MUED 376: Choral Music, Materials & Techniques

(M2 & T)
Direct Instruction: Self-Assessment
Instructions: Select a 4 - 7 minute clip from one of your practicum teaching rehearsals and
review your direct instruction through answering the following questions. Please write 3- 7
sentence answers for each question. Be thorough and specific.

1. Had I written out my script in a direct instruction model? Would it have helped my
lesson delivery and success if I had done so?

I had written a script using the direct instruction model, but it wasn’t as in depth as it
should have been. I think that if I had made the plan more in depth I would have had less
moments of pausing and filler-word usage. It also didn’t help that I neglected to print my
lesson plan, thus I had to go off of my memory of what I had written. It was nonetheless a
positive lesson, but there was room to improve in my planning.

2. What was my ratio of 1, 2 and 3’s?

My 1’s and 2’s were roughly even. I never explained something for too long before
allowing the choir to try it for themselves. I feel that my 3’s could have been more
present. I gave approval following all of the 2’s, but I could have done more to be
specific in my feedback.

3. Were my students doing lots of 2’s the entire time? Were they on task?

For the amount of time that I had to teach, I think I incorporated about as many 2’s as I
could have. The choir stayed very on task throughout, and they never seemed to lose
engagement with the music-making. I feel that I did well in this aspect.

4. Did I talk too much between every 2 and back to a 1?

I think there were a few moments were I unintentionally got long-winded. None of it was
extreme, as the rehearsal still proved to be productive, but had I prepared a little more
tediously, I think this could have been avoided. I mainly needed to be more concise in my
directions.

5. What kind of 3’s did I use in this clip? Do I need to improve my use of 3’s and if so, in
what way?

As I mentioned earlier, I noticed that I mostly used verbal non-specific approvals

following my 2’s. These are fine in moderation, but moving forward I hope to be more
conscious about giving specific feedback to the choir. Giving the choir something that
they know they did well and something specific to work toward will go a lot farther than
simply saying, “that was great!”, for example.
6. Were there any DI errors in this script?

I did not notice many errors in my DI during this lesson, just that it could have been more
in depth. I did however notice myself saying, “Can we…”, before giving instruction. I
feel that saying, “Let’s…” is more commanding and concise when leading the classroom.
It also makes the 2’s a bit more of a collaboration rather than me telling the choir what to
do.

7. Did I turn any 1o’s into a 1a?

Not entirely; I think that I was able to transition from 1o to 1a well, but not always in a
way that added or took away from the lesson. I could have benefitted from less 1o’s
during transitions. My 1a’s could have been more concise as well.

8. What was the ‘pattern’ of the best ‘chunk’ in this teaching sequence? (For example, 1a,
2p, 1a, 1d, 2v, 1o, 1a , 2p, 3sra)

My best pattern was right at the beginning of the lesson. It was 1o, 1d, 2v, 3a, 1d, 2p. It
turned out to be a great exchange of directions and performance from the choir. It put the
lesson on the right track from the very beginning.

9. To summarize, what were the strengths of my Direct Instruction Model in this lesson?

My strengths here were allowing the choir to try things for themselves. This way they
were able to stay engaged throughout the short lesson and learn by doing. I am a firm
believer of learning by doing in the choir classroom, and I think that worked to good
effect for me here.

10. To summarize, what were the weaknesses of my Direct Instruction Model in this lesson?

Primarily it was my planning. I mainly could have been more specific and concise in my
1’s in order to keep the most concise lesson possible. Additionally, my 3’s could have
been more varied and intentional.

11. What are my next steps?

I foresee myself setting aside some extra time in the future to ensure that I can be more
meticulous in my lesson planning. Perhaps I could set aside a specific time of day each
week that is dedicated to planning, that way I can stay ahead of the curve. Doing this is
another step toward becoming the professional leader that I hope to be in the classroom.