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Developmental Standards Project

Ethan Hutchinson
Ball State University
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Introduction

As a future music educator, I will be working with students from all walks of life. There

will be personalities that conflict and personalities that mesh together and I must be able to

effectively teach to all types of students. To demonstrate my understanding and evaluation of

INTASC 1, I have analyzed research in broad music fields to gain a general understanding of how

music education impacts the lives of students in and out of the classroom. My topics are: Creating

community in the music classroom, Popular music in music education, the importance of music

education, inclusion in the music classroom, the importance of inter-student/educator

relationships, and the importance of well rounded and funded music education programs.

Intasc 1: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experiences.

Developmental Research

The Importance of Music Education

“Music is the universal language of mankind” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Music has been around since the first man discovered that things make sounds when you

hit them. Music is used to communicate, convey feelings, let creativity bloom and so much more.

Speaking as a seasoned musician, I would not have the skills I have today if it were not for my

musical training. I can think on my feet when things go wrong, I have a strong social network

due to friends I made, I know how to work with others towards one goal. Though this sounds like

one long brag on myself, it is proving my point and the article’s point. Music in schools is a
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critically important piece of the puzzle that is the human language. The level of community it

creates among students who don’t generally have anything in common is something that I have

seen first-hand. Music gives people that connection that would have never been thought possible

through their daily lives.

Instructional decision: Music Education is a vastly lacking area in most schools. The

programs are underfunded and overlooked. However, as I stated above, music is one of the few

things on the planet that can bring everything and everyone together in a common goal and

purpose. As an educator, I can push as hard as I want to get a decently funded program, but the

fact of the matter is, the one way that I can ensure that my students have the same musical

growth and experience I had is by making them want to be there. For the social, mental, and

emotional aspects to grow, the students must want to be in class, want to learn about music, and

want to make music with others. The ways I can promote those things in class are simple. I must

make class enjoyable for my students while also ensuring that they will grow socially, mentally,

and emotionally while they learn. I must be adamant in insisting that my students work together

to create music with their classmates. I must push their knowledge step by step to guarantee that

they are learning all that I know so that they will be not only well-rounded musicians but well-

rounded people as well. Pushing these aspects of education is difficult, as one step to far can be

overwhelming and overstimulating to the students. Finding the healthy balance between the

students wanting to learn and the student’s willingness to try new things is imperative to

successful music education.

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The Importance of Creating Community

This article discusses the importance of creating a community in the classroom. The

author of this study compared four different schools that all had similar qualities but very diverse

and different student bodies. The purpose of the study was to view different ways that music

educators create community in their classrooms.

Instructional Decision: Creating a community in the classroom is one of, if not the, most

important things that we can do because it creates a sense of belonging to the students. The

community of a musical ensemble can mean the world to a student who feels like they do not

belong anywhere else. As an educator, creating this environment and community in which

students can flourish is going to be something that must be carefully constructed so that it is

inclusive of all students, at all levels of musical skill and at all levels of interest in the musical

arts. Creating an environment in which it is ok to ask questions and feel comfortable asking for

that help can make all the difference in the classroom community because it creates a sense of

trust between the student body and the educator. There are four main themes for creating an

inclusive community in your classroom. Support and care, fostering a sense of belonging and

acceptance, quality creates and inhibits community, and program and legacy vision. With these

four themes, an educator can create a quality community within their classroom and on a larger,

schoolwide scale.

Theme 1: Support and Care – this is the basis for all classroom communities because

without support and care from the teacher and peers, students will feel unincluded and not want

to participate as much which in turn creates a high level of tension between students and the

educator. If the educators create an environment of support and demonstrate a caring nature for
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the students, it will help to foster a community of trust and inclusion amongst the students and

cause growth and learning for all.

Theme 2: Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Acceptance – belonging and acceptance is

all anyone ever wants in a community, whether that be at home, school, work, or other various

settings. As an educator, it can be hard at times to help students who struggle, especially in the

music classroom, when there are plenty of students who are excelling and are easier to help and

teach. The important thing we must do as teachers is to not let students fall behind because they

learn at a slower pace. We must create learning environments with all our students in mind so

that they can all excel at the material and progress through the class at a similar rate as the other

students. (SSDS 5.3)

Theme 3: Quality Creates and Inhibits Community – One thing music educators must be

cautious of is success. Success comes from a quality program and can do wonderful things for

the growth and learning of the students and program as a whole. However, teachers must be

careful to not let that success go to their heads, especially in schools with competitive programs,

such as show choir or marching band, success can cause rifts between competing and non-

competing groups. As educators, we must be aware that our students are still kids who are

growing and learning about who they are and sometimes do not handle success well. We as

adults, who naturally have more success experiences, must teach them that it is ok to be proud

about successes and cherish them, but to be humble and respectful about them. It inhibits the

success of other students when they feel overshadowed and not as valuable by other’s successes.

