Personal Plan for Professional Development

 ​ In my previous post I described what students will learn because I have been their teacher. However, I still have a lot to learn before i'll be comfortable in my own classroom. To get to the point of being comfortable I will become more familiar with all the instruments. I want all my students to know how to sing/play all their scales, so I should be familiar with fingerings on each instrument, so I can ensure that they are getting all the information they need to be a confident player. I am currently in Brass Technique and String Technique classes that prepare me to be proficient on each instrument, and to have the ability to teach it to my students. Because I have that baseline and fundamentals for all the instruments it will make me a more effective teacher when it comes time to help my students with their scales.
 I also described how they will understand basic theory by the time they leave my classroom. I am currently taking theory classes, so I am preparing myself so that I may properly know, and explain theory when it occurs in class, and in the context of music. I know that while these classes are extremely difficult, I am learning so much about theory that I am applying to my solo repertoire as well as band music, so that I know this will be useful when I am actually teaching in a classroom.
 I stated that my students will learn what leadership means and how to work in a team and collaborate with other people. They will also learn responsibility. Just as it will with my students, this comes from being in ensembles. I must always be prepared and know how to play my part, so when I leave I’ll have plenty of experience with learning how to stay on top on my assignments so that I am prepared. In many of my classes we work in groups for projects, so this allows me to collaborate with other people, which is not always easy, and learn how to work together with my peers to create some kind of final project/piece. Anyone can be leader because there are so many different type. The easily recognizable one that stands in front of a crowd, or the quiet student that leads by example. My students will know by the time they graduate and leave that being a leader doesn’t always mean standing up in front of a crowd.  They will be given opportunities to lead in classes and Marching band. During my own education I have had the opportunity to lead my high school and college flute section in marching band, lead workshops for a student run band day, and my classes allow me opportunities to lead other people. All of these opportunities have shown me that leadership can’t be approached in just one way, which is something I can translate into my classroom. Overall, I have learned a lot in the first half of this semester that will help me out when I am an educator, but I still have a lot to learn