Teaching Experience

North Jackson County School District, Holton, KS

2018-present

Teaching band grades 5-12, choir grades 7-12 and advanced music theory.

  • Coordinates concerts, festivals, pep band, and special events for 120 students.
  • Designs outstanding educational benchmarks through curriculum planning and instruction, incorporating aesthetic understanding, music composition and authentic assessment.
  • Solves problems such as section imbalances and limited instrumentation with creative techniques including re-orchestration, and rewriting parts.

La Crosse School District, La Crosse, WI

2012-2018

Researched and supervised music department fundraising, and organized music trips and other special events.

  • Grant recipient
    • Grant to purchase intermediate mouthpieces for low-income students, 2017
    • Grant to purchase adjustable tuba stands so that students can play their tubas regardless of their height. American Educators Association, 2015
    • Collaborative grant with University of Wisconsin La Crosse to bring composer, Michael Colgrass, to work with talented middle school students district wide, as well as university music students. Link to grant report
    • Collaborative grant to purchase Frank Erickson’s Artistry of Fundamentals books for band students district-wide in grades 7-10, designed to unify student ensemble learning throughout the district. La Crosse Public Education Foundation, 2013
  • Worked with faculty and students at University of Wisconsin La Crosse on grant projects, guest artists, student teachers and college student volunteers to provide excellent musical opportunities for students. Guest composers included Kim Archer (Devil’s Workshop), Michael Colgrass (composition project), and Robert W. Smith (composition project).

Viroqua Area Schools, Viroqua, WI

2011-2012

Orchestra Teacher, grades 6-12; Choir Teacher, grades 9-12

  • Responsibilities include directing ensembles for 6th grade orchestra, 7th grade orchestra, 8th grade orchestra and high school orchestra, as well as group and private lessons for grades 6-12.
  • Responsibilities include directing the high school Concert Choir (SATB), including group lessons.

Achievements:

  • High school orchestra performed at the 2012 WSMA large ensemble festival with great success on Class A repertoire.
  • Grades 7 & 8 orchestras performed at the 2012 WSMA large ensemble festival with great success on Class C repertoire.
  • Established numerous performance-oriented chamber music ensembles for middle and high school students designed to progessively build student's chamber music skills.
  • Created an extensive orchestral curriculum map for the school district including sequential planning for building performance skills in multiple key signatures, rhythmic studies, shifting exercises, vibrato, bowing techniques, songs by memory and by ear, improvisation skills as well as compositional techniques, music theory and music history.
  • Authentic assessment strategies established for all grades and levels.
  • Established a partnership with Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School's string program including a performance of Pachelbel's Canon in D Major featuring 160 string students from both schools.
  • Two high school violin students performed at the state Solo & Ensemble festival.
  • Four middle school string students received a "I" ranking for their regional Solo & Ensemble festival performance.

The Hartt School, West Hartford, CT

2001-2011

Teaching responsibilities included the following intermittently during my tenure at Hartt:

  • Advanced Major Instrument Teaching (TPR 420/421); a class designed for performance majors in their senior year of college whereby students are taught the principals of good instruction, specifically geared toward a career in private instruction on their major instrument.
  • Recorder Class; open to students attending summer programs at the Hartt Community Division in grades K-6.
  • Clarinet Instructor, Hartt Community Division; taught private clarinet lessons focusing on highly individualized instruction, technical development specific to the clarinet, reading notation, musicianship, performance practice, rhythmic accuracy, etc.
  • Substitute Conductor; student regional ensembles of the Hartt Community Division.
  • Woodwind Sectional Coach; Hartt Community Division Ensemble Program.

Decatur Public Schools, Decatur, IL

2000 – 2001

Instrumental Music Teacher, grades 4-6

  • Responsibilities included group lessons and ensemble rehearsals for both orchestra and band at five elementary schools.
  • Other duties included recruitment of students, scheduling of lessons and concert preparation and direction at individual schools and district-wide concerts.

Achievements:

  • Incorporated authentic assessment techniques in all schools. The teacher and student alike used rating scales to address areas of concern and success.
  • Designed and implemented an incentive program to encourage home practice, general motivation and overall achievement.
  • Enrollment increased in both band and orchestral instruments.
    • Dennis Elementary School (strings): 81%
    • Brush College Elementary School (band and strings): 62%
    • Durfee Elementary School (band): 65%
    • Enterprise Elementary School (band): 22%
    • Harris Elementary School (band): 80%

Kingswood-Oxford Middle School, West Hartford, CT

1998 – 2000

Instrumental Music Teacher, grades 6-8

  • Director of string orchestra, concert band, and jazz band.
  • Responsibilities included recruitment of students, literature planning and selection, evaluation and grading, concert program preparations, adjudication at outside festivals.

Achievements:

  • Established a partnership with music education undergraduate students from The Hartt School.
  • Incorporated authentic assessment techniques for both individuals and full ensembles.

The Hartt School, West Hartford, CT

Graduate Assistant,1998- 2000

  • Woodwinds I: planned and created the syllabus and all lessons, established a collection of handouts necessary for teaching for students portfolios, created all tests and evaluations, assessed student progress and assigned grades for the course.
  • Wind Instrument Class: planned and created the syllabus and all lessons, established a collection of handouts necessary for teaching for student’s portfolios, created all tests and evaluations, assessed student progress and assigned grades for the course.
  • Assistant for Woodwinds II: planned and implemented lessons related to oboe instruction, assigned requirements and implemented authentic assessment and grading in relation to oboe performance requirements, assisted with assigned grades for all students.

Stratford Public Schools, Stratford, CT

Instrumental and General Music Teacher, grades K-6

1995 – 1998

  • Responsibilities included grades 5-6 concert band, recruitment of students, scheduling of lessons, and concert preparation.
  • General music duties included planning and implementation of lessons for grades K-2.
  • Enrollment increased in all of the instrumental music programs.

Achievements:

  • Introduced concert bands at all three elementary schools with great success.
  • Incorporated authentic assessment strategies at all schools.
  • Significant increase in enrollment in all instrumental music programs:
    • Nichols Elementary School 54% (60)
    • Wilcoxson Elementary School 41% (65)
    • Chapel Street School 17% (65)