Christopher Livingston

Classroom Management
Due 11/14/17

Classroom Management Plan: Music Education

Philosophy of Education: In my classroom there will be a strong focus on engagement,

movement, and connections through what we do as musicians. I will set out to encourage and
foster the yearning of musical development that will cause growth into what I believe will be a
more prominent curiosity about the meaning, history, and mechanics behind what music is. My
beliefs will evolve student’s talents whether playing a musical instrument or learning correct
vocal techniques
I will use the ideas of people like Orff Schulwerk, who proposed the idea of learning
music through actual play. Giving students the opportunity to take up an instrument, no matter
the age, and be able to play something. This form of instruction will give the students an
opportunity not normally given to ones at a younger age. Going along with many concepts found
in those like John Dewey you see many students learning through doing ending up with a firmer
understanding of what they have been taught.
Not only will students learn well from playing instruments their size, I will also further my
instruction through the ideas of Zoltán Kodály. Having a firm foundation through play will work
with many students, but knowing no two students are alike, bringing in a more technical
approach will help fill the gap for other students who do not learn the same way. Kodály asks for
theoretical point of view when learning music. You will have many students learn by ear this
way. Students will learn solfege and be able to hear a song and take what they hear and write it
down. Having a well-trained ear will help not only with music, but many more parts of their lives
as well (especially memorization.)
I as a teacher must use these techniques, and others that I learn along the way of my
teaching career, to help build a stronger foundation for music and scholastics as a whole. I am
not just teaching a music class, but I am helping teach the future that will lead on to teach the
next generation, and so on and so forth. It is my duty to have my students ask questions, make
ideas, think critically, understand without just the mere memorization of topics for tests.
Connecting with my students and knowing them on a personal level will help me move my
classes forward and form a strong community of learners for the future.
Procedures and Rules for the classroom: I will expect my classroom to follow many rules,
and from these will come consequences both good and bad depending on their behavior. I want
to make my classroom one where the students feel safe, and know that we are forming a
community of musicians no matter the grade level. I want my classroom to be one of order, but
one where the students are still able to enjoy going in and learning. Given these few thoughts
these are my six main procedures and rules that will be posted in the classroom.
1. Walk in correctly and place your phones and other belongings into your cubbies.
2. Take out your music folders and sit in your assigned seats prepared for class to
begin.
3. Read the board for any further instructions like bell ringers.
4. No talking during rehearsal time. You may raise your hand for questions during
pauses.
5. Give quotation hand gesture if you would like to use the restroom. Be sure to sign
out!
 Christopher Livingston
Classroom Management
Due 11/14/17

6. No bullying under any circumstances will be allowed in or around the classroom.

Consequences for rules being broken: If any of these rules or procedures be broken I will
take it upon myself to let the students know there will be consequences for their actions. There
may be variations of this list depending on what the student is being accused of, but if they are
small violations this is the order of what will happen. I will make sure each student knows this at
the very beginning of the school year after entering my classroom.
1. First Offense: One warning!
2. Second Offense: Meeting with me to discuss problems.
3. Third Offense: Parent note home.
4. Fourth Offense: Parent teacher meeting after school
5. Fifth Offense: Principal’s office
Classroom Environment: After discussing rules and punishment I would like to move on to
discussing what I want from my classroom and how I want it to affect others. I want my
classroom from the first moment they enter into my classroom, to know that they are about to
make a family. Every student, teacher, faculty member, and parent is now going to be a part of
my life as a teacher and I want to connect to each and every one of them I can. I want to know
the name of every one of my students. I want to know what they enjoy to better further my
understanding of them and to be able to create a better instruction plan for their classrooms.
As I have mentioned before I want my students to feel safe in the classroom after they
first enter my classroom on that first day of school. I will have my seating chart already planned
out and I will meet them at the door to tell them my name and grasp that first opportunity to
make that connection with them. I will watch the students and make sure that they are always
happy when entering my class knowing that sometimes even the slightest problem will detour
learning. My chairs will be set out in a semi-circle so that all students are able to hear and see
each other when singing or playing. I also do this so that when we have a class discussion
about anything I want it to have an air of opportunity where everyone and anyone can ask
questions and have open discussions when the time for such is given.
I want teachers in my school to understand that I want, as a music education instructor,
to know what they are teaching in their classrooms and know if there are any ways that I could
help further their classrooms by helping their students while they visit my class. Music has this
wonderful ability to bleed into every other subject you want. Geography in discussing world
music, History when discussing the making of certain pieces of music and why it was written,
English when discussing the poetry of the text, Math when on the topic of theory, and even P.E.
when having the students move around the classroom to get up and exercise with dance. It is
so easy to have music be the “tie together” of a school.
I also want my student’s parents to be as involved as possible. Having them come talk to
me during parent/student teacher meetings will only go so far in expanding my understanding of
how a certain student learns. As a teacher I want them to know that I will always be learning
new things and I want them to join along with me. Attending choir/band concerts, having them
join in on sing along days, and/or even having them come in and observe one of my classes will
make my connections tighter with the community.
Community is the number one thing I want to build with the people around me. I will have
my students go on trips where they will get to see places and things they have never seen
before. Places like New York and Broadway to little town play houses where the students can
see real musical shows and get the experience they may never get just living every day outside
 Christopher Livingston
Classroom Management
Due 11/14/17

