Professional Growth Plan

Part 1

1a. What data are you using to guide the development of your professional learning goal (e.g.
reflections on teaching, teaching observations, mid-program evaluations, student feedback)?

I am using self-reflections on my teaching, observations from my cooperating teacher and student feedback
to guide the development of my professional learning goal. My cooperating teacher gives me verbal
feedback in class and in writing, and I take time to reflect weekly on my daily lesson plans.

1b. What do the data tell you? Describe your areas of strengths and weaknesses based on the data
collected above.

Strengths: Using critical thinking questions, effective teaching with rhythm exercises and intonation, using
concise language in feedback

I love to ask my students questions that engage them in the lesson and in their own playing. A lot of students
pick up on certain playing techniques without even knowing why they’re doing it! I like to ask questions to
make them reflect on their own playing.
Weaknesses: Implementing new procedures, time management (I spend too much time on little sections
causing me to not get through my lesson plan), losing attention throughout transitions, explaining things in
circles

2. Using the information from question 1, what is your focus area (write both the Danielson domain and
the component that you have identified as having the greatest potential for increasing student learning
below)? Remember to choose from Domains 2 and 3.

Domain: The Classroom Environment (Domain 2)

Component: 2d. Managing Student Behavior including expectations, monitoring behavior and response to
misbehavior. Good student behavior helps foster a healthy classroom environment.

3. What goal will enable you to strengthen your practice (write your goal statement using the Danielson
Framework language)?

My goal is to set behavioral expectations and keep them consistent throughout the year in my classroom. I
will use nonverbal signals to correct misbehavior and move around my classroom to keep a close eye on all
of my students. Students will know what behavior I expect and know what off-task behavior to avoid. By
setting clear procedures and expectations, I can monitor behavior more clearly. As the teacher, the less time I
have to use fixing behaviors, the more time I can spend teaching them music!

4. Describe what will you do to build professional background knowledge related to the domain and
component that you have selected in order for you to achieve your goal (e.g. what articles/books will you
read, what Internet resources will you use, what workshops will you attend, will you interview or observe
teachers)? Describe four specific professional development activities.
I will attend music education conferences like FMEA and Fall Conference to foster professional
development, specifically catered to behavior management.

I will watch rehearsal videos online that show different ways to manage behavior.

I will watch ted talks and read articles on classroom procedures, especially ones that match the school level
that I am in.

I will interview and observe my past teachers (from middle and high school) and past directors from
orchestras like Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. Experienced teachers tend to have a lot of tips and tricks
for getting the students to stay on task.

5. What activities/actions will you implement to help attain your goal (e.g. administer a student interest
inventory, develop lessons that include multiple project options for students, include the use of formative
assessments during instruction, video tape and critique one’s practice, establish procedures for the
distribution and collection of materials and supplies)? How will these help you attain your goal?
Describe three specific activities based on current professional background knowledge related to your
goal (this section will be updated during student teaching as you continue to build your professional
background knowledge described in question 4).

I will use nonverbal signals to correct misbehavior and move around my classroom to keep a close eye on all
of my students. Students will know what behavior I expect and know what off-task behavior to avoid. By
setting clear procedures and expectations, I can more clearly monitor behavior. I will video tape and
critique/reflect on my behavior management procedures. I will also use these recordings to monitor the
common misbehaviors so I can better plan behavior management tactics.

I will establish written procedures for the start of class and written expectations for how students should
behave in my classroom. I will spend time to go over these procedures so that students have clear
expectations.

I will implement a call and response procedure to establish behavioral expectations. I will also work with the
student leadership in the classroom to create an environment of collaboration and accountability.

6. How will you collaborate with other professionals to meet your goal?

I will debrief with my fellow interns, cooperating teaching, college professors and other teachers in the
music education field to help me meet my goal. I will ask them for feedback and observe their practices
when I can.

7. What evidence/artifacts will you collect to demonstrate that your goal is being met? List three
specific evidence/artifacts you will collect.

I will have a behavior chart to monitor the frequency of behavior problems.

I will use a Behavioral management manual.

