Northern State University

Pre-Student Teaching Experience

MUSIC Teacher Work Sample
Spring 2018

Candidate Name: Lindsey Friedrichsen

Candidate Phone Number: (605)-968-9947

Candidate ID Number: 7318857

Name of School where data was collected: Huron Middle School

Subject/Content Area: Music

Grade Level: 6-8

Date Submitted: 4-28-18

I understand that obtaining, or attempting to obtain, a passing grade on a TWS by falsification or

misrepresentation may result in a failing grade in a course or expulsion from the teacher
education program.

I grant permission for the Northern State University Department of Music and School of
Education to use my Teacher Work Sample as an exemplary (outstanding) model for teacher
candidate and university supervisor training purposes in the future. I understand my name will
remain on the document for proper credit.

Signature of Candidate Submitting the TWS:_______Lindsey Friedrichsen_______________

Website URL: https://lindseyfriedrichsen.weebly.com

Task I: Professional Goal Setting

Knowledge of Self as an Individual

Goal: During this experience, I will overcome my fears and shyness of teaching.

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by preparing and practicing my lesson plans
before going to class each day. I will leave my insecurities at the door and will ask my
cooperating teacher for help if needed.

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by reflecting on my preparedness for each day. I will
ask my cooperating teacher for his thoughts on how prepared he thought I was and ask if
I was too shy.
Knowledge of the Learner

Goal: During this experience, I will learn to teach my lessons in different ways so that all
of the students understand the material.

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by creating a lesson plan with alternate ways of
explaining things and different activities. I will also learn the strengths and weaknesses of
the class and individuals so I can alter the lesson to help everyone understand the
material

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by assessing the student's understanding of the
material through an activity.

Knowledge of Content

Goal: During this experience, I will learn the state standards and apply them to my lesson
plans

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by reviewing the standards for each individual
grade level and content area and applying them to my lessons.

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by journaling which standards I have used so that I
don’t continue to teach the same standard over and over.

Knowledge of Pedagogy

Goal: During this experience, I will learn different classroom management techniques so
the whole class stays engaged.

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by observing my cooperating teacher's classroom

management techniques and write about them in my journal.

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by using classroom management techniques that I
have learned about. I will discuss with my cooperating teacher about if my management
techniques worked or were unsuccessful. I will document in my journal what techniques
worked and which ones didn't.

Goal: During this experience, I will learn about the different course offerings that middle
school music teachers teach.

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by observing my cooperating teacher’s classes

and then write about it in my journal.

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by using the things I have learned through
observation of my cooperating teacher and use them in my future lesson plans.

Knowledge of Self as a Teacher and Member of a Learning Community

 Goal: During this experience, I will step out of my comfort zone to engage with my
cooperating teacher as well as the other staff at the school.

Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by leaving my anxieties at the door and by
introducing myself to any staff members that I meet.

Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by recording in my journal who I talked to that day

Task II: Contextual Information

ABC Middle School houses grades 6-8 and the age range of the students is ages 11-14.

These students are in the end of Erikson’s Industry vs. Inferiority stage and entering the Identity

vs. Role Confusion stage. The mission of the middle school is “Positive attitudes and high

expectations” and the school district’s mission statement is, “Lifelong learners will be inspired

and developed through effective teaching in a safe and caring environment”. The school district

also has a vision statement and several belief statements. Along with the one middle school, the

district has one high school and three elementary schools. There are also two smaller private

schools in the town with one being Preschool-12th grade and the other being Preschool-6th grade.

This school is located in a medium sized town in the Midwest with an estimated

population of about 13,446 with about 79.5% of those people being white, .6% African

American, 10.9% Hispanic, and 6.6% Asian. The population is almost exactly 50% male and

50% female. The median resident age is 36.3 years old and the average household income is

$60,824. The school district educates approximately 2,567 students (1,255 elementary students,

528 middles school students, and 784 high school students). In ABC Middle School, all the

teachers are qualified. According to the school’s DOE report card, there are 55.56% of teachers

with a Bachelors degree, 41.67% with a Masters degree, and 2.78% with a Doctorate degree. The

average years of experience for teachers at this school is 15 years. The school district is made up
 of 53% White students, 1% American-Indian or Alaskan students, 21% Asian students, 20%

Hispanic/Latino students, 2% African American students, and 1% Pacific Islander. There are

approximately 728 students in the district who are ELL and 351 students who are in the Special

Education program. According to SD DOE report card for this district, there are approximately

57% of students who are economically disadvantaged.

