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I know that I ask you to work hard in class. You need to know that I work
just as hard for you. Here is a list of the things I have been doing for
you!
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Attended/Paid for Professional Development - The Tennessee Arts Academy,
Belmont University. The Tennessee Arts Academy is a week-long professional
development program designed to enrich the teaching skills of music, theatre
and art teachers.
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Pre-selected the music for the year. The process of music selection
takes many hours. For every piece of music I must analyze the quality,
usability, and difficulty of the music. Because this is a long, tedious
process, it must be spread out over several weeks.
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Set Performance dates for the year. I have coordinated with the
administration, other teachers, and community members to come up with the
performance schedule for the year. The only dates missing are ones that are
determined by committee, such as the Awards Assembly performances. Check out
the Calendar section for more info!
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Joined and paid for membership with several professional organizations. In
order to be a better prepared educator I am a member of several different
organizations. Also, membership in some of these organizations is required
in order for my students to participate in area events such as All-East,
All-State, and J.B. Lyle Choral Festival. All of these I pay for in order to
better serve my students. For a complete list of professional organizations I
am involved with, see my bio.
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Purchased prop items for Drama class. I have been searching in thrift
stores for items to use as props in our new drama class. If you have items you
would like to donate, please contact me via e-mail.
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Cleaning out the Music Closet. I have been working over the summer to
clean out the outdated, destroyed and otherwise unusable music from our
supplies. I am hoping to have the closet cleaned and ready for new music by
the start of the year!
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Score analysis...ongoing effort! For every piece of music that my
students learn, I must analyze the entire piece. This means that I must learn
each vocal part, then analyze the structure of the piece and locate potential
trouble spots. I must decide on artistic issues such as cueing, breathing, and
stylistic approach. I cannot teach a piece until I myself know it inside and
out. This is not a simple process. It takes hours of time, energy and practice
to be prepared to work on one piece.
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Working to help clean out a storage space for Drama Supplies. I am
working with Mr. Mounger and the other teachers in the language department to
clear out and organize a space for costumes, props and other items to be
stored. Hopefully, we'll have that ready by the start of school!
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Planning & Coordinating Fieldtrips for this year. I have been in
contact with people around the state setting up opportunities for you to learn
more about music and drama. I am about 80% of the way done with the
arrangements for these trips.
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Working on a Masters Degree in Music Education. I know that this
benefits me too, but my students are the primary beneficiaries of my
education. Each semester I am taking classes on how to improve my teaching, on
history and theory of music, and on how to research methods for educational
advancement. The things that I am learning directly impact my students in a
positive manner.
Whew! So there it is. That is some of what I have been doing for you
lately. With that in mind, I ask you to put aside all of the distractions and
work with me to make this Choral and Dramatic Arts Department the very best
that it can be. I will give it my very best. Will you do the same?
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