Theme 4: Program and Legacy Vision – As a teacher with a music program, one of the

long-term goals that should be present is the legacy and reputation for the program. Creating a

legacy can be hard because, if not created in a respectable way, it can be a poor legacy to uphold
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in the community both professionally and locally. The most effective way to create a sterling

legacy is through the students. An educator can do that by giving the students an outstanding

education in the arts and use that to foster a love for the arts in their students by creating a

wonderful environment for them in which they can learn. If the environment and community is

good, it will inevitably create a legacy of success in the ensemble.

While these were brief descriptions of the four themes of creating community, it is up for

interpretation with every educator on how to incorporate these into the classroom. How they

incorporate these themes make or break the success of the program and as educators we must be

mindful of these factors so that we can create nurturing and engaging communities for our

students.

Inclusion in the Music Classroom

This article heavily stresses the important role that a music educator plays in a student’s

life. It is pointed out multiple times how a music educator is the one consistent teacher that a

student may have throughout their education career and how much a music teacher can mean to a

student.

Instructional decision: The learning environment is one of the most important factors to

a student’s learning and how well they process the information. “Music teachers frequently

provide listening ears for students facing severe challenges ranging from bullying to

homelessness. The music teacher, who may maintain a connection with students over many

years, is often the trusted adult who is best able make a real difference in the lives of students.”

(Michael J. Blakeslee) Providing that safe learning environment is important because it creates

the safe space for students who only feel that sense of belonging and want when they are at

school in the classroom. (SSDS 5.1) As a teacher who will most likely be in student’s lives for
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multiple years, being approachable is a must for me. As a high-schooler, I always remember my

music teachers having a closed door due to personal preference. It was not a case of them being

unavailable to the students in times of need but there was always a sense of disconnect between

the students and the teacher. However, when considering the differences of my students, I must

consider the many differences they experience and be able to adapt to the needs of students and

their families. (SSDS 6.2) Using the knowledge and relationships that were built up would

enable me to further advance my relationship with students in a professional and nurturing way

to both their mental and educational health, fostering a want and need to be in class to learn and

experience the music and environment that they feel safe in. Eventually, the students will grow

to the point that they feel comfortable in the world on their own ready to make a difference,

using their own experiences in my classroom to help others who struggle with the same problems

that they did. This chain of events would all be started by a simple open-door policy in my

classroom, creating a space where students feel comfortable to be themselves around others and

form a bond of trust and understanding between the students and myself.

Popular music in music education

Popular music is a huge influence in the lives of everyone, whether they listen to it or not.

Popular music is one of the shaping factors of society because, we, follow trends set by those

who we consider famous. I wholeheartedly believe that music in popular culture is one of the

biggest influences that someone can be exposed to as everyone can connect to music in some

way, shape or form. This study discusses the need of popular music education in schools along

with the continued education of classical music styles so that students are well rounded

individuals with an appreciation for all types of music. “Children develop a “” critical

musicality”” by learning music that they like.” (Allsup pg. 6) It is important to foster that growth
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of love for popular music and allowing the students to participate in making popular music with

their friends, but to also expose them to older music and different styles so that they do not

become musically illiterate. Music Literacy is preached in the Ball State Music Ed program

because it is so important to a well-rounded musician. If a student is not musically literate, then it

is harder to teach them music as they do not grasp the basic concepts of music.

Instructional decision: As a future music educator, having well rounded students is my

goal. I want to make sure that every student that walks out of my classroom at the end of the year

has a greater and deeper understanding of all types and genres of music. I can do that by simply

not ignoring certain types of music. Engaging my students in all types of music will educate

them in all types. Having each day of the week assigned to a different type of music would be a

simple way to keep the lessons on track so that I do not miss any genre or style. Allowing my

students to learn in their own way by providing different ways to gather and process the

information I am giving them will greatly accelerate the rate at which I can give them

information. Further, it will make them more confident when I asses their knowledge of the

music they have learned. Another important way to integrate all music into my class is asking

my students about the types of music they enjoy listening to and then tying in other types of

music to their favorites and explain how they relate to each other. It will broaden the students

understanding of how music is all connected in one way or another. Music education is not easy.

There are layers upon layers of complications one can run into and infinite ways to try and

correct those complications. However, creating well rounded students is the easiest part of music.