I will use reflections on my own teaching from my lesson plans, and also the Assessment Cs from my
supervisors in the field. I will collect the Professional Growth Plan Observation form from my Cooperating
Teacher to help demonstrate that my goal is being met.
 Professional Growth Plan

PART 2

1. What did you do to build your professional background knowledge related to the domain and
component you selected? Did you add any new professional learning opportunities during your
internship? Describe four specific articles, books, webinars, podcasts, etc. that helped build your
professional background knowledge.

To build my professional background knowledge related to the 2D domain, I observed rehearsals, read
educational articles and watched different virtual and in-person presentations regarding behavior
management. Utilizing these resources helped me broaden my perspective on behavior, especially related to
high school.

a. “Management Techniques and Musical Skills: The Twin Foundations of “Pin Drop-Quiet”
Band and Orchestra Rehearsals”
https://www.midwestclinic.org/user_files_1/pdfs/clinicianmaterials/2004/david_newell.pdf
i. This resource features David Newell talking about rehearsal strategies and
management techniques to implement with an ensemble. I chose this article because it
was directly related to music, and it talked about how to work on music while
managing behavior. This resource was in the midwest clinic.
b. “Mistakes: Made and Lessons I learned as a First Year Orchestra Teacher”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-Xsbch5LM
i. This video features Joel Powell talking about his struggles, suggestions, and strategies
he learned in his first year of teaching orchestra. He is a very experienced string
teacher who has taught at many different levels. He shared a lot of highs and a lot of
lows, which was helpful for me. It is nice to connect with fellow string educators, even
if it’s virtual.
c. “The Orchestra Director’s Guide to Classroom Management: Managing Students the
PEACEful Way” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00031313211045429
i. This article, written by Angela Ammerman, talks about how to manage students,
specifically in an orchestra setting. She talks about a lot of different elements that
contribute to a well-controlled environment. She talks about pacing, and how that
impacts the student participation and contributes to a reduction in misbehavior. If a
lesson is appropriately paced, there are less opportunities for students to get off-task.
This article was published in the American String Teacher Association (ASTA), which
is a professional organization for string music educators.
d. “Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra” by Allen, Bergonzi, Dillon, Gillespie,
Kjelland, and Straub
i. This is a book written by very experienced string teachers. These educators have
written method books, supplemental resources, pieces, and more. This book goes into
detail about how to set up an orchestra classroom, how to manage the pacing of
technical learning, how to address behavior issues when they interfere with the
lessons, and so on. This is a resource that my teacher let me borrow when I was
picking out new repertoire.
 2. What specific activities/actions did you implement to help attain your goal? Describe at least four
specific activities. Connect each activity to a reading, webinar, podcast, etc. listed in question 1.

Activity 1: This resource talked about rules and consequences, and how to implement them
into the classroom. I implemented some of their rules and consequences into my expectations
slideshow, and it helped to set a clear expectation for students. This helped me establish my
standard and it resulted in better behavior from the students. Additionally, I liked the
consequences because it can be tricky to come up with consequences for a music classroom.
Additionally, I implemented this idea: “Every day the students place themselves in one of the
two boxes: Rules or Consequences. By doing this, it places the responsibility of behavior on
the students”

Activity 2: This video gave a lot of helpful tips and tricks to help me meet my goal. The
teacher talked about calling parents to congratulate positive behavior, and to have an open
discussion about problematic behaviors. I implemented this directly into my teaching. I called
parents to discuss positive growth, positive behavior, and leadership in the classroom. The
parents were excited to hear from me, and they were happy about their student’s success.
Additionally, I called some parents to discuss more negative behavior, and it eventually
helped to decrease misbehavior. Parents have a lot of influence over their students and if the
teacher and the parent can communicate clearly, to best benefit the students, then that can
prevent a lot of problems.

Activity 3: Taking inspiration from the article listed above, I took pacing into consideration
when managing behavior, particularly in my beginning class. The students don’t necessarily
have the skills to move at a fast pace, but I still need to structure the class in a way that keeps
their attention focused. During the middle of my internship, I started writing out the general
schedule of the class period, so that students knew what to expect. I had actual timings written
out that I would stick to as I led the class. Doing this allowed me to speed up the pacing of my
class, while still touching on the necessary technical aspects. Increasing the pacing, and
spacing out instructional exercises helped to keep them engaged and excited.

