Professional Semester III Final Report

Faculty of Education
Field Experiences
Fall

Spring

Semester, 20

(Please check appropriate semester)

Professional Semester III is a five-course equivalent integrated semester including half-time teaching and
professional study in curriculum design, leadership, advanced methods, and reflective practice. Intern Teachers are
assigned full time to schools for the semester during which they assume responsibility for approximately one-half of
the teaching day. PS III professional study is designed to complement and enhance the internship. The
professional study components may occur on or off-campus and are coordinated by the Faculty Mentors in
collaboration with Intern Teachers and school personnel.

Place a checkmark () in front of the course in which you are registered

Education 4571
Elementary Education
Education 4572
Secondary Internship
Education 4573
Special Focus Internship
Education 4574
Fine Arts Internship - Art or Drama
Education 4575
Fine Arts Internship - Music
Intern Teacher

Trevor Harder

Grade Level(s)

4-9

School

Connect Charter School

Administrator

Scott Petronech

Teacher Mentor

Andrew Bolen

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Edwin Wasiak.

Intern Teachers Descriptive Report:

Teaching:
During my internship at Connect Charter School, I taught grades 4 and 5 music and grade 6-9 bans. In
my general music classes, we started out with a unit on campfire songs as all grades were going to Camp
Sweet within the first month of school. In many of the classes, I taught the songs by rote, singing parts of
the song and having the students echo it back to me. This proved to be effective for the songs that the
students did not know. Throughout the unit, I assessed the students through little performances, both
formal and informal. After our singing unit, we moved onto using instruments with Recorders. My Teacher
Mentor uses a program called Recorder Karate which allows the students to move at their own pace
through nine belts that correspond with difficulty. The first belt, the white belt, was Hot Cross Buns; the
final belt, black belt, was Ode to Joy. My Teacher Mentor modified it so that there were six extra belts that
the students could work towards once they obtained the black belt. We assess the students through
individual belt testing, using the following criteria to pass a belt: tone, tonguing note accuracy, tempo and

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hand position. Many of the students were able to obtain multiple belts. Finally, we completed a unit on
ukulele. Our Recorder unit went longer than expected so the ukulele unit was short. The students
identified the various parts of the ukulele, various chords and applied the chords through songs in which
the students previously learned.
My grade six band was my beginning band. Our students started by working through book 1 of the
Standard of Excellence series, using some of the medals to assess students on notes, rhythms and tone.
I started off by testing one student at a time, resulting in taking to classes instead of one to complete.
After the first test, I started testing two at a time, making sure that they were different instruments to hear
the differences in playing. This proved to be more effective and the students appreciated having someone
to play with, resulting in less anxiety. Finally, we moved onto music outside of the method book, such as
Beethovens Ninth, Jingle Bells and Scottish Lullaby. For these songs, we have been assessing the
students on various parts of the music using the same criteria.
My Grade seven through nine bands have had similar assignments. All three started off with the same
assignment, modified to fit the different grade levels. The main theme of the assignment was Why Music
Matters to me. Through this assignment, it allowed me to gain more insight into the students and help
determine music that they were interested in playing. From there, we chose repertoire that fit most of the
students interest in music. We have also chosen music that fits the different performances (e.g.
Remembrance Day.) Our final unit is entitled Music from around the World where we will be playing
songs that are from different cultures. My Teacher Mentor described it as finding the African version of
Jingle Bells.
Extra-curricular:
During my internship, I was not able to coach any of the sports teams. However, I did co-teach the Jazz
band that rehearses Tuesday and Thursday at lunch and the Concert Band that rehearses Tuesday after
school. During the Jazz rehearsals, I also played bass along with the students, assisting my Teacher
Mentor with the music. In the Concert Band rehearsals, my Teacher Mentor and I co-taught the rehearsal,
depending on what day occurred on Tuesday (e.g. odd days, I taught; even days, my Teacher Mentor
taught.) As we prepared for performances, my Teacher Mentor and I split it so that we were conducting
particular songs. The songs that I conducted were: Thriller, Party Rock Anthem, Nighthawk and Firework.
These songs I conduced at our Performing Visual Arts, a concert that highlights the work of the drama
and music classes. This concert was during school hours on an afternoon before the Halloween weekend.
Our next concert was the Remembrance Day assembly, where I conducted O Canada played tuba in a
piece entitled Suo Gan. During the Remembrance Day assembly, my Teacher Mentor and I accompanied
the choir (he played guitar and I played the double bass) for a song called Traveling Soldier.
Recently, we have taken the grade nine band outside of the school and participated in the Spruce
Meadows Christmas Event. During this event, my Teacher Mentor and I played along with both the choir
(guitar and double bass again) and with the band (trumpet and tuba.) The students enjoyed getting out
and performing in front of an audience.
I also had the opportunity to supervise during school hours. We have lunch supervision on day five, which
allowed me to go out and supervise the students on the playground and in the field. When we are not on

