Joey

McClain 1
EDUC 461

TWS-1
A) Classroom Factors
a. Physical Features
My student teaching placement my cooperating teachers are Mr. Bagwell
These schools are unique because both of the schools are connected to
each other. This is very beneficial for the two band directors because if
they need to communicate about something they can just go right across
the hall and talk. So the communication is great between both of the band
programs. Both band rooms are located right beside the cafeteria and both
of the teachers offices are right beside the door to the room. On the walls
of the schools are big acoustic panels that serve as soundproof panels to
keep the noise in the band rooms. Chairs are set up in rows from the
podium all the way to the percussion in the back of the room. On each side
of the Promethean boards there are white boards that the teachers use to
help write and explain ideas to students.
b. Availability of Technology
Technology is always available and is used everyday. For the high school,
technology is used to as an amplifier for the metronome that the teacher
uses. The metronome is on the teachers iPad and is hooked up to a sound
system that is wired through the speakers in the room. The middle school
uses a Promethean board and hooks up a projector to it to put rhythmic
exercises on the board for the students to see.
c. Equipment

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EDUC 461

Some equipment that is used in the middle school band room is the
Promethean board that is used to project daily rhythmic exercises, the
instruments that the students use, the chairs and stands the students use,
worksheets that the teacher creates to give to students who misbehave in
class, Tradition of Excellence books used for sixth and seventh grade,
and Christmas sheet music for the upcoming concert. In the high school,
the students use their instruments, chairs, and stands. The high school
teacher also uses a Promethean board and a sound system that is connected
to a metronome constantly plays in room. Some other equipment that is
used in the high school are the students sight-reading and rhythm folders
as well as Christmas concert sheet music for their upcoming concert as
well.
d. Resources
All of the sheet music that the students use is from the school music
library. The sixth and seventh grade bands use a Tradition of Excellence
book that is a beginner book for band. At the high school the students use
a folder that has sight-reading and rhythm exercise that were taken from
sight-reading books and rhythmic exercise books.
e. Parental Involvement
Parental Involvement is done in both the middle school and high school
through the band booster club. The booster club helps organize fundraisers
and is a great help during marching band season setting up props for
competition and just helping at the competition in general.

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EDUC 461

f. Classroom Rules and Routines
At both the middle school and high school the one most important rule is
do not talk while the teacher is talking. Other rules include, not chewing
gum or drink in the room unless it is water, drummers are not allowed to
bring out their sticks in any other class than band, students are allowed to
come during lunch to practice only if the teacher or myself is in the room,
and you are allowed to bring your instruments in the morning to the band
room only after 7:30. When class starts at the middle school the students
should enter the band room and grab their instruments. The students
should then begin to warm up quietly until the teacher arrives. The sixth
grade would then play through the beginner book until the end of class.
The seventh and eighth will play their scales that they will be tested on at
the end of the week. After playing through scales the students will then
rehearse their Christmas selections for the upcoming Christmas concert.
When the high school students enter the room they also take out their
instruments and begin warming up until the director takes the podium.
When class officially starts, the students will do a few rhythmic exercises
in their folder as well as sight-reading exercises. After that, the students
will play their scale that they will be tested on for Thursday. At the end of
class for both middle and high school the students pack up their
instruments and wait by the door for the bell to ring.
g. Grouping Patterns

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EDUC 461

At both the middle school and high school the students are grouped into
their instrumental sections. At the middle school, all the flutes and
clarinets sit on the first row, which is split down the middle to allow room
for the teacher to walk through the middle. The next row is where the
Saxes sit and on the back row is where the low brass and trumpets sit. All
the way in the back of the room is where the percussion set up. The high
school is set up in rows as well with the flutes and clarinets on the first
row, Saxes on the second, and all brass on the back row with percussion
set up in the back.
h. Scheduling
The middle school band schedule is: first period, planning; second period,
R2S; third period, sixth grade; fourth period, lunch; fifth period, seventh
grade; sixth period, R2S; seventh period, sixth grade; eighth period, eighth
grade. The high school band schedule is: first block, band; second block,
planning; third block, music appreciation; fourth block, band.
i. Classroom arrangement
The type of instrument arranges the students being brass, woodwind, or
percussion. The chairs are set up in an arch, as that is the traditional way
of setting up a band.
B) Student Characteristics
a. Sixth Grade

