Throughout a lot of my life teachers have helped guide me in some shape. I started playing music when I was in sixth grade. I had been interested in learning how to play instruments a little before then. Because of my interest in music and the positive experiences I have had with teachers, I am looking to become a high school band teacher. Throughout my course work I would like to know effective teaching methods and techniques, as well as efficient ways to make the classroom experience for my future students as positive as I have been able to have.
To start with, teachers need to be able to engage multiple sizes of classes. I would like to learn methods that help engage large classes equally as well as smaller classes. This would be beneficial because band teachers work with small and large groups. For me to be able to keep a wide variety of class sizes engaged would be beneficial, because I would be teaching large bands, like a marching band, as well as smaller bands such as a jazz band.
The second part that I would find beneficial learning, is how far out and when to create lesson plans. Learning when the most efficient times to create lesson plans would allow me to effective create schedules for the class and myself. It helps me because I can know in advance what I would be teaching my class and what I should review before the classes to be able to best help the students. It would also allow me to help leave easy to understand notes for any substitute teachers that I may have for different reasons in the future. It would help my students, because if they would be able to see a general outline of what is coming up in the class some may read ahead or they could prepare in other ways for the upcoming classes. I would also like to learn how far out to create a lesson plan, because knowing that allows me to have the most effective plan for how much time I can allow for student’s questions. It could also tell me how much time I would have for each topic so I am able to effectively teach the lessons, but also plan ahead for an unexpected day of no school or other similar situations.
Third I would like to learn is the most effective way to use projects in a classroom setting as well as the best type of projects to use. This is important because a lot of teachers us projects in different ways. Some use them as study tools, and others as a fun way to learn more complex topics, and others for other reasons. Being able to know the best times to use projects, would allow me to help write them into my lesson plan. It would also help me know if more of a powerpoint, a demonstration project, such as a short performance, or a board game styled project has lead to students being engaged and getting the most out of the project. Knowing this will help me decide what types of projects to use to best help my students.
To me, being a teacher is the best way to help students and do something that I have enjoyed for years. As the lessons that a teacher gives you, may stay with you for years to come. With me learning the best types or projects to use, when and how big of a lesson plan to create, as well as how to engage varying sized classes, I can learn a few ways to best help my students inside as well as outside of the classroom.