Dakeyan C. Graham
Accomplished Practice # 8: Knowledge and Presentation of Subject Matter
Illustration # 1
Source of Illustration
Gainesville High School Vocal Ensemble Class
Class Teacher
Rochelle Savitz
Semester
Fall 2005
Type of Assignment
This example of knowledge and presentation of subject matter is evident in the preparation of running a rehearsal of a high school vocal ensemble.
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. This example stems from a rehearsal held in preparation of a performance. During this rehearsal I demonstrated Accomplished Practice #8 in the following ways:
Presents all subject matter accurately and musically
Detects errors in performing music accurately and consistently
Links instruction to national and state standards, to other disciplines, and to the students' lives
Is able to present subject in a manner meaningful to the students
Artistic Processes/Medium
This rehearsal required preparation in order to become acquainted with the material and literature that would be covered on that day. This example is somewhat responsive, creative, and performance based; responsive in that the students were required to actively listen to instructions and examples and reproduce the assimilated knowledge; performance in that I had to give audio examples of certain passages, singing them on the correct pitch and rhythmically accurate; and creative in that I had to create the activities to facilitate a positive learning environment and make learning enjoyable.
Rationale
This is an excellent example of teaching experience in which I was required to construct the lesson in such a way that it met all the requirements of this accomplished practice. In order for the student to become ready for their evaluation and concert, it is necessary that they perform their designated literature accurately and musically. It was my job to find the mistakes and correct them and to help them become more consistent with their performances. In order to connect the material to the students it is necessary to link it to a personal event or an object to which they are all familiar with so that it becomes meaningful to them. In order to do this, everything had to be directed in this manner to have a successful rehearsal.
Illustration
When the students arrived in class the rehearsal began with warm-ups. We then proceeded to begin working on their required piece, 'Hope'. Various students in separate sections were not singing the rhythms correctly and the best way to correct this, short of changing the lesson into a rhythmic lesson, which I was forbidden to do, was to sing the example for them so they could hear the correct way to sing it. Throughout the class period, the students sang and I corrected rhythm and pitch discrepancies. Because of the rhythmic manner to which the teacher designated her interpretation of the song, it was necessary to give the students a different view point on singing. I use various examples of things around the room, or true to life story examples on different aspects of rhythm and feeling of the piece. For example, when reviewing the more tender spots of 'Hope', I used the example of being with a boy/girlfriend and going on a stroll through the park, hand-in-hand.; looking at the scenery, smelling the flowers and then all of a sudden, a truck hits the significant other. That's a tragic twist, and by singing this piece tenderly on some parts and then abrasively on others, that is the feeling that is conveyed. The stroll has to continue through the entire piece because there is no change in mood of the piece. By linking this story to the students and other examples, their interpretation of the piece changed, as well as their performance of the piece into something that is more true to the music.
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