Standard 7
The teacher of PK-12 music demonstrates professional responsibility and reflective practice.
Standard 7 requires the music teacher to be professionally responsible and to demonstrate reflective practices. Professionalism and responsibility go hand in hand to maintain a functioning school building and music program. Taking time to reflect on your teaching as an educator is key to improving your skills and the educational experience of the students.
As a professional, I understand the importance of responsibility in the workplace, school system, and music education. Through my past work experience in insurance I have gained a valuable set of people and organizational skills. Both of these transfers over to education as teachers speak with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators every day. This contact takes form via phone call, e-mail, and in-person meetings. These skills are especially useful in professional development environments when meeting contacts that can share valuable insight to benefit your teaching and students in class.
Reflective practice is also a vital aspect of this standard. I follow a personalized reflection process for myself after major events in education. First, I record myself teaching a lesson (or lessons) throughout a unit. It should be noted that at the end of a major lesson students are asked to share their reflections in class as well. After reviewing the video and student takeaways, I begin journaling how closely the lesson plan and video did or did not reflect each other, why, and if this was beneficial for the lesson or not. From this point, I revise the lesson plans used to better suit future lessons and to create a smoother learning process for future classes.
As a professional, I understand the importance of responsibility in the workplace, school system, and music education. Through my past work experience in insurance I have gained a valuable set of people and organizational skills. Both of these transfers over to education as teachers speak with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators every day. This contact takes form via phone call, e-mail, and in-person meetings. These skills are especially useful in professional development environments when meeting contacts that can share valuable insight to benefit your teaching and students in class.
Reflective practice is also a vital aspect of this standard. I follow a personalized reflection process for myself after major events in education. First, I record myself teaching a lesson (or lessons) throughout a unit. It should be noted that at the end of a major lesson students are asked to share their reflections in class as well. After reviewing the video and student takeaways, I begin journaling how closely the lesson plan and video did or did not reflect each other, why, and if this was beneficial for the lesson or not. From this point, I revise the lesson plans used to better suit future lessons and to create a smoother learning process for future classes.