All one must do is be open to listening and analyzing new things and gaining an appreciation for

the many styles of music out in the world.

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The Importance of Inter-Student/Educator Relationships

“When you hear the words music and athletics, do you immediately think of apples and

oranges, north and south, the Force and the Dark Side? If you look at the stereotypes of music

and athletics, you might believe that they are polar opposites. You have the athletes — the strong

kids who may not be among the most articulate but who can block, tackle, shoot, hit, run, and

score in any game. Then you have the musicians — intelligent, introspective brainiacs who can

read a language known only to them and make an instrument come to life. Are music and sports

mutually incompatible? I offer a different look: a yin-and-yang perspective.” (Morgan, MEJ)

This article was written by a band director who grew up in a school that placed a large

emphasis on both the athletic and music programs. He discusses how growing up both spheres

were incredibly important to not just him and his family, but the entire community. He believes

that the reason that both were so successful is because sports and music did not take place at the

same time. Music was a required subject in 5th through 8th grade and happened during the school

day, sports were an after school extra-curricular. Music was treated as a normal class, with

homework and tests instead of an extra throwaway class as it is in most schools. He discusses the

importance that both music and athletics have in his life and how both affected his choices and

how it can influence both sides of the music/athletics “riff” that exists in schools.

Instructional decision: As someone who wanted to participate in sports but loved music

too much to do so, I read this article with an interesting perspective. In my experience in middle

school and high school, there was only one required year of musical training past standard

elementary level, 6th grade band, choir, or orchestra. As we grew up and advanced through the

grades, a sharp decline in athlete participation was very noticeable, which made absolutely no

sense, because in some cases, the athletes were the most gifted musicians. I remember the few
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athletes that continued to participate in both music and athletics were constantly plagued with

conflicts between games and competitions. While most were minor conflicts that were easily

resolved by the school policy (stating that a student must evenly split their time between the

activities), unwillingness to cooperate from both parties made the increasing number of conflicts

nearly unbearable for the students who participated in both. While it is understandable that both

activities want and need the student to be successful in both programs, it always seemed as if the

coaches and directors were only concerned fir what they wanted and not what was best for the

student.

One of my biggest goals for my career is cooperation with fellow teachers. It has always

baffled me why teachers won’t cooperate with each other for the benefit of the students. In our

ever-increasing technological world, communication between teachers should be incredibly

simple and efficient. Instead, we sometimes see pettiness between colleagues for personal

reasons. As a teacher, I hope to use my resources to effectively communicate with my fellow

staff members so that I may create the optimal environment and experience for my students.

(SSDS 6.5, 6.6)

The Importance of Well Rounded and Funded Music Education Program

This article talks about how music in schools is being cut or minimized to make way for

required government programs. While the No Child Left Behind Act has good intentions and

motivations, it ultimately was detrimental to the wellbeing of fine arts programs in schools. The

purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act was to help students who were behind in the core

subjects, such as reading and math, to catch up with their peers by allowing more class time for

them to study. College readiness and study initiatives courses are time consuming as well. The

one place to logically put all these extra classes is the slots formerly reserved for music and the
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arts, leading to a severe lack of funding and time for the arts in schools. The article discusses

ways to keep music in our schools while also demonstrating ways in which music can be slowly

and financially ethically reintroduced into the curriculum without bankrupting a school system.

Instructional decision: Going into education, I have absolutely no idea what school I

will end up at and what the state of their music program will be. What will most likely happen is

that I will end up at a school somewhere in central Indiana with a music program that is fairly

average. Indiana is a rather large music state and we are lucky enough to still have decently

funded programs in all the major cities, however, in many small towns, music is rarely thought

of and scrapes by with parent donations and dinky fundraisers. Knowing full well that I could

land my first job at a small farm town high school with a music program on its last legs, being

able to prove that a music program is important to student’s education will be difficult. Standard

3 will largely come into play to prove that music is important, because if good, well-rounded

lessons aren’t consistently given, further cuts could be enacted eventually leading to a complete

folding of the music program. SSDS standards 3.10, 3.11, and 3,12 best ties into the idea of

keeping a well-rounded program because they focus on using the resources available to create

the best possible learning experience for the students.

No matter what school I will end up at, keeping engaged in Standard 3 ideas and

principals will be incredibly important in keeping a well-funded, well-rounded music program.

Should I be at a school with a struggling music program, finding ways to slowly introduce more

funding into the program without being overbearing would be beneficial to the success of the

program. By showing results with increased funding, it should evolve into a back and forth

partnership to keep a well-funded, well-rounded program that gets results and can pay back what

is put into it. While the Ideas for Professional Practice are broad in this article, I feel that it needs
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to be, because every school has a different situation with funding, and as a future music teacher, I

must be flexible and be able to handle whatever situation I end up with to the best of my ability.