Task III: Instructional Design and Implementation (2 Lesson Plans)

Millicent Atkins School of Education: Common Lesson Plan Template

Music Education Lesson Plan
Dr. Wendy van Gent
Teacher Candidate Name: Lindsey Friedrichsen
Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Smith
Grade Level: 6th grade
Subject: General Music
Date: 3-8-18
PLANNING
State Standard(s)
 6-8.MUg.Pr.4.2.b
Read and identify standard symbols for rhythm, pitch, articulation, dynamics, tempo, and form.
Learning/Behavioral Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Determine the rhythm of common pizza toppings by speaking the words out loud as a group
of two and then documenting it on a worksheet.
Rationale: Include pre-assessment and cite theories and theorists.
 Rhythm is an incredibly important part of music. This lesson helps students to connect
common words to common rhythms. This knowledge of rhythms will then be transferred to
the music they will read and compose. The students have previously learned about rhythms.
Because of their prior knowledge, I know they are ready for this refresher lesson.
Materials and Resources

 Worksheet
 White board
 White board marker
Technology
N/A
Accommodations
 Tommy forgot his pencil that is needed for the worksheet. His partner will do the writing, but
both students will do the work.
Classroom Management
Identify the management and motivational strategies you will use to meet student behavioral/developmental
needs in order to keep students on task and actively engaged throughout the lesson.
The students will be busy during the entire lesson, leaving no time for misbehavior. I will also address the
class if they are getting too loud or rowdy.
Implementation
Lesson Opening (hook)
The students will have gotten part of the lesson taught to them by my cooperating teacher. Once it is
my turn, I will ask the students to list some of their favorite superheroes.
Teaching Procedures
Explain your procedures for the bulk of your class. Include specifics about techniques you will use such as: I
do-we do-you do; learning sequence activities (rhythm and tonal); musical activities within the literature;
rehearsal techniques, etc.
 I will ask the students to list some of their favorite superheroes.
 I will write the names on the board
 I will write the rhythms on the board
 The class will say the name of the superhero in rhythm and determine which rhythm category
the name goes into
 I will separate the class into pairs
 The pairs will be given a “Pizza Rhythms” worksheet (very similar to the previous activity) to
complete.
Lesson Closing (transition)
Once the students have completed the worksheet and put their names on it, they will hand in the
worksheet and quietly exit the classroom to their next class.
Reflect
Reflect on your instructional strategies, interactions with students, and classroom management strategies.
Describe what went well and what areas you need to revise in the future. Cite examples (from video) that
support your conclusions. Describe revisions that you could make if you were to teach this lesson again. Why
would you make each revision? Cite examples from the lesson plan, video and/or student work that would
prompt revisions.
This lesson was so fun! The first section of this class I took too long on the lesson and didn’t allow
much time for them to do their worksheet. I need to work on looking at the clock more and gauging
time. The students did a really good job with this lesson and I think they really enjoyed it. In the
second class period, I managed my time better so the students had more time to work on the
worksheet. Most of the class got all of the answers correct. There was a little more time left at the end
of the class so we did the rhythms of the lunch menu and the students were rock stars! They knew
exactly what rhythm they were. I am very proud of how this lesson went.
 Millicent Atkins School of Education: Common Lesson Plan Template
Music Education Lesson Plan
Dr. Wendy van Gent
Teacher Candidate Name: Lindsey Friedrichsen
Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Smith
Grade Level: 7th grade girl choir
Subject: Music
Date: 3-8-18
PLANNING
State Standard(s)
 6-8.MUe.Pr.4.2.a
Demonstrate, using music reading skills, how the elements of music contribute to
understanding the context of the music in prepared performances.
Learning/Behavioral Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Warm-up as an ensemble
 Warm-up using correct posture, tone, diction, and vowels
Rationale: Include pre-assessment and cite theories and theorists.
 Doing warm-ups as a group is a great way to get the ensemble focused for the task at hand
and for the rest of the class period. Warm-ups help to warm-up the voice and body, get
students focused, and prepare students for the pieces they are about to perform. The students
will start warm-ups by stretching. Stretching the body allows for good singing posture. Next,
they will do a breathing exercise, which is important in teaching students how to breath
properly. To warm up the voice itself, the students will sing sirens to help warm-up the voice
safely and quickly, as well as, warm-up their whole range. To end warm-ups, the students
will sing the “One Bottle of Pop” warm-up to help with diction. The students are working on
a piece that requires good diction, so this warm-up will be beneficial in helping them.
Materials and Resources

