Quality Standard 2: Teachers establish a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for a diverse group of students.

Element A

Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.

Artifact: Note from P.E. Teacher (Head Explore Teacher)

Rationale: Every lesson began in the hallway, with a song to sing as we walked to the classroom, and instructions were given at the doorway for behavior expectations and physical arrangements for the activities of the day. Each new activity began with clear instructions and expectations were clear regarding readiness, correct behavior during activities, and behavior reminders along the way. Behavior management was always positive, with reminders to make good choices along the way. The predictability of the opening activity and consistency of the behavioral reminders coupled with the clarity of instructions makes everything function efficiently because activities can be completed with focus and intention. It also allows students space to speak freely, share thoughts, and participate in class, which lends itself to a positive, nurturing environment with clear educational growth.

Element B

Teachers demonstrate an awareness of, a commitment to, and a respect for multiple aspects of diversity, while working toward common goals as a community of learning.

Artifact: Lesson Plan and Video of Rattlin' Bog

Rationale: This lesson, using an Irish song, demonstrates an example of my frequent inclusion of a diverse repertoire of music to sing and otherwise engage with. This particular song is Irish but I try to incorporate songs from every continent each semester. I often allow the students help select music, inviting students to share their experiences in music, and awareness of how different cultures incorporate music in their lives. It is my opinion that everyone should feel welcome in the music room, and I have a strict rule that when we are listening to music, students should hold their opinions until they have heard and considered the entire piece. This is intended to prevent them from judging a piece solely off of genre or cultural origins, and to invite them to open their minds to something new. This rule is immensely helpful in being able to share music from many cultures freely and have my students consider it respectfully. Most students find that through this open-minded process, they enjoy many types of music, even music that they thought they might not enjoy. It also generally leads to them demonstrating much more respect toward students with a different story than theirs, and allows them to make new connections to their classmates.

Element C

Teachers engage students as individuals, including those with diverse needs and interests, across a range of ability levels by adapting their teaching for the benefit of all students.

Artifact: Photo of completed rhythm caterpillars

Rationale: When 1st grade students made one measure rhythm caterpillars, all students were provided direct support from the teacher, and one beat rhythms (quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth note pairs) were reviewed prior to making the caterpillars using the "Apple Tree" song. All students were invited and elected to tap the rhythms on the board before using them to write a measure on their caterpillar. Students who were more advanced (had taken private lessons or were otherwise exposed to more advanced rhythms) were invited to use any rhythms they wanted/knew. Any students needing assistance were offered it individually so they all found success in the project.

Element D

Teachers work collaboratively with the families and/or significant adults for the benefit of students.

Artifact: Photo of "happy notes" ready to go home.

Rationale: Students were frequently given "happy notes" they got to take home to show their parents when they demonstrated growth mindset. I also helped decide when to send positive emails home to parents. Mrs. Delevoryas and I worked together to decide behavior plans within the music classroom to ensure success for students who may have struggled with making good choices.

I also engaged with parents during morning duty, assessment day duty, and more, informing parents how well their students were doing and helping keep things organized.

Quality Standard 2 Reflection

There is nothing more important than creating a positive, safe, and inclusive environment for students. No one can thrive in a space where they feel judged, unsafe, or unwelcome. My teaching experience thus far has taken me to private schools, charter schools, public schools, well-funded schools, Title I schools, and more. No matter where I was teaching, my most prominent goal was to help my students explore music in an engaging and welcoming environment, so that they may love music. It is not possible for students to love music if they are in a negative musical environment. In general, music is a challenging subject as it requires skills that are built slowly and with a lot of difficult work and intention. Negativity almost exclusively drives students away because they feel that they will never be successful at music. In order to avoid negativity, exclusionary environments in my classrooms, I have worked very hard to choose specific language, specific music, specific activities, and specific supports that allow all students to be successful in what we are doing. I believe that near constant informal assessment is necessary to collect as much information about my students and their skill growth as possible because if they fall behind, I want to catch them before they ever get close to the feeling of inadequacy and discomfort that can come with being behind the class. I want to know them as people so I can encourage and support them in the ways they need. When they do make mistakes, I use language to correct them that leaves room for growth--for example, instead of giving harsh critiques or demanding students do what I say, I frequently say "Please make a better choice," which allows the students to first realize they aren't making a good choice and then gives the student an opportunity to correct course, which they almost always do immediately. Because they are given space to correct it themselves with minimal attention drawn to the situation, this simple sentence makes a world of difference and keeps students positive--they changed their behavior and no confrontations, stern tones, yelling, or consequences of any kind were required at all.

I also strive to include music from all around the world in my lessons. I always ask my students not to judge music until they've heard the whole song, and that all music has value, even if it isn't music they prefer. This allows me to use a wide variety of music in all of the activities we do. It also means that students feel safe when we are improvising or composing. One thing I wanted to do more of during my time at Stargate was inviting students to share the music they love more often, but we were very focused on concert preparations.

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