Reflection

My personal idea of InTasc Standard 1 is that students have varying learning styles and it

is up to the teacher to ensure that every student has a comfortable learning environment and

learns effectively. Students growth and develop at different rates and teachers must understand

that to be effective educators and must be ok with compromising and being flexible on the fly to

accommodate all students so that they receive equal opportunities in the classroom so that they

all learn the necessary skills needed to succeed in and out of the classroom.

The REPA Developmental Standards are a base set of standards that teachers should

utilize to create an inclusive and informative learning environment for students of all learning

styles, ensuring that every student receives the same education regardless of how they interact

within the classroom environment. Teachers must be aware of these standards when planning a

lesson so that they do not unintentionally exclude students when teaching.

There are three very important factors when teaching that all educators must consider:

Context, Engagement, and Expertise. They all play a large role in how an educator must conduct

themselves so that they are catering to the needs of all students.

To me, context is the environment in which I provide them and how they choose to

interpret that environment. As an educator, it is important to appreciate every aspect of student

development, because every part of that development is important. It is important to appreciate

the developmental variations in every child and how to best teach so that every student is reached

in the same way. Being committed to helping students to grow, learn, and develop in their own

way while also ensuring they are doing it in a healthy way is important to both their education
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and success in and out of the classroom. Allowing a student to play to their strengths is

important, but we must be conscious of the possibility they can be consumed by those strengths.

As their teachers we must be sure to help and foster those strengths while also helping them to

grow in other areas so that they are well-rounded individuals. It is vital that students are given

reassurance starting at a young age so that they grow and develop a healthy self-esteem and self-

image. However, we must be careful to not give our students an inflated sense of self. Finding

the balance between praise and criticism can be incredibly difficult, but I believe that it is

important to receive both praise and criticism when growing and learning so that students know

what good, healthy criticism is and understand that it is just as important as praise is to

development. Learning is impossible without making mistakes and fostering that want for

learning is our duty as educators. Giving them the opportunity to learn and take criticism as well

as praise will not only allow them to excel in your classroom, but as they grow older and take

new paths in life, will allow them to handle situations maturely and intelligently simply because

a teacher took the time to step back, examine the context that this student saw and used that

knowledge to educate them into a smart and resourceful adult.

My weaknesses in this area comes from the fact that I am a one-track minded person. If

there is a way, I think something should be done, I do it that way. I feel that I can be flexible

when I need to be, but only when it is necessary. Versatility on the fly is not my strong suit and I

sometimes forget that there are other views than mine. However, I feel that continuing to learn

and attending classes on being an educator can help me to grow in this area as it will allow me to

broaden my perspectives and be able to interpret things from all different sides. Simply teaching

others and asking them for input in return is a great way that I can evaluate my understanding of

my contextual awareness in the classroom as an educator. Learning from my students is one of

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the best ways I can learn and grow in this area and become a more inclusive, and

environmentally aware educator.

To me, engagement is all about how the classroom is run. It all relies on the teacher’s

ability to keep the students focused and interested in the lesson, how well the material is taught,

and how well the students absorb and react to the material. It is incredibly important to design

lessons with student engagement in mind, because if your students are not engaged, then they in

turn will not retain the information, not want to learn from you, and become completely

disinterested in your teaching. When considering engagement, it is important to consider the

learning differences of your students and take that into account when planning lessons. It is

important to know that no student learns the same, even if they have similar learning styles. My

teaching style must incorporate hooks for all types of learners so that I don’t only engage one

half of the class in the lesson while the other half sits completely uninterested because they don’t

understand the material in the way I’m teaching it. Engagement in music is a critical factor

because, in music, the new information builds upon the old, and continues to build all the time.

The engagement is important because if a student is not engaged for level 1, when level 2 come,

they will not be prepared and will inevitably get behind. Finding a way to engage all the students

in their own various ways is a challenge that all teachers must face. However, there does come a

point where students must take their learning into there own hands. A teacher can only go over

material so many times before it becomes pointless to try and teach it again. If the student refuses

to learn, the teacher must reevaluate the teaching style to better teach the student that doesn’t

know the material.