Activity 4: I used this book a lot throughout my internship. It focused on classroom

management directly related to music. I was able to model the classroom setup that was in the
book, and it was very helpful. The setup they suggested allowed enough space for me to walk
around the class and give individual feedback to students. This was extremely beneficial for
managing behavior, and preventing misbehavior.

3. Did you meet your intended goal? Why or why not?

Yes, I met my intended goal. I was able to use nonverbal cues to prevent misbehavior and move around the
classroom to closely monitor behavior, which was part of my goal. I have set clear expectations for behaviors
and procedures for my classroom and the students have responded well. They know what I expect of them,
and they know the potential consequences. Doing all of these components allowed me to meet my goal
regarding managing student behavior.
 Describe the evidence and artifacts that demonstrate the professional learning goal was met (include
at least 5 descriptions of evidence). Two pieces of evidence must be the focused observations by your
cooperating teacher in your selected area of growth (attach the feedback provided by your
cooperating teacher). Label and describe each piece of evidence and explain why each piece
helps meet your intended goal. Attach the artifacts to the end of the report.

Artifact 1: Focused Observation 1 (Figure 1)

The Focused PGP Observation 1 serves as a great indicator of growth towards meeting my goal. My CT
observed me on March 8th, and left written comments regarding component 2D. My CT mentioned that he
thinks I do a great job at monitoring student behavior, and that I use proximity to appropriately remind
students about behavioral expectations. That shows that I am meeting my goal. My CT also left suggestions
for things I can improve on like creating a bigger presence as the teacher when I am on the podium. These
suggestions will help me in further developing my behavior management approach and style.

Artifact 2: Focused Observation 2 (Figure 2)

This second Focused PGP Observation shows how I have grown and developed my behavior management
style from the time of the first observation. As you can see, my CT believes that I have improved on my
behavior management by setting clear expectations and reminding the students of these expectations when
necessary. Of course, there is always room to improve, but this second focused observation shows true
growth in this specific Danielson component.

Artifact 3: Case Study (Figure 3)

The case study revolves around classroom management and procedure. Through the case study, I was able to
isolate a behavior issue that was causing constant disruptions in class. I chose the misbehavior: playing after
the conductor had cut off the music making. This misbehavior consistently caused a large loss of
instructional time, and I knew I wanted to address it to best benefit the students. I planned out an
intervention, after taking baseline data, and implemented that strategy into the classroom. Throughout the
four-week course of my case study, the misbehavior decreased greatly. This showed that I could effectively
work on behavior issues in the class. By working on the misbehavior, I was able to better utilize instructional
time which helped the students make more progress throughout each rehearsal.

Artifact 4: Supervisor Comments in Via (Figure 4)

On February 27th, my Stetson supervisor observed me in the 7th period class. 7th period is the intermediate
group, and when he came to observe, I was working on Sinfonia in D with them for MPA. My supervisor
gave me scores for the Danielson Components, including component 2D: Managing student behavior. In the
class he observed, I made sure to attend to all students and monitor behavior closely. On the observation
rubric on via, he gave me a score of “Proficient” with positive comments. The comments are included below,
but he told me that the student behavior is generally appropriate. In our phone post-conference call, he said
that I manage behavior in a way that still allows them to be silly kids. The comments and the observation in
general demonstrate that my goal has been met.
 Artifact 5: Rules and Procedures Handbook (Figure 4)

My Rules and Procedures Handbook clearly outlines my behavioral expectations, daily procedures, concert
procedures, rules and consequences, and more. For this assignment, we had to write very specific rules and
expectations that could be objectively understood by the students, parents, and other teachers that would read
the handbook. By laying out extremely clear and specific expectations, the students know what is expected
of them and they also know the consequences laid out if they do not follow the rules/expectations. This
artifact shows that I have met my goal of laying out behavioral expectations and keeping them consistent
throughout the semester in the classroom. Students will know what behavior I expect and know what off-task
behavior to avoid.

