were to rehearse music for the winter holiday concert coming up in a few weeks. To accomplish
these goals, the teacher did just that and rehearsed with the students. Being a rather long class period (1 hour and 35 minutes
long), the teacher effectively allocated equal time to work on each of the four songs during the class period. The teacher also
wanted the students to understand the concepts being presented in the music (rhythm, meter, key, etc.) and made it a point to
go over these things before starting each piece.

What teaching/rehearsal strategies

did you see? What was the
learning sequence?

The teacher used simple, common rehearsal strategies when working with the band. For example, he would often ask the
students questions regarding the piece before starting (Whats our time signature? What are your rhythms? Etc). One
teaching strategy that I saw with this teacher was that he would ask the students, why? when they gave him an answer. He
would make them explain their position and justify their answers, even if it seemed obvious. I believe this was effective
because it encouraged the students to think about the why and the how, instead of just the what. After analyzing the
song, he would then have them play through it, and would address issues in each section as needed, using the same why
strategy mentioned before. When discipline was an issue, the instructor had a strategy to solve it. He would raise his hand
and say hands up! To which the students would reply by raising their sand and responding with, mouths shut! At first, it
seemed a little harsh to me, but it was actually an effective method, as it ALWAYS captured the students attention and
brought them back to the lesson.

What would you do differently?

What was missing from the lesson?

One of the only things I would do differently would be the way I addressed the students and communicated. At times
(certainly not the whole time) the teacher would address the students sarcastically or in a way that may have come off as
harsh. I personally believe that there could have been a little more humor in the class as well, as it seemed to get very
bland and uninteresting at times. I acknowledge the fact that it may be difficult to keep your patience during such a
long class period in a room full of 6th graders, however, I believe it is a must. If a teacher is a little more
lively/interested/engaged during the lesson, I think that that behavior will be reflected in the students participation.

What evidence did you observe that

would indicate that the learning
goals were met?

The majority of the students would raise their hands and give thoughtful answers when asked about each piece. I believe this
showed that they were really learning about the music and began to understand it and werent just playing it. When the
director addressed individual sections (or even individual students in some cases) they seemed to improve on their parts
afterwards. For example, there was one point where the percussionists were having trouble playing straight 8 th notes and kept
coming in late or adding extra notes. The director spent some time working with them, using the whiteboard to visually show
how subdivisions work, and afterwards they had the rhythm under control.

What evidence of critical thinking,

critical feeling and/or critical action
did you see?

As mentioned before, the instructor made it a point to ask students the students various questions about each piece of
music. He would also ask them to explain their answers. In other words, the students would have to tell him why they
gave they answer in order to justify their position. This allowed them to go beyond just playing the notes on the page.
He would also often make connections to other subjects (mostly math) to help students understand certain concepts,
such as rhythms and time signatures. I believe that this connection to other subjects helped the students realize that
music is more than just playing their instruments and helped them think more during their playing (rather than
aimlessly blowing into an instrument).
National Standards that I saw:

What National Standards did you

see?

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music: Before playing each piece, the instructor would have the students
analyze it in terms of rhythm, meter, key, notes, etc.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts: The instructor would
often relate certain concepts to mathematics and would draw on the students knowledge of it to further enhance their
musical understanding.

How did students engage in the

classroom? What was happening
at the time when students were
really focused?

The discipline in the class was very well-managed and the students seemed to be focused quite often, thus allowing for
engagement and participation. When the instructor would ask them a question regarding the music, the majority of their
hands went up, with some seeming to be a bit over-enthusiastic to answer. They were excited about the music. They were
also engaged when they were playing, both on the director and on their music. For example, there was one song in which the
director wished to fluctuate the tempo quite a bit. I was surprised when they accurately followed the conductors tempo
changes, as I expected 6th graders to be buried in their music. When they were focused, the students were able to understand
and make music and follow their directors lead.

Describe a "teachable moment" that

you might have witnessed.

Perhaps the most teachable moment that I witnessed was when the percussionists were having trouble with eighth
notes. They kept swinging the eighth notes when they were supposed to be played straight and even. To address this,
the teacher visually explained it with the whiteboard. He wrote out four quarter notes and proceeded to explain how
subdivisions work and how they divide the beat. The light bulb went off in the students heads and they were able to
play it accurately immediately after this short lesson was given.

What constructive comments might you make about this lesson/rehearsal? - Although I did think the rehearsal was effective,
there are some things that I think could be improved upon. As stated before, there were times where the director seemed
uninterested or sarcastic. Being in a class full of 6th graders for an hour and 35 minutes could possibly have something to do with
is. However, as a teacher, I believe you should stay engaged in the lesson the entire time. I believe that by doing this, the
students will also be more engaged and participative. While the students were engaged the whole time, I do believe that an
excessive amount of disengagement from the director would eventually be reflected in the students (For example, If he/she
doesnt like it, why should I?). As mentioned earlier, the director also had a method of discipline in which he would raise his hand
and say, hands up, to which the students would raise their hands and reply with, mouths shut! While this method proved to be
useful, I believe it can be approached a little more kindly, as the director showed a good deal of annoyance when having to resort
to it.

What is your overall assessment of this teacher, the students and the lesson/rehearsal? Overall, the teacher and students
create a diverse teaching environment in which the music program can thrive at this school. All students, despite their various
backgrounds were given the same expectations and were able to meet them. The lesson/rehearsal structure was very effective
and allowed the students to draw from other subjects so that they may further enhance their understandings of the musical
concepts being presented. They all seemed to enjoy the music and were ready to give answers at all times. The why strategy
was also very effective as it encouraged the students to think about why the music was the way it was. The discipline within the
classroom was also very surprising as the hands up, mouths shut strategy seemed to work with the students very well. The
teacher was also great with explaining various concepts and with leading the rehearsal. However, as mentioned before, there
were a few times where he seemed a bit uninterested, but it did not affect the students at all.