Lauren Sander

Music Education Lab

Due: 5/5/16

PDA Summary Reflection (due in December) that includes:

a) a description how you completed your 15 hours;
b) typed notes, reflections, commentaries or any other evidence that supports or documents your
participation; and
c) a summary of what you learned from each experience or the overall experience.
*The best way to go about your PDA experience is as always, When in doubt, write it down! It will make
your overall assignment and more importantly experience much more relevant and beneficial.

Professional Development Hours Fall 2015

PDA Event
Teacher
Observation

Date
1/11

Hours
5

About Event
I observed different
educators in the Seneca
High School music
program.

Girl Scout
Silver &
Gold
Review
Committee
(Princeton)

1/25

1.5

We reviewed the proposals

and final reports of girls
Silver or Gold Award
projects. We also
interviewed two girls for
their Gold Awards.

Girl Scout
Silver &
Gold
Review
Committee
(Princeton)

2/23

1.5

We reviewed the proposals

and final reports of girls
Silver or Gold Award
projects. We also
interviewed two girls for
their Gold Awards.

Williamson
Choir
Rehearsal
Observation

2/26

1.5

I observed the entire

rehearsal. The choir was
preparing for their concert.

Reflection
See google doc for details:
https://docs.google.com/a/rider.ed
u/document/d/16OA0A6WgRDzI
XUC58ZSyRA1mfMsqmIWCRk
HR7RAzafw/edit?usp=sharing
Through the first meeting I was
able to practice professional skills
that helped me to adjust to
working with a new team of
adults I didnt know before the
meeting. I was also able to be a
role model to young ladies by
guiding their projects in the right
direction and giving helpful
feedback.
For this meeting I came prepared
with notes on each proposal and
final that we were reviewing at
the meeting. This related a lot to
how its important to prepare
yourself for a class because even
though each class differs due to
interactions with kids, its still
important to come prepared with
background information on your
part and an outline of how to
guide that conversation to bring
about learning. Coming prepared
with my notes on the projects
made the meeting go a lot more
smoothly and I was able to be
more helpful and contribute more
than the last meeting.
During the Brahms, they were
split into groups to work on the
diction. Even though it was a
collegiate setting, there was an

Lauren Sander

Music Education Lab

Williamson
Choir
Rehearsal
Observation

9/25

1.5

I observed the entire

rehearsal. The grad assistant
ran the rehearsal.

Ed awards
ceremony

3/5

Recipients: Erica Washburn

and Patrick K. Freer

NAFME
Workshop

3/30

Dr. Jordan discussed

rehearsal techniques in
Cullen.

Girl Scout
Silver &
Gold
Review
Committee
(Princeton)

4/26

1.5

We reviewed the proposals

and final reports of girls
Silver or Gold Award
projects, and interviewed
two girls for their Gold.

Due: 5/5/16

informal competition to see

which group had the best German.
This is a positive way to assess
students without threatening them
or using derogatory means to get
them to do their work.
One technique the grad assistant
used was the idea of being a
friend to the choir. He bribed
the choir with being able to leave
rehearsal early as long as they
completed all of the plans for that
rehearsal. This was successful
because it made him less the
enemy for keeping rehearsal
going while Dr. Jordan was out. It
created a relaxed relationship
between the grad assistant and the
choir while still having the choir
on their A-game.
I took so many notes during the
presentations, but the most
standout things I remembered
were how captivating Ms.
Washburn was, how its important
to show you arent wasting
students time in rehearsal, and
that boys in choir dont want to
continue choir because their
voices crack during rehearsals and
performances, so I need to create
a welcoming environment for
them.
This opened my eyes to new
Critical Pedagogy methodologies.
He discussed Gordons methods
of teaching, and told personal
stories about the frustrations of
teaching music notation.
I learned a lot about what it means
to take action with something
youre passionate about in the
community. This applies to
teaching in the sense that if I have
a goal I want to reach in a lesson
or even the community, I need to

Lauren Sander

Music Education Lab

Due: 5/5/16

make sure my actions and steps

will correlate to my goal directly
to maximize the chance of
success. I cant just plan my
favorite activities for a lesson plan
without a set long term and short
term goal in mind.

Total Credits: 17.5