Dr.

Martina Vasil, University of Kentucky Music Education Supervisor

Spring 2016
Email: martina.vasil@uky.edu
Phone: 412-716-5595
Office: 421 Wessels House (Old Engineers Residence), Rm. 203
Journals
You will complete nine journals for this placement. Please email your weekly journal entry by Sunday at
midnight.
Formatting/Content
For my records, it helps if you send your journals in the following way:
Email the journal as a Word document
Label the file with the initials of your school and the week (e.g., FSHS Week 1)
Journals should include three paragraphs:
1. Reflect on how you spent your time each week. Write about your interactions with students, the
cooperating teacher, school personnel.
2. Reflect on how these experiences have helped you grow as a teacher.
3. Respond to the prompts listed below. There is one prompt per week.
One page, single-spaced, is an appropriate length and format for these reflective journals.
Prompts
Journal 1: Take note of schedules, duties, classes, and as many day to day activities. Becoming
acquainted with the daily schedule will make for a smooth transition from your previous placement. Also,
make a list of questions/concerns and any possible scheduling conflicts you may have. Study the weekly
schedule and take note of repeated classes. This will be your greatest challenge when planning.
Journal 2: Describe class experiences, including the musical activities, student responses, and materials
covered. Include the words to a song or provide a pictures of a piece of repertoire that the teacher uses.
What are you learning about the teaching sequence? How is musical content presented and expanded
upon?
Journal 3: Make a constant effort to interact with the students during the various lessons throughout the
week. Rather than analyze the steps of the different lessons, write about the lessons from the childrens
point of view. What are they learning about music and social interaction? How are they learning? How do
you know? What are you learning about their musical capabilities? How do students personalities affect
or influence their learning styles?
Journal 4: Write your thoughts on classroom management. Give honest perceptions of what you
observed. Include your own philosophy and approach to classroom management. What actions did you
see today that you could picture yourself doing? Discuss your classroom management comfort zone.
Journal 5: Talk to the teacher more this week. What is his/her background? How did he/she get into
general music teaching? What is his/her philosophy of music education? How do you see this philosophy
in what he or she does each day this week? Does the teacher subscribe to a certain approach? (Dalcroze,
Orff, Kodaly, something else?)
Journal 6: Topic of your choice

Journal 7: Topic of your choice

Journal 8: What have been the surprises of elementary school life? How is your perception of what kids
would be like differ from what you observed? What do you think the most difficult aspect of student
teaching has been? How can we help you prepare for this better in higher ed?
Journal 9: Provide a summation of your placement. How have you grown as a teacher? What have you
learned/observed in this placement that you would use in future classrooms and why? What have you
observed that would not work for you and why? What do you think has been your greatest strength as a
teacher this semester? What is the one thing that you feel needs the greatest improvement for your
teaching success?
Grading
Journals are graded every week and at the end of the semester. Grading is based on:
a) frequency and timeliness of submissions, as well as b) the substance of your reflection (e.g., addressing
the guidelines above)
A=Journal includes thoughtful reflection on multiple levels AND is submitted by the established deadline.
A-=Journal includes thoughtful reflection on multiple levels and is NOT submitted by the established
deadline.
B=Journal is somewhat reflective AND is submitted by the established deadline.
B-=Journal is somewhat reflective and is NOT submitted by the established deadline.
C=Journal lacks substance AND is submitted by the established deadline.
C-=Journal lacks substance and is NOT submitted by the established deadline.
D=Journal lacks substance despite previous feedback regarding this AND is submitted by the established
deadline.
D-=Journal lacks substance despite previous feedback regarding this and is NOT submitted by the
established deadline.
F=Journal is not submitted.
Observation Visits
Lesson plans are a required component of your student teaching evaluation. Please include the following
in your lesson plans:
Lesson objectives
Procedures (i.e., your teaching process, steps in teaching)
Materials (i.e., specific recordings you are using or song)
Assessment
State learning objectives, content standards Lesson plans may also include:
Duration
Anything else required by the cooperating teacher or school district Email your lesson plan
to me at least ONE DAY before the observation is scheduled.
Changes of Schedule If you wake up and are too sick to get to school, contact your SCHOOL first and
then email/text me. Don't worry about the time. If school is cancelled on an observation day, please
call/text me and we will reschedule. If your school is delayed on an observation day, call/text me so that
we can work out an observation for that day. If we cannot, we will reschedule. Don't hesitate to call or
email me if you have questions or concerns. I am here to help you.