4. How did you collaborate with other professionals to meet your goal?

I collaborated with other professionals by meeting with my CT and the other associate director of orchestra
and talking about behavior management. They both were able to observe my teaching, and bring certain
things to my attention that I would not notice, related to behavior. They were able to tell me about procedures
and rules that worked for them, and I was able to integrate those into my own teaching. I also collaborated
with the two professors at Stetson who have a lot of experience with behavior management. Additionally to
meet my goal, I collaborated with professionals outside of my immediate realm to learn about their
experiences and strategies to manage behavior. Talking to my colleagues that are first-year teachers has been
helpful as well because they are figuring it out, and it’s all very fresh to them!

5. What new learning did you acquire as a result of the professional learning opportunities in which you
engaged?

I learned a grave amount of classroom management, and how to deal with specific behavior problems in the
music classroom. Reading different articles was helpful, because my brain processes written information and
guidance well; however, the most helpful resource was watching rehearsal videos and seminars online.
Having real-life demonstrations and examples of behavior management was extremely helpful. I learned that
procedures are everything, and students will respond to expectations as long as they are clearly addressed
and communicated. I tend to be more afraid of confrontation, so being completely assertive as the intern
made me uncomfortable at first. However, sometimes you have to be assertive and clearly communicate your
expectations. If not, you are expecting your students to be at a certain standard, and they have absolutely no
idea. I also learned that students respond well to written expectations that are located at a central part of the
room. This was talked about in a lot of different professional resources, and it proved to be very helpful.
Going to FMEA conference (Florida Music Education Association) was also a very valuable professional
learning tool that helped me form my own style of behavior management.

6. What impact did the changes in instructional practice have on you as a professional?

The changes in instructional practice had a positive impact on me as a professional. Handling student
behavior, especially at the high school level, can be nerve wracking and very tricky. High school students are
beginning to “come into their own” and form their own opinions and beliefs on how things should be run.
They also tend to be quite insecure and sensitive, so as the teacher, you have to remember to be
compassionate and that these are students, not full-fledged adults. I had to be very careful about how I
addressed behavior because I didn’t want to attack any students, but I also had to make sure that the behavior
was managed in a way that all students could learn. The changes I made gave me more confidence as a
professional, and also decreased the amount of internal stress I experienced throughout each day. A class is
nothing without behavior management, and so once that was re-established in my own way, it made the
teaching part a little bit easier. I believe that I am now more equipped to manage student behavior in a way
that still allows them to be students, while letting them have fun making music.

7. What impact did the changes in instructional practice have on your students’ learning?

The changes in instructional practice had a grave impact on my students’ learning. By managing student
behavior in an appropriate way, the time spent correcting off-task behavior is now used to work on musical
growth and development. The changes in my teaching allowed for a better use of instructional time, which
increased the amount of learning and rehearsal we could do as a class each day. The students were able to
focus solely on music making, and having fun with one another. Because of this, we made progress on the
pieces at a solid, steady pace and the students were extremely proud of the hard work and focus that went
into the Spring Concert. Additionally, the changes in instructional practices helped me to ensure that every
student was involved in their own learning, and in the musical growth of the class period.

8. How will you continue to develop in this area?

I will continue to develop in this area by collaborating with practicing teachers, and new teachers in my area
to discuss classroom management procedures. By bouncing ideas and successful practices off of each other,
we can all continue to develop in this area. Additionally, I will continue to watch seminars, go to
music-education conferences like FMEA, and read educational articles that speak on classroom management
and managing behaviors in a music-specific classroom. When I start teaching in my own classroom, I will
make sure to try different strategies, and take note of the successful trials. In this area of 2d: Managing
Student Behavior, I believe there will be continuous growth throughout my entire career.
Professional Goal Artifacts:

Figure 1: Focused Observation 1

Figure 2: Focused Observation 2
 Figure 3: Case Study

Case Study

Background Information
Description of the Student Population
For my Case Study, I am using the first period orchestra which is the highest level intermediate class. The student
population is made up of 21 students and there are nine males and twelve females. All four grade levels are represented
in this class, with nine seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman. The age of students range from
14-18 years old.
Race: 21 Students

Hispanic Asian African-American Caucasian

11 6 2 2

Socio-economic background: Most of these students are middle class, or lower middle class
Esol distribution: There is one student with Spanish as his first language.
IEP/504 plan: There are two students with a 504 plan.
Health Indicators: There are seven students with a health indicator. This can range from needing glasses, to
allergies, to a serious health concern.