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outside supervision, I usually supervise in the music room for students who come in and practice, test for
belts or just look for a place to hang out.
Teaching Professional Growth Plan
My first professional growth plan goal, to develop my teaching presence, has seen a mixture of positive
and negative results. Many of my classes (my grade four, six classes, grade seven, grade nine and
Concert Band) have had positive results. I am able to joke with the students while still maintaining a
professional and productive environment. In my grade five and grade eight groups have had a little bit of a
struggle. In my grade five classes, many of the students are not interested in music and get easily
confused with the material. The first unit saw the most resistance; I had to change my approach to correct
the issue. Once we started the Recorder Unit, the students started to respond the way which I hoped for.
My grade eight band has been more of a struggle than any of the other classes. I have changed my
approach many times to try and correct the issue. I have finally found an approach which is working. I
have been stricter, started to joke less, and have been using my teacher face more. This has resulted in
the students paying attention more, staying more on task when working and has been more prepared for
more classes.
My second goal, to have more flow in my lessons, has seen some positive results. Many of my classes
experience less stop and go, rather a continuous flow of learning. The only class that had more stop and
go is my grade eight class, mainly due to classroom management issues. As I have mentioned above,
after changing my approach to teaching, the class has had more flow and less stopping.
My Third goal, to become more proficient with woodwind instruments, has also seen more results. I have
been practicing my flute on a daily basis, sometimes performing in class with the grade sixs. I have also
looked into the other instruments (saxophones and clarinets) to learn more information about common
mistakes and how to correct them. I am continuing to extend my skills on the flute beyond the eight note
scale to the upper register.
My last goal, to improve mental and physical health, has experienced growth in different areas. In regards
to physical health, I have been going out for small runs. Starting in October, I have started running longer
distances. I have been able to run 5-7kms each run. This has also been beneficial in coping with the daily
stresses of teaching; feeling more focused and determined to write quality lesson plans and efficiently
delivering it to the students. As the winter approaches, I am going to transition from outdoor running to
purchasing a gym membership. This will allow me to continue running while focusing on building strength.
Professional Inquiry Project
My professional inquiry project focuses on how to instruct and woodwinds, with a particular focus on the
flute. From my research, I have learned about the various ways to properly assemble the instruments,
cleaning the instruments and some of the common mistakes that beginning players make when they first
start. I have started applying my knowledge in my teaching, paying attention to the woodwind players in
particular. When I am not teaching, I am helping students with issues they have and sitting in with the
classes, playing with them. This has been beneficial as I am experiencing first hand some of the mistakes.
Self-assessment

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From my internship thus far, I have learned many things. Some things that have gone well is that I have
built a good report with the students. Students say hi to me in the hallways and I am able to have good
conversations with the students. Also I feel that many of the students are able to approach me and speak
to me about some of the issues that they are experiencing. Remember the code of conducts, I am able to
respond to them in a professional manner and follow through to make sure things are improving.
Something that has challenged me has been maintaining the classroom management. While many of my
classes are not experiencing these issues, the consistency of the grade eight class has proven to be a
challenge. While it has taken months of backpedaling and changing tactics, it has started to improve. My
greatest growth is being able to make decisions on the fly. Many times, last minute changes arise (e.g.
field trips, cancellation of trips, students missing and extra-curricular activities.) While it was a struggle at
the beginning, I feel that I am able to confidently adapt my teaching to accommodate for these changes

Intern Teacher Signature

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.
School Administrator Comments:

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Date

PS III Final Report for Trevor Harder

I had the opportunity to formally and informally observe Trevor during his PSIII internship at Connect
Charter School. During this time, Trevor showed tremendous growth in his practice.
Establishing pedagogical relationships

Trevor establishes a strong rapport with his students. It is apparent that he takes the time to know
them as individuals. There is a sincerity and honesty in his interactions. Students enjoy being in
his classroom and I noticed on numerous occasions that they want to remain working on
music/band as long as possible. This was because of what he was teaching, but also because of
discussions and relationships he builds with students before, during and after class. Trevor also
effectively provides a tremendous amount of positive feedback and encouragement to students.
These interactions are a real strength with Trevor.
Trevor also developed a solid collaborative relationship working with his Teacher Mentor. He was
able to demonstrate more than cooperative planning. Trevor and his mentor effectively worked
together and found numerous opportunities to support each other through the co-planning and
teaching of both music and band.

