Reflect

At which level do you NOW place yourself for each of your four chosen competencies?  And how did the TLI experience impact your growth as a teacher leader in each of your four chosen competencies?

Foundational Competency: Explore and Challenge Inequity: 

Started at Emerging

Now at Performing

As Big Sky Kodály board, we have been working hard to create at least one workshop that could reach many music teachers all around Montana throughout the year. We have been mindful of doing online workshops, workshops in many different towns, and different amount of hours for our workshops to reach as many music teachers as we can! Montana is a huge state, and we want teachers all over Montana to have relevant professional development. In the performing section of Explore and Challenge Inequity it states "Purposefully promote equitable

practices within their environments of influence such as classrooms, schools, districts, associations, and/or communities." By creating and implementing professional development specific to music teachers, we are helping to make our inequities of professional development more equitable. 

Overarching Competency #1: Communication:

Started at Emerging

Now at Performing

I have now had a full year of planning and working on communication to get the word out to all Montana music teachers for our professional development trainings. In the performing section of communication it states "use skillful messaging and consistency of focus to identify modes of communication to reach varying audiences."  I did this by sending lots of emails, website design, social media posts, and have reached out to music teacher friends to spread the word about our professional development trainings. I have also done surveys at our workshops to continue to learn what teachers want to learn about and try to make that happen! 

Overarching Competency #2: Continuing Learning and Education: 

Started at Developing

Now at Performing

As Big Sky Kodály, we have created and planned a full year of professional development workshops for music teachers in Montana! We continue to learn after each workshop we put on and we will continue to grow and help other music teachers continue to learn and continue their education all while connecting them to other music teachers. In the performing section of continuing learning and education it states "design learning opportunities for others and themself around shared professional learning goals, including both job-embedded professional development and outside activities such as higher education." I have done this by providing professional development for music teachers with teacher feedback and input about what teachers wanted to learn as a whole. 

Specific Leadership Pathway Competency: Instructional Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring: 

  Started at Emerging

 Now at Developing

Throughout this whole journey, The Big Sky Kodály board has been focused on creating relevant professional development for music teachers to continue their learning and hopefully mentor/coach some teachers along the way. With a whole year of professional development under our belt, my team and I have a better idea on how to continue our instructional leadership and how to reach more teachers in Montana. In the development section of Coaching and Mentoring it states "Foster the development of colleagues and value their skills and abilities." I feel like my team and I are valuing what other teachers are bringing to the table and their ideas for developing professional development. 

What was the most valuable part of the TLI process for you? 

The most valuable part of the TLI process for me was discovering how diverse the music teachers around Montana are, even if it is not in the way that one might think. When looking at music teachers in Montana as a whole, we are pretty similar and it doesn't seem like we have much diversity. But when looking at music teachers around Montana in a more broad scope, it is clear that we are diverse in ways people don't usually think about. For example, we are spread across a giant state, and some of us have a whole music team in our district, while others, like myself, are the only music teacher in their entire district. When thinking about our specific diversity, it sparked the question of perhaps we should choose multiple places to hold professional development and can we offer online workshops to those who it may be too far to travel or if weather is bad in our state so they can still participate. When learning about how to look at Montana music teachers in a more broad sense, I feel like we can better provide for music teachers in Montana and help all music teachers get relevant professional development, even if they live hundreds of miles away. 

Another take away that was very valuable for me was understanding that implicit biases are present, and now I am aware of how present they truly are. Realizing this has really made me aware and has caused me to focus on the bigger picture. I am also  really proud of how I have grown as a leader. I feel more confident in my leadership skills, even if it is a small change, my voice still matters. 

Artifact #19: My final take aways from the final in person meeting with TLI. 

What are your next steps to continue your growth as a teacher leader? 

My next steps are to continue to work with Big Sky Kodály to create relevant professional development for music teachers around the state. My goal is to also include other states like Wyoming or Idaho to start! I would like to reach all of the music teachers in Montana at least once with our professional development workshops. I would also like to take  Kodály Music Curriculum Levels to become a certified Kodály teachers and one day present at professional development workshops to continue to provide relevant professional development and hopefully mentor other teachers to get their Kodály levels to help them become the best music teachers they can be.