Clay Blackwood

Lesson Reflection

This lesson was observed by Austin Sanders, the current percussion teacher in Spartanburg Co.

District 5. It was conducted during my unit plan when I was teaching students the snare drum part for

some of their concert music. This lesson, I felt, went smoothly with few kinks.

This lesson was done in a percussion class, the music class that I am most comfortable teaching

because my past experiences in the music realm. That being said, this is the lesson that I have felt most

prepared for in my entire student teaching experience so far. The students were comfortable with me

because of the smaller size of the class, and the multiple occasions that I taught them for Mr. Sanders

when he was absent. There were no behavior problems, aside from a few times where they got excited

and started talking, but I was able to quiet them quickly and continue with the task at hand. The

students remained engaged the entire time, and they seemed to enjoy what they were doing.

I think the most encouraging part for me in teaching this lesson were the many opportunities I

had to veer from what was on the page and help students on developing their technique. For example,

students needed to know how to play quietly during a part where the dynamic was marked piano. I was

able to using questioning to lead them to multiple ways they could manipulate the anatomy of their

instruments in order to play quietly with accuracy and a good sound. I was not simply surviving like I

do in a brass or woodwind class, which was encouraging. That being said, this simply pushes me to

learn more about the instruments I'm unfamiliar with so that I can teach them effectively.

Although I felt the lesson went smoothly, there are still a few things in which I could improve.

For example, there are a few students in this class that consistently struggle reading rhythms and notes.

It is hard when the rest of the class is so far ahead of them to keep them engaged with the lesson. I need

to find a way to keep them and students like them engaged as well as getting them caught up with their

peers. This might involve more individual attention on my part, as well as adapting some of the
activities I am implementing to include them. I could maybe give them another part that is easier to

read, but still going along with everyone else's so that they feel included and not isolated.

In summary, this lesson was probably the best lesson that I have taught in my student teaching

experience so far. There was not a moment in the lesson that I did not know what to do or say. I had a

great time teaching this lesson, and I feel as though the students did too. Over all, the experience was

very encouraging.