 “Patterns, Rounds and Joyful Sounds” book by John Leavitt

 Piano
Technology
N/A
Accommodations
 Susie forgot her glasses at home and can’t see the board very well. She will get to sit in the
front row in order to see the board better.
Classroom Management
Identify the management and motivational strategies you will use to meet student behavioral/developmental
needs in order to keep students on task and actively engaged throughout the lesson.
The students will be busy during the entire lesson, leaving no time for misbehavior. I will also address the
class if they are getting too loud or rowdy.
Implementation
Lesson Opening (hook)
The students will walk into the classroom and as they are getting to their spots we will start warm-
ups.
Teaching Procedures
Explain your procedures for the bulk of your class. Include specifics about techniques you will use such as: I
do-we do-you do; learning sequence activities (rhythm and tonal); musical activities within the literature;
rehearsal techniques, etc.
 Stretches (Stretching the body allows for good singing posture)
 Breathing exercise (in for 2, hold for 2, out for 2 on a non-pitched syllable such as s, shh, or z.
Increase time interval each time. Breathing exercises are important to teach how to breath
properly)
 Sirens (Sirens help to warm-up the voice safely and quickly and warms-up the whole range.)
 One Bottle of Pop warm-up (The purpose of this warm-up is to help with diction)
Lesson Closing (transition)
Once the students have completed warm-ups, they will sit down and take their music out quietly.
Reflect
Reflect on your instructional strategies, interactions with students, and classroom management strategies.
Describe what went well and what areas you need to revise in the future. Cite examples (from video) that
support your conclusions. Describe revisions that you could make if you were to teach this lesson again. Why
would you make each revision? Cite examples from the lesson plan, video and/or student work that would
prompt revisions.
The 7th grade students did really well! They seemed to really like the stretching at the beginning. I
need to continue practicing how to talk during the breathing exercise so they know exactly what to
do. They still did well with that exercise, but could have done better if I had the teacher skill of
talking during the warm-up. They have never done sirens before, but were open to trying new things
and did well. I was very happy with how the “One Bottle of Pop” warm-up went! They have done
this warm-up before, but not for a long time and they did great. We even went so far as to do it in a
round and that went really good as well. The 6th grade students did well with the first three warm-ups
and did good with the “One Bottle of Pop” warm-up when they did it as a large group. However,
when they did it as a round they struggled a little bit, but recovered.

Task IV: Analysis of Focus Students (Case Study – 1 at each level)

*Sandy is not the actual name of the student

Sandy is a 13-year-old 8th grader at XYZ Middle School. The classes that I observed this

student in was 8th grade girls choir and the Festival for Young Voices rehearsal. This student is

very involved in music, sports, and the community. I chose this student because she is talented,

but also quiet. When I observed Sandy in class, she was quiet, but attentive. She was sitting by

two other girls in the 8th grade girls choir and seemed to just stick with them and not really
interact with anyone else. This more than likely is because she is very mature and realizes that

class periods are short and wants to get things done. In the Festival for Young Voices rehearsal,

she was a little more social, but was still attentive. This was one of their last rehearsals as a group

before they go to the event.