of school. I will do this by getting outside of the class and making connections with the
community of people around where my school is located. Having my choir sing at the local court
house will give them the opportunity to visit a local government business where they can see
the inside workings of where a law degree could send you. Having this sense of community will
have even greater affects the longer I am able to make these connections.

Evaluation/Reflection: When teaching my students, I will have many tricks that I have learned
in my years of college and observing teachers in other schools. Every class is different so
before I try to make too many discussions I will take the first few days to make sure that I
completely know my students and how they interact with every type of instruction. From there I
will take my lessons and form them around how each class learns.
No matter the class, one strategy I will always include at some point is grouping my
lower and higher-level students together for in-class projects. I want the students to learn from
each other and not just me. Having the higher-level students being able to explain ideas and
concepts to those not as skilled will greatly improve their understanding while also building up
the levels of those who are behind. This will also help quickly build the community I want by the
end of the first few months of class.
One thing I get concerned with when observing classes is the teachers understanding of
whether the students they have actually understand the material they are giving. In music this
may be rather difficult to see (especially given a vocal ensemble class where you cannot rightly
test every student privately and separately.) One strategy I see many teachers do is to have
certain part days where a section of the whole ensemble must work the whole class day to fix
many parts while the rest leave to go do other work. This has always seemed crazy to me
because in music you must know more than just what you are doing. So instead of that I will
keep all students in the classroom and while I work with a certain group I will have the other
parts participate. Doing this will give a better picture of the whole of what they are doing instead
of just a brief understanding of their parts they have learned.
Another way I will evaluate my students is through mixed formations. Having all parts be
mixed together in a way that their group is separated evenly across the room. Doing this will
force the students to know their part because then they will not have the rest of their part singing
directly behind them. Besides just working on memorization, this strategy will also help develop
their musical ear. Being able to point out where their part is amongst all the other parts around
them, and having to hear other sections against what they are singing or playing. It is always
difficult at first, but with helpful encouragement and understanding students soon start to love
singing or playing in these formations.
Parent Plan: I have already discussed ad-nauseum about how much community will greatly
improve a music class, but many people do not understand that parents play a key role in
keeping arts in school alive. We know that when budgets get cut out the arts are always first to
go, so having parents and others showing their support is a big help in communities that need
fine arts in their curriculum. I have already mentioned multiple ways that parents are able to help
in building the musical community, but I will go over them again here because of how important
it truly is.
Parents play a vital role in a teacher understanding of how a student learns. Many
habits, traits, and characteristics are formed by the ones who raise a child, and having them be
able to talk to us will greatly improve our work. Having them come to meetings will only get us
 Christopher Livingston
Classroom Management
Due 11/14/17

so far, and I will urge my students parents or guardians to always participate in whatever I have
the students do. Whether it is performances or fund raisers having parental help is always
needed and graciously accepted.
I would also love to create a parent/school community band/choir where I teach. (Again
building the community that latches us all together.) Students will of course find it fun watching
their parents or teachers goof around playing popular music.
But the long and short of it is this is going to help me understand my students. I want to
know their background and the places they come from. I want to know if a student is having
trouble at home or if they have families at all to call their own. Each student will have a different
story to tell and family is one of the biggest parts of our life story. The way we learn comes from
the way we were raised and I need to understand that if I ever want to become a better teacher.
I will send emails and paper mail, I will meet them at sporting events, and if needed I will have a
parent meeting at home. Anything it takes to form this important connection I will try and do. And
that is what a teacher is supposed to be. Dedicated to not just teaching, but learning their
students, forming community, and forming connections that will foster a greater understanding
of what is being taught. I never plan on changing but I will change my plans on teaching
depending on who I have