Learning to Teach:
An Early Degree Teaching Program
Jane M. Kuehne (College of Education)
Tamarceo Shaw (College of Education)
Caleb Norton (College of Education)
Lisa Powell (College of Education)
Embedded Files
Learning to Teach:
This Program Evaluation Research is Supported with funding from a NAfME/SRME Grant.
ON THIS PAGE:
Overview of the Program and Its History
Overview of the Program and Its History
An Idea... Fall 2017-Spring 2018
Freshman can (and will) plan and teach their own music lessons.
Meet the needs of Pk-5/6 students who did not (at the time) have a music teacher.
Foundational Thoughts
Freshmen arrive at college with 12-13 Years of educational experiences, a lot of background we rarely consider.
Can we tap into those experiences, enhance, hone, develop, encourage, empower them early in the degree program?
Can we approach teaching from an (almost literal) constructivist approach, and expect younger students to take up the responsibility?
What effects might this have on students' career identities?
General Course Overview - Music Education Coursework
General Course Overview - Music Education Coursework
(Scroll to the bottom to see more course details, or this link opens it in a new window)
Semester 1 - Introduction to Music Education
Semester 2 - Music Ed Lab I
Semester 3 - Music Ed Lab II
Semester 4 - Methods 1 + Mentoring + Labs
Semester 5 - Methods 2 + Lab
Semester 6 - Methods 3 + Lab
Semester 7 - Methods 4 + Lab
Semester 8 - Clinical Residency
Trust Between Program and School(s)
Trust Between Program and School(s)
Music Education Faculty and/or Doctoral GTAs are on site WITH the AU Teachers EVERY week to observe and provide support.
We collaborate with the on-site music educators to support their teaching.
Consistent communication with Administration and Teachers - everyone is in the loop early.
On-site conversations with administrators, teachers, staff, maintenance to ensure we meet their needs.
EXAMPLE: Fall 2023 to present - Teach lessons that include authentic Music Standars alongside appropriate ELA and MATH standards.
Changes are only made after discussion, and these might be through email.
Emails are shared (AU students, Admin, Teachers).
Phone numbers (cell) are shared for quick communication (admin and AU faculty, sometimes AU students and Pk-6 teachers).
GRATITUDE
Sometimes we forget about it, but we need to teach "being thankful" for experiences we are afforded.
Gratitude for being there, for the school, the work they do, and the students cannot be underestimated.
School Admin, Teacher, and Staff Appreciation. No one is left out.
COVID-19 and Confirmation of Collaborative Relationship
COVID-19 and Confirmation of Collaborative Relationship
Oh, no. Y’all aren’t visitors. Y’all are part of the school.
We knew this was a true collaboration during COVID-19. We arrived at the first school to meet with the administration and we saw the stop sign. We just knew we were going to have to pause our relationship until the COVID-19 crisis had past.
Instead, the principal looked at us and said "Oh no. Y'all aren't visitors. Y'all are part of the school."
Collaboration in those days meant our students and their teachers were working together to teach through Zoom.
We "popped in" to rooms to observe and give feedback and would hear our students saying things like, "You need to put a shirt on" and "Please get up and get out of bed so you can do this dance with us."
These were tough teaching times for everyone, and our students went through those times with their collaborative teachers.
These experiences bonded us with the school in ways we cannot truly explain.
We drive to the country, through cotton fields to reach school 1.
We drive to the early morning backroad fog to reach school 2.
Key Components for College Student Teachers
Key Components for College Student Teachers
“Let's give constructive feedback, NOT destructive feedback.”
Building Community Early in the program ("day 1")
Building on and Expanding Existing Educational Knowledge
Mentoring – Receiving and Giving
Receiving direct support from AU faculty members, qualified GTAs, AND LES Teachers, Admin, and Staff.
Receiving peer support from peer mentors who have participated in LTT.
Learning how to "be professional."
Learning how to be a mentor and support for peers, and for K-12 students
Positively framed constructive feedback
Weekly Lesson Plans That Work
Weekly Lesson Reflections (written)
End of Semester In-depth Reflection
Where We Need to Do More Work
Where We Need to Do More Work
Lesson Planning beyond the comfort zone ... and off PowerPoint/Slides.
Active Pk-6 Student Engagement. Less "lecture."
Mentoring Training, Structure for Mentoring, Weekly Accountability
GTA and Faculty Development
Spring 2025-
Fall 2026 Updates
Spring 2025-
Fall 2026 Updates
Students set up teaching times with collaborative teachers. This is how we learn to be collaborative and professional with other professional educators. Doing this allows students to do this "with a net."
Lesson Plans go beyond the their current comfort level, and also with more structure for them to feel more comfortable.
Sample lessons from instructor(s) and/or finding good versus bad lesson structures using AI.
More Planning Scaffolding - specifically for first semester.
Same-level peer support - working to help each other in lesson by completing peer observations and giving constructive feedback.
Whole school interactions through end-of-semester celebration concerts and programs.
Collaborative Planning to authentically include both ELA and MATH standards along side MUSIC standards.
We want to have a music lesson that authentically supports and enhances other content areas without giving up music teaching and learning.
This is a need that the school has and we can help support their need.
Research: Program Evaluation (underway) - 2024-2026
Research: Program Evaluation (underway) - 2024-2026
Data Collection (still gathering data)
Getting Approved. If we could subtitle this study it would be LTT and IRB Pre-Endeavor Delays.