Sandy is the second child of five children. Her mother is a music teacher at one of the

other schools in their town, as well as a church pianist/organist. Sandy’s family is very musical

and this is likely a factor in her musical talents. With five children in the family, it can sometimes

be difficult for the parents to do all of the household tasks, so the older children act almost as

secondary parents to their younger siblings. The oldest child is in high school, Sandy is in middle

school, the next two youngest siblings are in elementary school, and the youngest is in preschool.

Due to there being younger siblings that require more attention from their parents, the oldest

child and Sandy don’t get as much attention. I believe that this possibly has something to do with

how quiet she is in class and how mature she is for her age, due to having to care for her younger

siblings. Sandy is experiencing Erikson’s fifth psychosocial stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion.

In this stage of development, she is exploring her personal values, beliefs, and goals while

looking for a sense of personal identity. She is starting to transition from adolescence to

adulthood and has been acting like an adult for several years.

As a music teacher, I can help Sandy to get out of her shell by giving her the attention

that she lacks at home. I can also provide her with opportunities for solos and other extra

opportunities to showcase her talents.

Task V: Reflection and Self-Evaluation- Goals

I am very grateful for my PSTE placement and experience overall. The PSTE was

beneficial in preparing me for my future in the School of Education as well as a future music
educator. My cooperating teacher was very encouraging and supportive of me. She did

everything in her power to make sure I had an educational, as well as enjoyable, experience. I

learned a lot about the middle school music classroom from my cooperating teacher and I am

happy that I was able to have that experience. I gained experience teaching in front of a class as

well as some of the “behind the scenes” things that teacher have to do. While I am appreciative

of this semester of my PSTE, it has been made even more clear that I want to become an

elementary music teacher.

During my PSTE, I observed and worked with the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The classes I

observed and worked with were two sections of 6th grade general music, two sections of 7th grade

general music, two sections of 8th grade general music, 8th grade girls choir, 7th grade girls choir,

6th grade girls choir, the Festival for Young Voices group, and 6th grade boys choir. I taught my

two lesson plans with the 6th grade general music class and the 6th and 7th grade girls choirs. I had

a very unique experience for my secondary PSTE because I did my experience over spring break.

This was interesting because I got to see the students for a few days in a row rather than spaced

out through the semester. My cooperating teacher utilizes Quaver with her general music

students quite a bit and I was very excited to see that.

During my time at my PSTE placement, the 6th grade general music classes worked on

rhythm and composition, the 7th grade general music classes worked on genres and learned about

“The Day the Music Died”, and the 8th grade general music classes worked on composer study,

music history, and the different periods of music. The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choirs were preparing

for their upcoming concert. I was very lucky to be doing my PSTE at this time because I was

able to observe the final rehearsal the Festival for Young Voices group had before going to this
festival. I participated in this festival when I was in middle school so it was bittersweet to be able

to observe this rehearsal and to see the excitement from the students.

This experience was very eye-opening to me. I was very excited to participate in some of

the “behind the scenes” things that teachers have to do. I wasn’t able to witness much of this in

my first PSTE, so I found this incredibly helpful. I was able to help my cooperating teacher

during her planning hour with tasks such as organizing papers for their upcoming student led

conferences, make copies, and distribute papers to the correct teacher’s mailboxes. I also got to

experience my first teacher in-service. During the in-service, several people spoke including the

principal, vice principal, and a teacher. I got to experience how those meetings are run and what

topics are presented. The other meeting I was able to attend and observe was a meeting for the

exploratory teachers. This meeting consisted of the teachers planning for their upcoming Escape

Room and confirming who had bus duty. This experience was also very helpful and educational

as one of the days was an early-release day, as well as the first day of the trimester, and one day

was yearbook picture day. It was interesting to observe the students as my first day with them as

well as my cooperating teacher’s first day with them.

I really enjoyed my PSTE this semester. It was definitely a learning experience and I am

really grateful to have been placed in that school. While I don’t think that I want to teach in the

middle school level when I become a teacher, I have an appreciation for that grade level and I’m

glad that I had the experience that I did.

Task VI: Weekly Reflection Journal (do NOT include with final TWS)