Planning and Risk Taking

Trevor took advantage of his opportunity at Connect Charter School by showing a willingness to
try approaches and lessons that he developed rather than relying on activities exclusively
developed by his Teacher Mentor. Although Trevor taught some of the units using lessons from
his mentor (and there is nothing wrong with this), Trevor developed other units and lessons to
reflect his strengths and personality. Trevor worked to create his own identity in the classroom.

Preparation skills and adaptive approaches

I observed Trevor teacher consecutive classes on multiple occasions. Each time, he adapted the
previous lesson to reflect things he learned and considered after teaching it the first time. This
revealed Trevors metacognitive strengths and willingness to modify previously planned activities
to better meet the learning needs of his students.
Trevor also demonstrated a willingness to accept constructive feedback and worked hard to
implement suggestions and ideas into his daily practice. Near the start of the term, Trevor
received feedback from me based on pacing, closure and classroom management. Later
observation near the end of his practicum showed great improvement in these areas. Trevor
demonstrated the ability to successfully implement changes to positively impact his pedagogy.
I had the opportunity to evaluate Trevor teaching different types of units and classes (related to
singing, playing instruments such as the recorders, and band). Trevor showcased an aptitude for
teaching band. His ability to manage the different instrument sections and provide direction to
facilitate formative feedback was very effective. Trevor showed confidence in his ability to teach
these classes and efficiently use both auditory and visual cues to maintain the focus on the group
With all of these categories, Trevor showed professionalism and enthusiasm. He enriched our school with
his positive energy and demonstrated a willingness to grow as a professional and lifelong learner. He is a
collaborative and positive teacher who wants to do what is best for students and showed the ability to

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work with other educators to support the growth and development of students. I wish him well in his
teaching career.

Scott Petronech
Assistance Principal

School Administrator Signature

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.
Teacher Mentor Comments:

Date

It has been a pleasure working with Trevor Harder during his practicum at the Connect Charter School.
Trevor was assigned the opporunity of teaching music & band for grades 4-9 at the middle school setting.
Being a Tuba major Trevor was very comfortable in front of the bands directing and teaching. He was a
quick learner in the band room learning new teaching techniques to advance his knowledge and skills as a
music educator. From the first few days in the school I noticed how Trevor was able to estabilsh student
relationships. His abilitlies to relate to the students was exceptional and I enjoyed watching him develop a
very caring and motivating classroom during the early stages of his practicum.
Trevor created engaging lessons that enable students to learn new concepts each day. With Trevor having
such a vast knowledge of playing low brass and bass guitar instruments, he quickly took advantage of
learning opportunities to share with his students. His goal during his time at Connect Charter School was
to focus on the woodwind instruments as he became familiar with teaching woodwinds and practical
teaching techniques to model and demostrate various methods of playing woodwind instruments. He also
improved his recorder, ukulele, drumming and vocal playing skills during the semester. He applied his
musical knowledge and teaching background to plan his lessons and units as a band director, as well as,
integrate music concepts and various styles of music.
Although Trevor is still developing his skills as a music educator in the classroom, he has continued to
develop in many other apects of the profession. He created effective visual cues and charts for students to
follow and supported his students in the construction of their knowledge both individually and as a
community. Trevor was extremely flexible in both his planning and his scheduling. This was evident when
his 5-week unit plan had to be shortened due to circumstances surrounding some field trips and class
cancellations that are quite common at the start the Connect Charter school year
Establishing Pedagogical Relationships:
As stated above, Trevor has a very strong ability to connect with the students. This was evident throughout
the term as he continued to gain new knowledge of his students with conversations during his lessons.
Trevor developed various opportunites to get to know his students by working with them individually
during noon hours and communicating with them using various technological teaching tools, such as email
and Edmodo. During lunch hours and afterschool band reherasals, Trevor would both conduct and sit in
with the band playing his tuba in the concert band and bass guitar in the jazz band
Parents also got to know Trevor from his attendance at band parent meetings. He played an integral part in
the planning process for the band camp. He organized and led a number of acitivites and group sessions.
He also received wide recognition in front of 400 students and parents leading the Gr. 6 Beginner Band

