Mentor Assessment #1

Dalia Lee

Name of Mentor: Ms. Melissa Hatheway

Profession: Assistant Director of Bands

Location and Business name: Lone Star High School

2606 Panther Creek Pkwy

Frisco, TX, 75033

Date of Visit: February 22nd, 2017

Time: 7:30AM

Assessment:

This meeting was my third meeting with Hatheway overall, however it was my first
official and thorough mentor meeting. For this meeting, I arrived at the Lone Star Band Hall at
7:30AM for a 7:45AM Clarinet sectional she was having for the LSHS Second band. After
observation of the sectional, we had a discussion over my observations, my original work, and
our future meetings and plans. Finally, I observed part of her second band class before having to
leave around noon to return to Centennial.
During the sectional, I observed how Ms.Hatheway chooses to conduct her sectionals. As
it was the first one for me to observe, the easiest things for me to identify were the differences in
what she does at LSHS verses what Im used to in my own sectionals. Ms.Hatheway goes into all
that shes teaching with some kind of lesson plan. She used the sectional as an opportunity to
isolate students on what theyre playing and how theyre playing it. There was a lot of individual
playing, more than I am used to compared to CHS. However, this allowed her to hear if her
students were doing they work they needed to do and what she was asking for them to do. She
also took the time to be extremely detailed in the music and worked on things like tuning and
specific technique for the players. She worked with the few individuals like this throughout one
piece she chose to work with for the day. The sectional seemed to be successful and she seemed
to be pleased with the work that was done. Although it was a lot of playing and work, the
students still seemed to have fun. Due to the smaller and more individual setting, she was able to
communicate a lot with her students and connect with them on more personal levels, which her
students seemed to enjoy.
Following the sectional, we met and discussed during her off period, first period. First,
we discussed what I observed in the sectional. She also made the point of the purpose of having
sectionals being more than just to work on the music thats being played. She also uses it as a
time to connect with her students, learn more about who they are as individuals and whats going
on in their lives. Since her band classes are full of so many students, she doesnt have the
opportunity for that in class. I found this encouraging and admirable, as her focus isnt strictly on
the music and what the surface level of her job description is. She recognizes her role as a
teacher and as an adult who could make a positive impact on her students, which is exactly what
I want to do.
After our brief discussion over the sectional, she wanted to discuss lesson planning with
me; what she does to plan for her classes and what she recommends I should do for my Original
Work band rehearsals. We worked backwards on my rehearsal schedule and set goals for where I
should/want to be in the music by each rehearsal. Each goal was brief, yet detailed, including
specific plans for each piece Im playing for tempo and what I want to address about it in each
rehearsal. After completing a general schedule and plan, we created a more detailed lesson plan
for my next rehearsal. She helped create this plan by asking me about the abilities of my band,
where we are currently in my music, and what I think needs to be worked on immediately. With
this information, we made an appropriate plan which included the times of what I need to work
on and for how long in order to make the rehearsal and efficient as possible. Making this plan
and discussing with her the process of these rehearsals helped me feel more prepared for the next
one, giving me more knowledge and a greater understanding of the teaching process.
We also worked out a plan and schedule for the mentorship all the way up into April to
the date of my Original Work concert. Ms.Hatheway tells me shes a big list maker and planner,
making this process so much easier for everyone involved. She created a document with a
calendar that lists when we can have our meetings and what we can discuss in each one. Together
we went through and decided dates and times that work for both of us, and explained to me what
she wants to go over for each week, setting goals for herself and for me.
Finally, for our meeting and discussion, we went over what piece I can add for my
concert. I told her I wanted to add a third piece on top of the two we are already working on. She
asked me what Im looking to play, about the players in my band, their abilities, and how many
of what instrument. Then she showed me the process she likes to go through to find a piece that
suits her group the best, using the JWPepper website which allows to read about and listen to
various pieces. Through this, I discovered a piece entitled Blue and Green Music by Samuel
Hazo. Afterwards, we added work for this piece onto my lesson plan, which will let both of us
know whether or not my band will have the ability to perform this successfully. Following the
meeting, I stayed at LSHS briefly to observe her second band rehearsal. I was only able to say
for the very beginning of the class which mainly consisted of her bands warm up process.
The success and learning already from a single meeting has me excited for the future of
my mentorship with Ms.Hatheway. Shes taught me so much about what goes into the classes
and teaching, some technical aspects of the job, and encouraged me into believing that Im on the
right track for where I want to be in this topic. With each interaction I have with her, I feel I am
more and more prepared to make progress on my original work, and with her help I am able to
avoid mistakes and learn from the ones I do make with her guidance.