Journey Towards My Passion

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Home > Professional Growth as a Teacher

Professional Growth as a Teacher

First teaching job in 1979

I obtained an Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education degree in November of 1978. My first job began in March of 1979. I taught a class of 4 year old children at a bilingual school, "William Shakespeare", in Temperley, Buenos Aires, Argentina. I worked at that school for 5 years and then moved back to the USA. For the next 6 years I was dedicated to motherhood. The following 13 years were spent supporting my husband's medical practice. I found my way back into education through employment with Parents As Teachers in 2003, followed by Music on the Move in 2006, then a music teaching and VPK assistant job at St. John's Episcopal School in Homestead, in 2007/08. On April 30, 2012 I graduated from FIU with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education Grades K-12.

In the attachment section below I have samples of various skills that I worked on as I pursued my degree in Music Education.

File Attachments:
  1. Assessment Rubric - 2010 Assessment Rubric - 2010
    I designed this rubric for a 3rd grade Sight Singing test. I like it because it makes grading easy. The next time I design a rubric I will try to make it in such a way that it can be used in multiple settings. This one is very specific for one activity.
  2. Certificate in Orff-Schulwerk Level 1 - 2011 Certificate in Orff-Schulwerk Level 1 - 2011
    Certificate from a Professional Development course in Orff-Schulwerk, taken at Florida State University in July, 2011.
  3. Certificate of completion of Child Abuse Reporting Tutorial - 2012 Certificate of completion of Child Abuse Reporting Tutorial - 2012
    Certificate of completion of FIU's online Child Abuse Reporting Tutorial with a passing grade.
  4. Certificate of Qualification to teach MusikGarten's Cycle of Seasons - 2011 Certificate of Qualification to teach MusikGarten's Cycle of Seasons - 2011
    Certificate from having successfully completed a Teacher Training in the MusikGarten curriculum designed for 3-5 year olds and their caregivers.
  5. Certificate of Qualification to teach MusikGarten's Family Music - 2011 Certificate of Qualification to teach MusikGarten's Family Music - 2011
    Certificate from having successfully completed a Teacher Training in the MusikGarten curriculum designed for 0-3 year olds and their caregivers.
  6. Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory - 2010 Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory - 2010
    This is a research project I did in a PPTX format. In it I summarize one of the theories of music education. I chose Edwin Gordon's because he emphasizes the need for audiation to precede reading and notating in music education. I strongly believe in his principles.
  7. Field Observation report - 2010 Field Observation report - 2010
    I wrote this report after having observed music classes at various schools during the Spring 2010 semester. The experience broadened my understanding of the role of a music teacher. It also gave me a focus for the skills I need to develop, such as classroom management, behavior modification and planning.
  8. Lesson Plan: Applied Theory 6th & 7th Gr - 2012 Lesson Plan: Applied Theory 6th & 7th Gr - 2012
    This is a lesson plan that I used during my internship at Southwood MS. I was very pleased with the outcome and I attribute my success to having been well prepared and having stated clearly to the students what my expectations were.
  9. Lesson Plan: General Music 2nd Gr - 2012 Lesson Plan: General Music 2nd Gr - 2012
    This is a lesson plan that I used during my internship at Redondo ES. I was very pleased with the response of the students and with the flow of the lesson.
  10. Lesson Plan: Moving With Scarves - 2010 Lesson Plan: Moving With Scarves - 2010
    Lesson plan for Kindergarten level music activity. This is the plan I designed for my peer teaching experience. I like the fact that it has an assessment component. I am learning a lot about assessment. Attached below is the video of the actual peer teaching, carried out on April 14, 2010.
  11. PPS: It's a Jungle in There! - 2007 PPS: It's a Jungle in There! - 2007
    A power point presentation I designed for a parent workshop on the topic of dealing with tantrums in toddlers. At the time I conducted the workshop I was a certified parent educator with Parents As Teachers. I chose this PPS as additional evidence that I am able to create power point presentations, since the class assignment one is so brief.
  12. PPS: Music Education in the USA - 2010 PPS: Music Education in the USA - 2010
    Historical timeline. Brief Power Point Presentation. I would have liked to have more time to do research. It needs more dates and events. The good thing is that I learned how to enter boxes and a timeline, and connect them with lines.
  13. Small Group Progress Plan - 2012 Small Group Progress Plan - 2012
    During my internship at Redondo ES I assessed, taught, and tracked the progress of four 3rd grade students. This document shows the entire process and includes lesson plans, graphs, assessments, and reflections.
Videos:
  1. Moving with scarves with my niece - 2010 Moving with scarves with my niece - 2010 ( 20.6 MB )
    In this video I practiced part of the lesson plan that I later used for my peer teaching assignment. I think it went well, but my flip flops are too noisy. I also think that I should've ommitted the suggestion of using the scarf as a bunny tail. Maybe it inhibits creativity in others.
  2. Moving with scarves with peers - 2010 Moving with scarves with peers - 2010 ( 8.8 MB )
    This video shows a portion of the peer teaching, carried out per my lesson plan. The students seemed to enjoy the activity and I was able to accomplish all of my objectives. I was pleased with the assessment method, although this trimmed down version does not show individual students moving to the music.
  3. Piano accompaniment skills - 2010 Piano accompaniment skills - 2010 ( 3.4 MB )
    In this video I am playing the melody "Oh Susanna" with my right hand and chord accompaniment with my left hand. I would like to take more private piano lessons so that I can sight read piano music. For the moment I can bang out chord accompaniments, and occasionally play the melody with my right hand.
  4. Teaching the recorder to my niece - 2010 Teaching the recorder to my niece - 2010 ( 15 MB )
    At a family gathering at my sister's house on Easter Sunday, I asked one of my nieces if she would like to learn how to play the recorder. She was willing and so we filmed a beginning lesson. I realized after I had begun that it would've been easier to start by covering only two holes, and gradually cover more. On the positive side, I displayed patience and made affirming remarks.
  5. Teaching voice lessons to a student - 2010 Teaching voice lessons to a student - 2010 ( 9.3 MB )
    This video is a sample of the 10 voice lessons I taught my sister. The experience of teaching helped me to think about the best way to express concepts like vocal health and proper technique for breathing and singing. The video shows me using affirmation as well as corrective feedback. Both are necessary for teaching.
  6. Vocal Pedagogy peer teaching - 2010 Vocal Pedagogy peer teaching - 2010 ( 22.8 MB )
    This video captures a portion of a presentation I prepared to teach my peers in Vocal Pedagogy. I chose this portion because in it I engage the class in breath support exercises. I think it's important to have people actively participate, so that more senses are involved in the learning experience.
Author: Julia Swindoll
Last modified: 7/27/2012 5:09 AM (EST)