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Workshop where students showcased their work in a setting with the parents sitting right beside the
performers. His conducting of the bands during the PVA showcase at the end of October in front of the
entire school also gave him confidence and acknowledgment of his abilities to lead and direct the students.
He was present during all the parent-teacher inteviews and engaged in discussions with parents regarding
their childs performance in class and improvements that could be made. Trevor most recently organized
the Winter Concert and excuted careful planning of rehearsals and performance. The theme of the concert
was Music From Around The World and Trevor had the students playing folk tunes, lullabies, carols, as
well as singing African folk tunes. He even sang a verse of Silent Night in German.
Trevor motivated his students by giving them playing tests to perform both at home and during classtime.
This process encouraged students to practice their instruments and discover new areas for growth and
opportunites to better learn their music. Trevor communicated with students and parents to help facilitate
practice at home and maximize student success by identifying the learning needs of his students. Each band
student submitted weekly practice journals that were accounted for and entered into a google spreadsheet to
track student success and areas for improvement.
Understanding of Curriculum/Discipline:
Trevor set high expectations for students and this translated to learner success in his class. He created
routines for students to begin each class. Students were responsible for their instrument, music and setup
for music and band. Students were required to be quick and efficient when entering the music room to
setup and prepare to play instruments.
In the Grade 4&5 music classes Trevor would sing a good morning song and welcome students into his
class. His objectives were clearly displayed on the white board or projector as to what was being covered
during the class and rehearsal. For band classes, he used the podium to deliver annoucements and wrote
down important dates of playing tests or concert dates for students to see. One effective classroom
management technique that stands out is how Trevor would have the students sit in a circle for roll call
while he incorporated sing-a-longs to further reinforce music concepts. The grade 4&5 classes included
lessons that introduced new rhythm and note naming activites to engage students by using music various
technology and applications that students accessed with iPads & laptops. Trevor started the Grade 4&5
music classes with a campfire unit and students were eager to participate in singing familiar and
recogniziable songs. His cumuliative activity was assigning students to perform their own version of
Going On A Bear Hunt. Students worked in small groups and were assessed on singing, movement, and
group participation. Trevor also used the Recorder Karate belt program. Students used note naming
sheets to submit their work and learn the songs before demonstrating in front of Trevor to showase their
understanding and proficiency on their instrument.
The Grade 6 beginning band students were directed to interview themselves talking about Why I Choose
My Instrument. This forced students to consider the reasons they choose the their instrument. Trevor had
discussions at the beginning of the band year to give students a reason to practice and why it is important
for students to be disciplined to practice and why to keep a practice journal.
Trevor developed a music appreciation unit for the Grade 7-9 band students to learn about specific styles
of music. The topic was titled Why Music Matters To Me and tasked the students to explain what and
how music is influenced by them. Students were also assigned a research assignment to find music from a
specific decade and build a collection of music/songs that struck a note with them. He specifically had
students from grades 7 learn about music from the 70s, grade 8 students learn about the 80s, and grade 9
students learn about music from the 90s. The lessons continued with a focus on artists music presented in
class for students to learn about the contribution to the music scene during that time.

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Trevors assignments included weekly playing tests, digital music theory work sheets, laptop or iPad work,
or reflections. Trevor used the technology by getting all of his students to use Edmodo. Students were
expected to complete their Edmodo assignments at home to maximize the amount of playing time in class.
Playing tests were completed at home where students could focus on submitting their best work so she
could focus on certain students to create discussions of developing good tone and playing technique. These
assignments and practice journals were also viewed by parents so students received immediate feedback
while be accountable for their work in class and at home.

Preparing to Teach:
Trevors lesson plans were detailed and comprehensive. He related every lesson to the KSAs and was
always well prepared to teach the primary learning objectives to every student in his class. Every week he
had new ideas to get students engaged in their learning. For the string players, Trevor provided guitar and
string bass players music sheets including TAB for fret and finger placements for identification of correct
notes and strings. One of his goals at the beginning of the term was to include time at the end of class for
lesson closure. With so many things to cover during the class it was a challenge for Trevor to introduce a
concept and review it at the end of each lesson. He perservered and towards the end of October he clearly
met his goal of reviewing the lesson objectives with his classes.
Whenever possible, Trevor would model playing the instruments to demonstrate the sound and proper
playing technique. This allowed students to understand how to hold their instrument and what the proper
tone should sound like. He learned and played the flute and played along with the students both in class
and during classes when he wasnt teaching.
Trevor would instruct students to set goals and prepare them for what to practice each night. At the start
of the semester, he focused on ensuring his lessons were paced properly to coordinate with the overall
schedule. He was able to adopt his plannng to cover the content necessary in his unit plans. Trevor was
quick to identify students that were challenged and students that needed to be challenged and differentiated
his teaching when appropriate. He demonstrated good visual and auditory cues by maintaining eye contact
and using clapping techniques to ensure students were following along and participating.
Trevor played an integral part in the planning process for the band camp with all the acitivites and group
sessions he was responsible for leading. Trevor had various ways of ongoing assessesment with students to
check for level of understanding. He had the classes do individual and group assessments throughout the
semester to become more effective for the sections of the band to strive for excellence in their playing. It is
difficult getting all the students assessed in a short time so choosing a few students or one section in the
band to assess can be an effective use of time over the course of a few weeks. Trevor used performance
rubrics for student assessment to check in on areas of success and where improvement could be made. He
made sure to celebrate student success and provided a wealth of positive learning experiences. Trevor had
his students record themselves with their iPads and laptops conducting interviews of themselves and
recording their playing at home. This allowed them to isolate areas in need of improvement.
I would encourage Trevor to observe other classrooms to make connections with homeroom teachers. It is
important to fully understand a child's learning needs which is often difficult just in the band room. This is
also a great way to help assist with classroom management and behavioral issues. Good communication is

