The candidate engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
It is vital that music teachers engage in ongoing professional learning experiences. There is so much constantly changing in the field as new teaching discoveries are made and fresh activities planned. Through profesional development activities, teachers can bring back new ways of engaging in material and become a more diverse teacher for and ever diversifying classroom. There is no such thing as too much knowledge! Teachers must be willing to take steps to evaluate there practices especially in how the pertain to learners, families, other professionals, and the community in which they teach. This is especially important as music teachers since we have such a public job. We must be willing to take feedback, evaluate it, and be willing to change if the need arises.
While in my student teaching, I had ample opportunities to do this. Some of the professional learning I received was from my cooperating teachers and other teachers/administrator who watched my work. From their feedback, both positive and constructive, I was able to make decisions to change my teaching in order to meet the needs of the learners I engaged with. Some of the best development I had in this way was by going to professional development sessions both at the elementary and high school levels where I worked with experienced teachers and administrators to explore new information and techniques in the teaching field and learn how to apply them to my specific content area (Reference artifact #1, Elementary Professional Development and artifact #2, High School Professional Development). Outside of my school district, I attended the Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop where I was able to take notes from experts in the field and explore ways that I might implement new of tried and true methods into my classroom (Reference artifact #3, KMEA In-Service Workshop).
For me it is important that I find ways to develop as a professional and get feedback on what I am doing. It is our duty as teachers to be the best equipped for our students that we can be. For their development, they need to see us as learners as much as they are. Seeing a teacher who is a willing learner who can reflect on their practices in light of their students and community is a pivotal part of students' learning experience.
While in my student teaching, I had ample opportunities to do this. Some of the professional learning I received was from my cooperating teachers and other teachers/administrator who watched my work. From their feedback, both positive and constructive, I was able to make decisions to change my teaching in order to meet the needs of the learners I engaged with. Some of the best development I had in this way was by going to professional development sessions both at the elementary and high school levels where I worked with experienced teachers and administrators to explore new information and techniques in the teaching field and learn how to apply them to my specific content area (Reference artifact #1, Elementary Professional Development and artifact #2, High School Professional Development). Outside of my school district, I attended the Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop where I was able to take notes from experts in the field and explore ways that I might implement new of tried and true methods into my classroom (Reference artifact #3, KMEA In-Service Workshop).
For me it is important that I find ways to develop as a professional and get feedback on what I am doing. It is our duty as teachers to be the best equipped for our students that we can be. For their development, they need to see us as learners as much as they are. Seeing a teacher who is a willing learner who can reflect on their practices in light of their students and community is a pivotal part of students' learning experience.