Behavior Background: This first period meets every day from 7:20-8:14 am and they are the second highest-level
orchestra. Overall, this class is pretty well-behaved but I chose this class because I believe behavior management is
especially important because of the early start time. There is a wide variety in how the students behave in the morning,
and I thought it would be interesting to collect data at this particular time of day.
This class has at least one student in every grade, but the majority of the class are juniors (7/21 students) and seniors
(9/21 students). The specific behavior I am observing is the amount of times that a student (or students) play(s) after
the conductor has cut off the music making. This is a common misbehavior that occurs even in the professional level
orchestras. Playing after the conductor has stopped conducting wastes valuable instructional time in the classroom. It
also inhibits other students from being able to hear my feedback and my instructions.
My goal is to implement an intervention to lower the number of occurrences over the course of four weeks.
Statement of Problem/Target Behavior: I will be observing the amount of times a student (or students) play(s) after
the conductor has cut off the music making.
Data Collection:
Baseline Data: 1/23-1/26

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

1/23 1/24 1/25 1/26

55 57 57 54
I gathered four days of baseline data which showed an average of 55 occurrences of a student playing after
the conductor had cut off the music making in one class period (7:20-8:14am).

Intervention Data:
Week 1: 1/30, 1/31, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3
Week 2: 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10
Week 3: 2/13, 2/14, 2/15, 2/16, 2/17
Week 4: 2/20, 2/21, 2/22, 2/23, 2/24

Days of Intervention

Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

# of 49 48 44 42 37 35 30 28 28 23 15 9 8 8 7 7 6 7 9 4
Occu
rrenc
es

Display of Baseline Data and Intervention Data

This line graph shows the first

four data points that I collected
as baseline data, followed by the
20 days (4 school weeks) of
intervention that followed. As
shown in the graph, the problem
behavior decreased significantly
over the course of my case
study. Addressing the problem
in a mature and respectful way
immediately helped to decrease
the number of occurrences.
Adding in my second form of intervention, described below, helped to decrease the number of occurrences to four by
the end of the fourth week.

Description of intervention
My first form of intervention was verbally communicating to the students the cons to the specific
misbehavior. I clearly explained that by playing after the conductor has cut off the music making,
instructional time that could have been spent fixing problems is now spent correcting the
misbehavior. Additionally, I informed them that by continuing to play against the conductor’s wishes,
they inhibit themselves from being able to hear valuable feedback and further instructions. If they do
not hear my instructions for how to proceed, then that is more time wasted repeating information.

Starting on the fourth day of the first week, February 2nd, I implemented my other form of
intervention: keeping track of the amount of students that continued to play after the conductor cut
off the music making on the SMARTBoard at the front of the classroom. I would track the number of
occurrences every day (M-F), and at the end of each week, I would average the amount and put that
mean under the title of “Week 1.” I did this for all four weeks in order to track the progress with the
students. I told the students that if we could get the number of occurrences to under 4 by the last day
of the case study, I would bring in candy of their choosing, for the whole class.

This intervention strategy was quite subtle, but it worked. The students did not like looking at a high
number of misbehavior on the board, so they worked together to lower that number as the days went
on.