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EDUC 461

Student

Age

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Special

Achievement

Primary

Needs/Accommodations

and

Language

Development
A

11

White

NA

ELA: 1

English

MATH: 3
B

11

White

NA

ELA: 1

English

MATH: 12
C

11

African

NA

American
D

11

African

11

African

NA

11

White

ELA: 37

English

MATH: 22
NA

American
F

English

MATH: 16

American
E

ELA: 28

ELA: 76

English

MATH: 32
NA

ELA: 48

English

MATH: 35
G

11

White

NA

ELA: 3

English

MATH: 35
H

11

African

NA

American
I

11

White

ELA: 23

English

MATH: 37
NA

ELA: 59

English

MATH: 42
J

11

White

NA

ELA: 32

English

MATH: 44
K

11

White

Autistic

ELA: 64
MATH: 47

English

Joey McClain 6
EDUC 461

11

White

NA

ELA: 56

English

MATH: 49
M

11

White

NA

ELA: 48

English

MATH: 49
N

11

Asian

NA

American
O

11

White

ELA: 42

English

MATH: 52
NA

ELA: 53

English

MATH: 52
P

11

African

NA

American
Q

11

White

ELA: 78

English

MATH: 54
NA

ELA: 56

English

MATH: 54
R

11

White

NA

ELA: 78

English

MATH: 56
S

11

White

NA

ELA: 53

English

MATH: 56
T

11

African

NA

American
U

11

White

ELA: 71

English

MATH: 61
NA

ELA: 83

English

MATH: 61
V

11

Hispanic

Vision Problems

ELA: 83

English

MATH: 68
W

11

White

NA

ELA: 80

English

MATH: 70
X

11

White

NA

ELA: 82

English

Joey McClain 7
EDUC 461

MATH: 72
Y

11

White

NA

ELA: 69

English

MATH: 80
Z

11

African

NA

American
AA

11

White

ELA: 89

English

MATH: 80
NA

ELA: 73

English

MATH: 88
BB

11

White

NA

ELA: 93

English

MATH: 89
CC

11

White

NA

ELA: 90

English

MATH: 90

b. Seventh Grade
Student

Age

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Special

Achievement

Primary

Needs/Accommodations

and

Language

Development
A

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
B

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
C

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
D

12

White

NA

ELA: **
MATH: **

English

Joey McClain 8
EDUC 461

12

White

NA

NA ELA: **

English

MATH: **
F

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
G

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
H

12

Hispanic

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
I

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
J

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
K

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
L

12

African

NA

American
M

12

African

12

White

English

MATH: **
NA

American
N

ELA: **

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
O

12

African

NA

American
P

12

White

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
Q

12

Asian

NA

ELA: **

English

Joey McClain 9
EDUC 461

American
R

12

White

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
S

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
T

12

African

NA

American
U

12

White

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
V

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
W

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
X

12

African

NA

American
Y

12

African

12

White

English

MATH: **
NA

American
Z

ELA: **

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
AA

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
BB

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
CC

12

White

NA

ELA: **
MATH: **

English

Joey McClain 10
EDUC 461

DD

12

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
EE

12

Hispanic

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **

** - Test scores not available

c. Eighth Grade
Student

Age

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Special

Achievement

Primary

Needs/Accommodations

and

Language

Development
A

13

White

NA

ELA: 94

English

MATH: 90
B

13

African

NA

American
C

13

White

ELA: 75

English

MATH: 55
NA

ELA: 77

English

MATH: 39
D

13

White

NA

ELA: 44

English

MATH: 37
E

13

African

NA

American
F

13

White

ELA: 86

English

MATH: 75
NA

ELA: 71

English

MATH: 47
G

13

African

NA

American
H

13

White

ELA: 46

English

MATH: 61
NA

ELA: 66

English

Joey McClain 11
EDUC 461

MATH: 58
I

13

White

NA

ELA: 71

English

MATH: 73
J

13

White

NA

ELA: 63

English

MATH: 50
K

13

White

NA

ELA: 73

English

MATH: 71
L

13

White

NA

ELA: 58

English

MATH: 68
M

13

White

NA

ELA: 79

English

MATH: 58
N

13

White

NA

ELA: 41

English

MATH: 37
O

13

White

NA

ELA: 79

English

MATH: 77
P

13

African

NA

American
Q

13

White

ELA: 11

English

MATH: 25
NA

ELA: 19

English

MATH: 9
R

13

African

NA

American
S

13

White

ELA: 58

English

MATH: 73
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
T

13

White

NA

ELA: **
MATH: **

