Jessica Vanstory

Entry 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practices

As a music teacher, I participate in professional learning opportunities, conduct self-evaluations

of my teaching, and adjust instruction to meet the needs of each learner. Throughout my college
career, I have attended the annual Kansas Music Educators Association In-service Workshop in
Wichita, KS every year. At this conference, I have participated in many different sessions and
observed performances to diversify myself and grow as a music educator. A few of the sessions I
have attended include: “Beginning Band Doesn't Have to be Chaos: How a Well-Managed
Program Will Help Your Beginners Thrive,” “ADHD in the Music Room! Discover Practical
Skills for Improving the Overall Classroom Environment,” and “Forming a Genuine Connection
with Your Music and Players.” I purposely attend a variety of sessions to gain knowledge from
all aspects of teaching music. I have also attended performances ranging from orchestras,
ensembles, concert bands, and the like. Another way I have expanded my professional learning
opportunities is through my attendance at teacher in-service days while student teaching at USD
491 Eudora. I have encountered numerous speakers, participated in peer group work, and taken
ample notes from my experiences. In addition to these opportunities, I continually strive to
improve my own personal teaching by monitoring myself through recorded video. By watching
back video recordings of my teaching lessons, I can better reflect on my choices and actions, and
can use that information to adapt my instruction to meet the needs of my students.

My students are the focus of my teaching. The professionalism I take into my personal learning
is to benefit the needs of my students. One way I do this is by implementing a variety of
instructional strategies. I know that all students learn differently and have different learning
styles. Because of this, I have incorporated student movement, visuals, and auditory instruction
while teaching. For example, when the 3rd Grade music class was working on their Composer
Research Projects, I allowed students to move to a quiet place in the room to work, modeled how
to navigate resources visually on the projector screen, and verbally explained the steps we were
going to take. This met my kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learners. In addition to this, I have
met individual student needs through class behavior observation, consulting IEPs, and adjusting
my instruction for select students.