Abigail Carter

Dr. van der Vat-Chromy

MUED 376

October 15, 2021

Lesson Planning Summary

My largest takeaway in learning more about lesson planning and carrying out lessons has

been the importance of overall awareness of ensemble engagement and implementation of proper

sequencing. Sequencing and scaffolding have the potential to make or break the morale, interest

and attitudes of students. As teachers, it is crucial that we are always doing our best to tune into

the needs of our ensemble as a group and as individuals. If we plan a lesson that is not well

sequenced, singers can easily become discouraged or frustrated when they feel as though they’re

not meeting an expectation or accomplishing what they should. By sequencing rehearsals

properly, we can help students to accomplish far more than they thought possible and as Dr.

Hammel has said, “help them feel both supported and challenged”.

Lesson plans operate in both micro and macro forms-- there can be progression and

throughlines on a micro-level throughout a single rehearsal and more macro-level progression

and throughlines over the course of multiple rehearsals. This ties into the ideas of global

sequencing and building musicianship habits in singers over time! Those building blocks from

micro to macro help us as teachers understand students’ projected progress over time, how well

they have grasped content in previous lessons/rehearsals, and to know what areas to focus on

most in the present rehearsal.

I also found the concept of golden mean within rehearsal/class so important to know and

very fascinating; I have definitely experienced those ebbs and flows as a singer in rehearsal, and
am learning to become more aware of that when I am on the other side of the podium. This

circles back into sequencing, throughlines over time and engaging students; knowing how they

are feeling and where their golden mean lies so I can effectively plan and scaffold each plan. In

addition to the plan itself, I can also consider winding back and forward ahead of time so that

when rehearsal rolls around, I can keep students engaged in their learning.