Data We Have (names are pseudonyms)
School 1 Administrator (Martha)
School 2 Administrator (Ava)
1 Focus Group of Teachers from School 2
A first rather meek round of quantitative data from current students (N = 7) and recent alumni (N = 4).
Student Reflections (audio)
Hear Student Voices Talk about LTT
Hear Student Voices Talk about LTT
Person 1 - Challenges and Commitment
Person 2 - Peer Mentoring and Teaching
Montage - Very First Group
A Few Photos and Videos
A Few Photos and Videos
Community Building Activities
Community Building Activities
Introduction to Music Education - Day 1
Community Building, Teaching
Community-Building-Bingo-Charades.mp4Intro-1st-Teaching-Day-1.mp4Scotlands-Burning-Fall2025.mp4
Previous Group Video Montage - Having Fun in Down Time
LTTL-Video.mp4Methods Class
Continuing to Build Community of Learners
(and having some fun along the way)
Dancing Together, But to the Beat of Your Own Drum
Final Day Spring 2025
Final-Celebration-Sp25.mp4Past LTT Participants - Current Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors -- and interns!
Teaching and Being Part of the Schools
Teaching and Being Part of the Schools
These are some of "our kids." Can you see why they make us smile each week?
Check the very far right and the very far left.
Personal Interactions happen spontaneously.
They create their own assessments.
This is the "COVID" group. They taught their kids on Zoom.
Half of Spring 2024 Group.
The very first group.
Eight-Semester Degree Overview
Eight-Semester Degree Overview
(Music Education Courses, Field Work, LTT)
Semester 1Intro to Music Ed
- Thinking like a Teacher
- Community Building
- Building a Teacher Identity
- Managing College Life
- Managing Stresses of going through the “Middle School of Adulthood”
- Lesson Planning and Peer Teaching
- LTTL Overview, Q &A.
Semester 2Music Ed Lab I
- Week 1 - “Group Up” and “GroupMe”
- Meeting the Mentors, Lesson Planning Bootcamp w/ Mentors
- Week 2 - Meeting the Teachers and Kids - Set Up Your Teaching Schedule - 2-3 different classrooms (1-2 in Pk-2/3, 1-2 in 3/4-6)
- Weekly Planning and Teaching
- Meet each week with your mentor(s) to plan out your lessons, create/find lesson materials, etc.
- Ending Concert (when possible)
Semester 3Music Ed Lab II
- Lesson Planning Re-Bootcamp
- Special Project Preparation (LRC)
- Meeting Your Teachers and Students
- Set Up Your Teaching Schedule - 2-3 different classrooms (1-2 in Pk-2/3, 1-2 in 3/4-6)
- Weekly Planning and Teaching
- Family Music Night (when possible)
- Ending Concert (when possible)
- Peer Mentoring Breakfast Overview
- Near the end of the 2nd teaching semester we provide breakfast for the AU teachers and talk through mentoring strategies and processes for the next semester’s new AU teachers.
Semester 4 - Methods 1 - Mentor/LabsMethods 1 = Children’s Music OR School and Community (Secondary General) Music*
- Meet your Mentees. Set up weekly meeting times for planning.
- Lesson Plan Bootcamp with Mentees
- Observe and provide mentoring feedback in teaching weeks 1-4
- Observe and co-teach in certified teachers’ classrooms* weeks 5-15
- Development-based Yearly Planning with Curricular Design for specific skills and knowledges (standards) (tied back to LTTL experiences with children)
- Assessment, Evaluation (tied back to LTTL assessment experiences).
- Technology and Designing Web-based Curriculum
- Health and Wellness for Music Educators
Semester 5Methods 2 + LabMethods 2 = Vocal/Choral Music Education OR Instrumental Music Education*
- Observe and co-teach in certified teachers’ classrooms weeks 5-15*
- Focused on teaching vocal or instrumental music at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels
- In-depth lesson and rehearsal planning
- Peer teaching and conducting
- Lesson planning for edTPA (what’s the difference?).
- Technology and Programmatic Web Design
- Health and Wellness for Music Educators
Semester 6Methods 3 + LabMethods 3 = Children’s Music OR School and Community Music*
- Observe and co-teach in certified teachers’ classrooms weeks 5-15.*
- Development-based Yearly Planning with Curricular Design for specific skills and knowledges (standards) (tied back to LTTL experiences with children)
- Assessment, Evaluation (tied back to LTTL assessment experiences).
- Technology and Designing Web-based Curriculum
- Health and Wellness for Music Educators
- ETC.>>>
Semester 7 Methods 4 + LabMethods 4 = Vocal/Choral Music Education OR Instrumental Music Education*
- Observe and co-teach in certified teachers’ classrooms weeks 5-15*
- Focused on teaching vocal or instrumental music at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels
- In-depth lesson and rehearsal planning
- Peer teaching and conducting
- Lesson planning for edTPA (what’s the difference?).
- Technology and Programmatic Web Design
- Health and Wellness for Music Educators
- ETC.>>>
Semester 8 Clinical ResidencyDual Placement Clinical Residency
- (P)K-5/6 [elementary and/or early childhood]
7-8 weeks - MS, JH, or HS [secondary-level] focused on primary area of musical study (vocal or instrumental)
7-8 weeks
* Courses alternate each spring. Students Take BOTH courses (four total music education methods classes). Lab placements are based on course focus.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse