2019-2020 School Year
West Louisville Elementary School - Owensboro, KY
New to my position in the 2019-2020 school year, I set out to develop positive relationships with students through teaching music. This allowed me to develop a culture of learning at his school in which students looked forward to and enjoyed their time in general music class. With a clear expectations set for his students, they were ready to build on their competencies in music and achieve new learning goals.
The ultimate content focus of the 2019-2020 school year was developing grade-level appropriate music literacy skills in students grades K-5. I designed a curriculum inspired by the Kodály approach to music teaching in order to play on the strengths and weaknesses this students already possessed from their previous music instruction. This included rhythmic and melodic reading and dictation, folk dancing, performance in school and community events, and various activities designed to provide an engaging and enriching experience for my students. One of the highlights of the 2019-2020 school year was preparing the school's annual Veterans Day program. It featured student soloists, group selections by fourth and fifth grade students and the after school choir, and student speeches consisting of personal writings. Shortly following the Veterans Day program, all students in the school participated in a holiday program. Primary students participated in Home for the Holidays, featuring class holiday selections and stories with singing and instruments. Intermediate students performed An Evening of Peace, spreading a message of unity during the holiday season. This program including vocal and instrumental performances for third through fifth grades and special selections from the after school choir. The school's planned spring program was a Family Folk Dance Night scheduled in conjunction with the school book fair. The event was intended to give school families the chance to come together and dance traditional dances taught by their children. Unfortunately, this event was canceled due to the school closures across the state. I ended the school year by designing completely virtual instruction which sought to preserve my students' acquired knowledge, helped them to have fun in a stressful time, and took into account the limitations of their home situations and the new platform being used to house instruction. |