Results and Conclusions

As I was collecting the baseline data, I noticed that this specific behavior was consistently inhibiting
the amount of progress made in each rehearsal. Each director, myself included, would have to use
valuable time to repeat instructions and feedback.
Once I started my intervention process, the behavior decreased immediately. We did not go from the
baseline number to zero, but the number of disturbances definitely decreased over the course of the
four weeks. After I verbally addressed the misbehavior, the students responded immediately by
paying closer attention to each conductor. When I started keeping track on the SMARTBoard, that’s
when there was consistent progress in lowering the number of misbehaviors. I believe that the
students disliked seeing a misbehavior indicator in the front of the classroom, frankly because it hurt
their ego. Keeping track week by week helped them to track their progress. Additionally, keeping the
 “score” on the front of the board encouraged the students to work with each other to lower the
number. Additionally, I think that the students wanted the reward (candy) at the end of the four
weeks, so they reminded each other to watch the conductor and to cut off together.

Future Recommendations
Overall, this Case Study was beneficial. I chose a behavior that was consistently causing problems
and wasting time, and I was able to execute an intervention plan that was successful in lowering the
amount of misbehavior over the course of four weeks. Even though I was strict with keeping track of
the misbehavior on the board, I was never malicious and I made sure to approach this entire study
from the point of view of helping the students maximize their rehearsal time to help make them the
best ensemble they could be. My only future recommendation would be to keep track of ALL the
classes on the same SMARTBoard page, so that students could track each other's progress. I think
this could encourage some friendly competition between the classes, and work to bond each class
period. I think it would also be fun to integrate a class reward for the class with the lowest amount of
misbehavior (number of times the students play after the conductor stops the music making) at the
end of each month. This would encourage each class period to work together to hopefully eliminate
the behavior over time.
Figure 4: Supervisor Comments in Via For Observation 2 on 2/27/2023

Figure 5: Rules and Procedures Handbook

Goodin High School Orchestra Handbook

Kate Goodin
EDUC 474 - Educational Management of Exceptional Students
Spring 2023
August, 2023

Dear Goodin Orchestra Families:

Welcome to the orchestra here at Goodin High School! I hope you are excited to get this year started.

My mission as the orchestra director is to create a community where you all feel comfortable, informed,
and proud of the orchestra program you are a part of. This handbook outlines my contact information,
concert dates, uniforms, and more!

Being involved in an orchestra program is a great way to learn about collaboration, creativity, and
responsibility while making beautiful music with your peers. I believe that music is a language that heals
and speaks to all individuals, and together, we will experience its beauty each and every day.

I have high standards for your students as they are all very capable of success. Students are expected to
come to class every day with their instrument, music, and other daily essentials. Their daily homework
consists of at least 30 minutes of practice on the orchestra repertoire or on their approved solo
repertoire! Other expectations and procedures are discussed in detail on the following pages.

I am best reached by email at kgoodin@stetson.edu or through our class Canvas page.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

Sincerely,

Kate Goodin
Kate Goodin (she/her/hers)
Orchestra Director
DPHS Orchestra
Policies and Procedures
In my orchestra program, I want all of my students to succeed and feel comfortable within the classroom
environment. There are policies and procedures set up in order to make the room a safe place. My
expectations for all students are simple, and by following these expectations, we ensure that our time is
spent on what is most important: music.

Expectations:
● Arrive to class on time with the required class materials
● Direct your body and eyes to the teacher when they are giving instructions. Refrain from talking
when the teacher is talking
● Raise your hand when you have something to say and wait to be called on to speak
● Engage in the rehearsal by playing your instrument when directed to do so

Ms. Goodin’s Golden Rules for Herself:

1. I promise to give full credit for full participation.
2. I will always treat you with respect and I expect the same from you.
3. I aim to teach my students to become better musicians and better people.

Daily Attendance
An attendance grade will be taken daily. To receive full credit, you must be in class on time and participate in
the music making to the best of your ability. Students must get a pass from the attendance office if they arrive
after the tardy bell. If a student is tardy x amount of times, administrative consequences will follow.

Attendance accounts for 10% of your final grade and if you are absent x amount of days, there will be
consequences that include a meeting with the teacher, a call home, and possibly a referral. Orchestra is a
group effort, and it is important that all musicians are present as much as possible!

