Dakeyan C. Graham

Accomplished Practice # 6: Ethics and Professionalism

Illustration # 1

Source of Illustration

Gainesville High School Vocal Ensemble Class Volunteering

Class Teacher

Rochelle Savitz

Semester

Fall 2005

Type of Assignment

This example of ethics and professionalism is a volunteering opportunity that was used in a high school choral class.

Description of Assignment

As a volunteer at Gainesville High School, I have received the opportunity to teach the vocal ensemble and create lesson plans to use in this real life high school environment. Given the small age gap and awareness of the students, it was important that I act ethical and show professionalism at all times while on the high school campus and in the chorus classroom. I created various lesson plans in which I covered various intervals, rhythms, and also covered the music that they were in the process of learning in preparation for Fall Festival and a winter concert. I also helped with the individual part learning of each section. This volunteering opportunity demonstrates Accomplished Practice #6 in the following ways:

• Demonstrates professional concern for students

• Adheres to relevant code of ethics for music teachers

• Meets expectations regarding attendance, punctuality, and record keeping

Artistic Processes/Medium

No artistic processes are addressed in this illustration.

Rationale

This volunteering opportunity emphasizes the need to distinguish the role of the teacher and student. Although I entered the class as a college volunteer who was not much older then the students of the class, it was my responsibility to distinguish myself from the students. This volunteer opportunity demonstrates the division of teacher and student through the creation of lesson plans and the administering of lessons to the students. Also, because I taught during various classes, it was imperative to arrive in a timely and prompt manner in order to be present when the students arrived and class started. Whenever I taught, I kept a log of student progression through the subjects of music that we covered.

Illustration

Every Tuesday through Friday I arrived at Gainesville High School to help the Vocal Ensemble with learning music and preparing for various trips and evaluations. It was imperative to maintain a professional relationship with the students because some of them were very close in age to myself. On various occasions I was asked my age and other personal questions, but in the effort to stay professional, I could not answer these questions. Upon arriving at the classroom, I was given the opportunity to run warm-ups and then the teacher would split the class into parts for individual group work. In no way could I become one of the students; it was always imperative for me to keep the teacher role, even if I was not instructing the whole class. Although I was instructed to cover a certain thing on a given day, if the students did not know the elements needed to cover what we were supposed to go over, such as being able to read the rhythm of a piece we were studying, then I would curve the lesson in order to teach them the basics needed to make learning easier on them and for the teacher in the future. This illustrated the professional concern for the students in that in order for them to succeed in music, they had to have a firm foundation. For every opportunity I received to teach the larger groups, we would cover basics in hopes that all the students would be on a competent musical level.
 

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