English

Joey McClain 12
EDUC 461

13

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **

** - Test scores not available

d. High School
Student

Age

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Special

Achievement

Primary

Needs/Accommodations

and

Language

Development
A

16

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
B

17

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
C

15

African

NA

American
D

15

African

14

White

English

MATH: **
NA

American
E

ELA: **

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
F

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
G

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
H

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
I

16

African

NA

ELA: **

English

Joey McClain 13
EDUC 461

American
J

16

White

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
K

15

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
L

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
M

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
N

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
O

15

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
P

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
Q

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
R

14

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
S

16

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
T

17

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
U

16

White

NA

ELA: **
MATH: **

English

Joey McClain 14
EDUC 461

17

African

NA

ELA: **

American
W

14

White

English

MATH: **
NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
X

15

White

NA

ELA: **

English

MATH: **
Y

14

White

NA

ELA: **
MATH: **

** - Test scores not available

e. Culture
Ninety-Six is a very small community and each school has a very small
student population. Since it is a small community a lot of people know
each other very well. Through talking with students I have discovered that
that they have some fascinating interests. Some like to watch WWE and
talk about cars. Others like to play sports, especially football and like The
Beatles. Something that everyone seems to enjoy doing, especially in
middle school, is this doing this move called The Dab. I see it
everywhere, even in the high school.
f. Learning Styles Present
Being a music class, the teacher mostly uses hands-on learning. At
marching band rehearsal, Mr. Vickery lets student leaders lead the class in
certain instructions such as stretching and warm up. Bagwell and Vickery
are both big believers in making the students responsible for what goes on
in the band program. Another learning style is if there is a section that

English

Joey McClain 15
EDUC 461

needs a little bit more attention they tend to focus on that section, but also
try to make sure everyone else is busy doing other things. They rarely do
this and mainly focus on the band as a whole. They also put a great deal of
effort in connecting with the students and explain complicated topics
things in a more simplified way.
C) Instructional Implications
a. Modifications/Adaptions
Both teachers do not do many special modifications to their students, but
at the middle school the teacher does make sure the student with vision
impairment can see what is going on. He also makes sure the autistic
student knows what is going on and will remind her what the class is
doing if he sees her lose focus.
b. Specific Instructional Implications (2 Contextual Factors)
For my lessons, I will have to make sure to engage the class fully because
if I dont the kids will loose focus and start to talk among themselves,
which is what I saw a lot of when I observed. When I am working with a
section I need to make sure the rest of the class is working on something
productive as to help them not loose focus. I may have to say something
like, While Im working with the woodwinds the rest of you guys be
fingering along the next section so when I call on you to play you have an
idea of how it goes. The most difficult part of planning my lesson is to
make sure that the material I teach is suitable for all grade levels so the
upper level students do not get bored and the lower level students will not

Joey McClain 16
EDUC 461

think it is too difficult. I also need to include a lot of hands on learning

because I discovered that the kids learn the most when the more they play
their instruments instead of sitting there listening to the teacher talk. The
technology in the classroom will be a big factor when it comes to my
lessons since I am a strong believer in playing a recording of the piece we
are performing. Having the students get a mental picture of what they
should be trying to sound like really helps with complicated rhythms and
harmony.