Orchestra Daily Supplies

Students will need to come to class prepared with these materials:
Instrument, bow, rosin
Extra Strings
Shoulder Rest or Rock Stop
Pencil, Concert Music, Method Book

If you come to class without one of these materials, you will be responsible for checking the missing item out
of the orchestra supply cabinet. If it is not returned by the end of class, you will be financially responsible for
replacing it.*
Entering the Classroom: Belongings and Backpacks
All students will enter the classroom through the front door. All electronic devices must be kept in the
student’s backpack and they should not be used during class unless it is for an approved musical purpose
only (i.e, metronome, tuner, recording device). Backpacks will be stored along the back wall of the classroom.
After entering the classroom, students will go to their assigned seats and unpack their instruments. We will
start class after the bell by tuning together.

Talking
Talking in an orchestra is necessary for multiple reasons! I will provide opportunities to talk with section
leaders, standpartners, and the director about musical questions and issues; however, disruptive and
disrespectful language will not be tolerated.

Gum/Drinks/Food
Hydration is important! Water is allowed in the classroom and I encourage you all to stay hydrated; however
other drinks, such as coffee, soda, and energy drinks along with food items should be consumed outside of
the orchestra classroom. Chewing gum in the classroom is not allowed, and if I see you chewing gum, I will
respectfully tell you to throw it out.

End of Class Procedures

I will give students four minutes before the bell to pack up their instruments and to return all materials to the
designated spot. Every student must loosen their bow and make sure their instrument case is fully closed and
put away before leaving the classroom.

Instrument Information: Careful Care

String instruments are VERY expensive. Students need to be responsible for their instrument, whether it’s
their personal belonging or a school rental. Bows need to be loosened after every class period and rosin
should gently be wiped off of the fingerboard and strings with a microfiber cloth.
Students who are reckless and damage instruments will be held financially responsible.

Rental/Personal Instruments
Students are encouraged to purchase their own violin/viola/cello/bass for home use. I have many
recommendations of intermediate-level instruments that are relatively inexpensive and I will email those
recommendations out in the first newsletter.
I realize that not every student will be able to buy their own instrument. There are multiple instruments that
are owned by the school that can be rented out. On the first day of class, I will document the students that
need to rent an instrument.
Be on the lookout for a rental contract from your student if your student needs to rent a school instrument.
It’s Concert Day!
Concert procedures and uniforms are outlined below

Day of Concert Procedures

Each required concert will start at 7pm. Call time will be at 6:15pm for all orchestra members in the orchestra
room. We will unpack instruments, tune, go over concert etiquette, and practice walking on and off the stage.
The concert will end at approximately 8:30pm, and students will need to be picked up from the school by
9pm at the latest.

If a student has transportation difficulties, I should be notified as soon as possible to help find a solution.

Uniform Information
For required concerts, students are required to wear concert black. Students who are not dressed
appropriately will result in a lowered concert grade.
Concert Black includes:
A completely solid black shirt with ¾ quarter or full length sleeves (No t-shirts, sheer shirts, or short
sleeves)
Black dress pants that go down to the ankle (No leggings or black jeans)
Black, closed-toe dress shoes (No sneakers, sandals, flip flops)
No excessive jewelry such as flashy watches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets

The goal of concert black is to appear classy and professional. We want them to listen to our music and
appreciate the hard work we put in to prepare for the concert. We do not want them to be distracted by loud
designs, patterns, colors, or accessories.

Examples of Acceptable Concert Black:

Grading System
Each student will start with an A in orchestra. If students come to class on time each day and fully participate,
they will maintain an A in the class. If the orchestra policies are not followed, the orchestra grade will be
lowered accordingly.

● 50% - Required Concerts

● 30% - Playing Tests (In-class and at-home)
● 10% - Homework
● 10% - Attendance and Participation

50% - Students are required to attend the four outlined orchestra concerts. Their attendance and behavior
grade for required concerts make up this 50% category.

30% - Playing tests include a recording, or a scheduled session with the director, where the student plays an
excerpt from the assigned repertoire. The playing assignments will be given in advance to the student, and
the policies for turning them in will be discussed in class.

10% - Written homework will occasionally be distributed to students. Students are expected to turn in the
homework the following day in the designated folder at the front of the class.

10% - Attendance and participation are absolutely necessary. Details are on page 3.