Teacher Work Sample - 1

Contextual Factors
Classroom Factors
A. Physical Features
Mr. Stockton's band classroom is very organized, clean and professional looking. The room is large
enough to facilitate at least a sixty person band, including stands and chairs but is currently holding a
class of twenty eight. The room has a set of instrumental lockers next to the entrance although they
usually go unused. Next to the instrumental lockers is a door to a small corridor that connects the band
room and the choir room. This corridor is the location of the bathrooms which are shared by both music
classrooms. In the following corner are the two racks of music stands and the stacks of chairs followed
by the percussion necessities including drum sticks, mallets, and small storage cabinets for various other
non-pitched percussion instruments like shakers, cowbells, and triangles. Continuing along the back wall
is the door that leads to the parking lot, which is used as a marching location during the marching
season, and the hallway to the backstage of the auditorium. After this door is the directors office which
has no ac output, just an ac outtake vent. The room is decorated with pictures and awards from
previous years at previous schools and music resources like cds, textbooks, and standards books. A
single window provides a view to the rest of the band room. After the directors office is another small
storage unit specifically designed for percussionists. The rubber top on the storage unit allows for
percussionists to practice without causing a cacophony of noise. Following this is the Timpani, drum set,
and then the door to the main storage room. The main storage room contains mostly marching
equipment and goes unused in the spring semesters. The SMART board hangs on the wall directly
behind the conductors podium. The room displays awards from previous years for both marching and
concert bands proudly but otherwise goes largely undecorated.
B. Availability of Technology
Greenwood High is an older school that is trying to keep up to date with current technology. Nearly
every room comes equipped with a SMART board. While the school comes equipped with more and
more technology, Mr. Stockton largely goes without. The SMART board is generally unused and other
forms of technology do not enter the classroom.
C. Equipment
Mr. Stockton has all of the musical literature for his students free use as well as methods books and
various other practice books. The students have three tubas for their use as well as roughly two of every
instrument for school use. While the school has these instruments, they are mostly used for backups or
emergencies rather than student continued use since the students should have their own instrument.
D. Resources

The Greenwood High Band Room uses very little necessary resources other than the occasional
recording from Itunes or YouTube for listening.
E. Parental Involvement
Mr. Stockton encourages and helps manage a band Booster Club for support and fundraising of the band.
His encouragement of parental involvement is incredibly eager and open. When the concert band
season takes its role, the encouragement of parental involvement is still very much relative, but largely
unnecessary because there is very little for the parents to do other than chaperone trips and driving if a
school provided bus is not required.
F. Classroom Rules and Routines
Greenwood High School has an overarching rule set for all students to follow like all other High Schools.
Mr. Stockton has stated rules and expectations for his classroom which include, but are not limited to:
a. Bringing instruments and music everyday and being prepared.
b. Respecting the rights of other students
c. Always attempting everything.
M. Grouping Patterns
The only grouping that exists within the band is by section. Trumpets sit with trumpets, percussion with
percussion, etc. Other than that the ideal of "One Band One Sound" is heavily encouraged and everyone
is equal.
Scheduling
The class at Greenwood High is held at 1:50. Mr. Stockton arrives earlier to hold students in a study hall
previous to the class. Previous to arriving at the High School, Mr. Stockton teaches at Brewer Middle
School from 8:00 -11:45. The sixth grade band begins followed by the eighth grade then the seventh
grade.
Classroom Arrangement
As mentioned above in the grouping patterns section, the students are arranged in the classroom by
section in a grand arc in front of the directors podium. The back row is comprised of the Trumpets,
Tenor Sax, Euphonium, Trombone, and Tubas. The next arc consists of Clarinets, Saxophones, and
French Horns. The front most arc consists only of Flutes.

Student Characteristics
A.
STUDENT

AGE

GENDER

RACE

SPECIAL NEEDS/
ACCOMMODATIONS
1
16
M
W
----2
15
F
W
----3
15
M
H/W
Preferential Seating
4
16
M
W
----5
15
F
W
IEP/504/Shadow
6
14
M
W
----7
15
F
W
----8
15
M
W
----9
16
M
H
----10
16
M
W
----11
17
M
W
----12
17
F
W
----13
14
F
B
----14
15
F
B
----15
16
M
B
Asthma
16
16
F
B
----17
16
F
B
----18
17
F
W
----19
17
F
B
----20
15
M
B
----21
15
F
B
----22
15
M
W
----23
16
F
W
----24
14
F
W
----25
15
M
B
----26
15
M
B
----27
16
M
B
----28
15
M
W
---- Was not able to get students grades for ELA/Math
B. Student Interests and Cultures

GRADES
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

PRIMARY
LANGUAGE
E
E
E/S
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

The students in Mr. Stockton's Concert Band are very interested in Marching Band and are only
becoming interested in the concert band and Jazz band scene as of recent. With the Concert Band, Mr.
Stockton is exposing the students to the roots and standards of music which has held itself highly in
western culture since the early 1600's. The Jazz band club also lead by Mr. Stockton is exposed to many
of the culturally advancing music from more recent times and also exposing them to a different mindset
of reading music entirely.

C. Learning Styles Present

Students in this class cover many forms of intelligences and talents, as well as various backgrounds. The
primary learning style is a rehearsal based memorization and muscle memory training procedure that
each student responds positively to.
Instructional Implications
A. Modifications/Accommodations
While there are few IEP's and 504 plans, the accommodations needed for these students are apparent.
One requires preferential seating while the other requires a shadow to be around at all times.
B. Specific Instructional Implications
I will be using two of my mini lessons at the middle school so that I may teach them about musical flow
as well as more musical concepts such as breathing, articulations, and blending. My goal is to improve
the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands ability to balance as a group and listen to each other while also
improving their power as a whole. The Last mini lesson will by taught at Greenwood High school and will
be taught in the format of an introduction of a new piece. The piece is handwritten for the class so that
it will test all abilities of all levels without being out of reach completely. This mini lesson will teach sight
reading techniques as well as group listening on the ensemble level and section level. A sectional will
also be used to introduce the students to a new concept of working within the sections to answer
questions and rehearsal strategies. This sectional will allow leaders to flourish and the more skilled in
their instrument to teach those who are not.