Conducting Debut: Reflection
In December 2019, I was given the opportunity to conduct a piece at Leamington District Secondary School’s Holiday concert. This is a video recording of ‘Furioso’ by Robert Smith, which was performed by the Grade 9 beginner and experienced classes. Conducting this group was an exciting learning experience for me because I was encouraged to step outside of my comfort zone and develop my skills as a teacher, conductor, communicator and musician. This experience showed me that my learning process is ongoing and ever-changing. It was scary and exciting. It was challenging and empowering. I had no idea I’d be conducting a group of 54 students in my first placement. This video helps me see where I need to improve as a conductor, especially in a performance setting. My conducting pattern was far too large, I didn’t use my left hand enough to communicate dynamics and cues, and I followed the band’s tempo as they sped up, among many other mistakes. But I love this artifact because it reminds me that I can do things I set my mind and heart to, even when they are scary at first. Through practice, trust, confidence and communication with my Associate Teacher and students, I was able to work with this group to make music and help the students share their passion with their family and friends! I am so grateful to continue creating new goals, accepting new challenges, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes to become better and better every day.
The Open Page: Knowledge Hook Podcast:
In February 2020, a group of podcasts were released on The Open Page, a website dedicated to helping educators by reviewing Edtech tools based on their function, accessibility for students, data collection, etc. I was involved in creating and speaking in the Knowledge Hook Podcast. Our team spent a lot of time exploring and researching this application before writing our script and recording. This project made me realize how important it is to know what websites we allow our students to use and the implications behind what we show them. We must be conscious of representation, accessibility, and safety when promoting & using these websites.
