Prompt: Consider the goals that are moving you at this time, thinking particularly about the work of WWSU as discussed earlier today. Your goals should be grounded not just in what is being presented before you, but also what you know about yourself (as defined through your PLP). Look at the goals that you set for yourself last year as well -- what was meaningful (or not) and why? What goals will be personally and professionally relevant this year?
My biggest goal for this year is to build opportunities for student voice and creativity into my lessons at all grade levels. I want to avoid or deemphasize a direct-instruction approach, replacing it whenever possible with a multiplicity of approaches that were brought to my attention during my Orff level 2 training this summer. For example; teaching xylophone parts with body percussion, teaching recorder with singing, teaching form/song structure with movement, teaching a piece by breaking it down to it's melodic skeleton and building it back to it's original through a series of small changes - picture the electronic game "Simon" - as this allows students to play an easier part that works at any point with the more complex version being taught. Last year's goals were primarily organizational and geared towards helping me to better track what I've taught in order to build in better continuity with my lessons. This was an effective "hind sight" approach, it was illuminating for me to see, and helpful for my practice. I will continue with this practice this year, I want to be more forward looking as well. I want to work more with long-term planning. I don't often approach the year with a big time line for lessons and concepts. My final goal for this year is to implement long-term planning. I have downloaded some very good templates for this that correspond with the new Core Arts Standards, and I think this will be very helpful for my practice.
