Next school year I will be moving to a new school and teaching fourth through twelfth grade orchestra. I may not have a quiet classroom, but my students are busy creating!
As a charter school in Georgia, we receive significantly less funding per pupil than a traditional public school.
My students are inquisitive, caring, and eager to learn. My school is very diverse racially, and I enjoy the diversity among our students. Students at my school want to succeed and do well in school. I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students and professional learning is extremely important to me.
My Project
Last summer I attended Level 1 Suzuki violin training in Michigan. I learned numerous strategies to use in my classroom to cognitively engage students while playing orchestra instruments in my classroom. These include having students play around the room, having students try to make mistakes, and many strategies to correct bow holds and posture.
I want to take lessons myself this summer to learn more strategies to help my students be more engaged learners in my orchestra classroom.
Many of the strategies I use today in my own classroom to engage my students and encourage high levels of learning are directly taken from my first private violin teacher. By taking lessons myself, I hope to learn new pedagogical strategies I can use to engage my students in my own classroom. Every strategy that I can put in my teacher toolbox, is a new way to engage students in rigorous learning in my classroom.
Part of my lessons with Ms. Yasuda will include going through Suzuki Violin Book 1 and learning Ms. Yasuda's tricks and strategies for teaching students beginning violin. I will also be learning Ms. Yasuda's approach and strategies to teach shifting and vibrato on the instrument.
I fully expect to leave each lesson with new strategies I can use in my own classroom in August. This opportunity for personal and professional growth and collaboration with my colleague will help me become a better orchestra teacher with new strategies to engage students in their learning next fall.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