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important with other teaching staff to create the best learning environment and relationships with the
students.
Becoming a Professional:
In the fine arts there are always areas to make positive contributions to the school community. Trevor
contributed to the classroom and school community throughout the semester. He had many various
discussions with other student teachers from other schools and shared his assessment strategies as well as
techniques for advocating for music programs for professional development. He continues to develop his
portfolio and seeks connections with other teachers, books, conferences and by looking at online material
for learning new instruments and teaching techniqies that work for him. Trevor attended several PLC band
teacher sessions at different districts (CBE & Rockyview School Divisions) to discuss various assessment
strategies and share assessment practices used in our school.
Trevor is very knowledgable and passionate about music. He is eager to learn new ways of teaching in the
21st Century classroom. He strives to develop innovative methods to teach music and engage his students.
He does his best to help them perform to the best of their abilities. He does this by using class discussions,
technology integration and making students accountable for their learning. I wish Trevor all the best in his
carreer.
Without hesistation, I feel Trevor will be an asset to the profession of teaching and believe he will be a fine
music educator.

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PS III Final Report for Trevor Harder

Mentor Teacher Signature

Date

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.

Faculty Mentor Comments:
Trevor Harder completed his Professional Semester III Internship in an out-of-zone placement (i.e. out of
Zone 6) in Calgary, AB. With out-of-zone placements, University Consultants are technically not required
to visit the schools in person. Nevertheless, I did make one trip to Calgary for an on-site visit early in the
semester and another in early December for his Portfolio Showcase Interview. We maintained regular
contact throughout the semester in a variety of other ways as well: email, weekly reflections, sending
video recordings of his teaching, video conferencing, phone, and attending seminars virtually via video
conferencing.
As Trevors University Consultant, I also oversaw all aspects of his internship, with particular focus on the
Professional Study component. Prior to beginning PS III he completed the Faculty of Education piano
proficiency exam - a requirement for all music majors. In early August, we met via video conferencing to
review his plans to ensure he was well prepared to begin his internship. This included a review of his longrange plans, unit plans, and classroom management plans, his Teacher Professional Growth Plan and his
Professional Inquiry Project (PIP), which focused on developing the knowledge and skills needed to
effectively teach woodwind instruments.
Another aspect of Trevors professional study was attending and actively contributing to our music cohorts
five professional study seminars. The interns assume ownership for these seminars by identifying the
topics for discussion and working as a member of a committee to plan and run the sessions. The
committee sets the agenda, arranges for any guest speakers and/or resource materials needed for the
seminar session, and present the session. Trevors committee organized a successful session addressing
issues related to classroom management and music program administration.

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Finally, interns are responsible for ongoing portfolio development. The portfolio is used as a powerful tool
for reflection, as well as for showcasing the interns professional knowledge, skills, and attributes. Portfolio
Showcase Interviews were conducted during the first two weeks of December with the Intern Teacher,
Teacher Mentor, Administrator, and University Consultant in attendance. Using the portfolio as evidence,
Trevor demonstrated his achievements in relation to each of the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes)
required for Interim Certification in Alberta by discussing aspects of his professional teaching beliefs and
practices and responding to questions. As part of this Final Interview, he also presented his PIP.
Based on the my observations and interactions with Mr. Trevor Harder described above, and input from
his Teacher Mentor Mr. Andrew Bolen and supervising Administrator Mr. Scott Petronech, I am happy to
report that he has met all the requirements of his Professional Semester III internship. Mr. Harder
successfully completed his Portfolio Showcase Interview on December 4, 2014. His portfolio provides
tangible evidence that he meets all of the Knowledge Skills and Attributes mandated in the Teaching
Quality Standard for Interim Certification in the province of Alberta.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with Trevor and I have every reason to believe that he will
be a real asset to the teaching profession.

I have read the complete Final Report and certify that the assigned grade is PASS.

Faculty Mentor Signature

Date

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