Entry 9

Professional Learning and Ethical Practices

Engaging in ongoing professional learning and using evidence to continually evaluate
his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners,
families, other professionals, and the community), and adapting practice to meet the needs of
each learner is a major skill any teacher should work for.
Every year I attend KMEA in Wichita, KS which is a massive event as a music educator
and no matter what I do, whether it be attending a session or performing, I learn something and
take back with me into my own professional work. On top of these events I have participated in
the Conn-Selmer Institution for a week during the summer of 2018 and PASIC (Percussion Art’s
Society International Convention) in Indianapolis, IN which both had a major effect on my
professional outlook and changed my career path to what I want to do in the future. All these
events give me major connections or lessons that I can take back with me to share with my
students or fellow educators to help both my own classroom and ensemble, but my colleagues’
classrooms as well. During the semester before my student teaching, I participated in great
professional development through a master class I held during an apprenticeship, a self-reflection
of a lesson I taught during that apprenticeship, and a list of all the professional development
hours I participated in during my undergraduate. Whether it be music or a core subject, you can
find a lesson in anything by participating in hands-on events like these.