A

Teaching Observation from Ellen Abrahams

Westminster Choir College

Music Education Department

Name of Teacher Hannah Larson Name of School Scotch Plains Fanwood High School Grade 15 October 11, 2012 Date 12:50pm - 1:20pm Time Lesson/Rehearsal Plan: Conforms to the required forms. Comments: Fantastic lesson plan. Format was super and so was the sequencing. I suggest that you label the Warm-up section separate from the lesson. That doesn't mean that the warm-up will not directly relate to the lesson. Lesson/Rehearsal Execution: Includes appropriate strategies to meet the objectives and answer the focusing/essential question. Comments: Excellent. You used multiple strategies. The work at the board was directly connected to the success. Everybody is focused in the same direction. You can play with the patterns, as you did. You might want to distinguish the feel of duple and triple in a warm-up. I loved the way you kept changing up the various groups in terms of the execution of the patterns. You transitioned the rhythm work to the African Noel nicely. a tempo can derail the rhythm train. You had the 8th note groupings solid, but very slow. The metric feel was at the slow pace. When you put it together you modeled it up to tempo. Some adjusted, others might not have make any connection. Try speeding it up gradually before putting it together with the song. Your co-op made the transition for you at the very end of class. Keep your eye on all the students. I noticed that the sopranos are at different levels. No big deal. What if the rows switched places?

 General : Includes classroom management, assessment and standards. The strongest areas of this lesson/rehearsal were: Warm-ups were full-bodied. Watch your transitions to find ways to avoid chatting. Not easy because they are enjoying what they are doing. It is natural to want to talk about it. The minor triad is a tuning problem and you were addressing it. Think more about it. Whole steps and half steps will tune better with solfege use. La- based minor is the way to go. This is not music theory, though I would use it in theory, too. Debatable. The rehearsal was very upbeat. Hannah, you have a very positive demeanor in front of them. It is believable. And that translates to them that you are loving what you are doing and then so do they! Modeling 101. Suggestions for the next observation: Put yourself in the front of the class BEFORE they enter rather than the side. Take the command post sooner. The students like to know what is happening in my experience. Part of the TAKE CHARGE. Play around with the Red Robin with different triads..AND have them answer in solfege. Major triad has options. S-M-D (I), D'-L-F (IV), R'-T-S (V). You are a theory geek. Eek in theory. Challenge them with warm-up rhythms to extend the use of the patterns they are encountering. 15 Todays Grade (15 points maximum) _________________