My weakness in this area come from the fact that I can get frustrated if things are not

working how I believe they should. Understanding that I am a perfectionist in some ways will
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help me to evaluate how I approach certain learning situations. Knowing that I will have students

that learn the same way I do and those that don’t, it is important to look past those differences

and find the best way to solve a problem that fits every student’s needs. I know that there are

many ways to do things, especially in music, and it is important for me as a teacher to be able to

put aside the fact that I would rather do things one way, even if it is not best for the student. I

must allow myself to put aside what I think is right and enhance the learning experience to

incorporate the many different ways to do things and create a healthy learning environment for

all of my students.

To me, expertise is more about the educator than the student. Naturally, teachers should

have a better sense of what they are teaching their students and should possess effective ways to

pass on the knowledge to the students. Expertise means having a great understanding and

knowledge of a subject and having the ability to explain it in detail to someone if asked. As

educators, we must have expertise in a variety of subjects including development, psychology,

education practices, and the subject we teach. All these areas are vital to the success of a good

teacher. One cannot function without the other in an effective manner as one cannot be an

effective teacher if one of these subjects is lacking. While it could be argued that you don’t need

to know the finer points of most of these subjects, it is important to understanding that knowing

these subjects on a deeper level can greatly improve the level of teaching for the students. Being

able to understand the finer points allows me as an educator to reach more students academically

because I understand their different learning styles. If I do not have a good grasp on what I am

teaching, then how could I expect my students to understand it. Expertise in the classroom all

comes down to teacher readiness and willingness to continue learning as an educator. In gaining
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that expertise, I, as an educator, can pass that expertise on to my students so that they may gain

that knowledge that is crucial for them to succeed in the classroom.

My weakness in this area is based in my lack of expertise in these areas. This is not me

saying I am not knowledgeable in the areas I need to be, but simply that I do not know all that I

could. In understanding that there is always more for me to learn, it is the most effective way to

improve upon the weaknesses in this certain area. While this is a very broad weakness to cover, I

feel that it is critical that educators understand there is always more to learn, something that you

don’t know. In understanding this fact, it allows us as educators to create a better classroom

environment for our students and gives them the opportunity to learn in a comfortable and

nurturing community of education and knowledge.

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References

 Creating an Educational Framework for Popular Music in Public Schools: Anticipating the Second-Wave

By: Randall Everett Allsup

 Take Note: Music Connects Us: The Importance of Inclusion in the Music Classroom.
Source:
Music Educators Journal. Mar2018, Vol. 104 Issue 3, p5-5. 1p.
DOI:
10.1177/0027432117743192

 Tearing down the Wall between Music and Athletics

Authors:
Morgan, Mike
Source:
Music Educators Journal. Jun2010, Vol. 96 Issue 4, p19-19. 1p.

DOI:
10.1177/0027432110363867

 Ode to Orchestrating Success: The Status Quo Is Being Shattered.

Authors:
Odegaard, Denese
Source:
Music Educators Journal. Sep2017, Vol. 104 Issue 1, p7-8. 2p.
DOI:
10.1177/0027432117720179

 The Experience of Creating Community.

Authors:
Parker, Elizabeth Cassidy1 elizabeth.parker@temple.edu
Source:
Journal of Research in Music Education. Jul2016, Vol. 64 Issue 2, p220-237. 18p
DOI:
10.1177/0022429416648292
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All Grade Standards and Sub-Standards References

Standard 3: Instructional Planning and Delivery Teachers of grades P–12 have a broad and

comprehensive understanding of instructional planning and delivery and demonstrate the ability

to plan and deliver standards-based, data-driven differentiated instruction that engages students,

makes effective use of contemporary tools and technologies, and helps all students achieve

learning goals

 3.11 the ability to apply skills and strategies for integrating curricula, creating

interdisciplinary units of study, and providing students with developmentally appropriate

opportunities to explore content from integrated and varied perspectives; use higher-order

thinking and creativity; solve problems; acquire, organize, analyze, and synthesize

information; and work cooperatively and productively in group settings to accomplish

goals for student achievement

 3.12 knowledge of types of instructional resources, and the ability to locate, create,

evaluate, and select evidence-based resources to meet specific instructional needs and to

provide differentiated instruction

 3.13 knowledge of information literacy, and the ability to promote students' knowledge of

and model and facilitate students' use of the tools, practices, and opportunities of the

information age

Standard 5: Learning Environment Teachers of grades P–12 have a broad and comprehensive

understanding of student learning environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive,

productive, well-managed, and safe learning environments for all students

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 5.1 the ability to create safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive learning environments,

including indoor and outdoor environments, that encourage all students' engagement,

collaboration, and sense of belonging

 5.3 the ability to plan and adapt developmentally appropriate learning environments that

reflect cultural competency; are responsive to the characteristics, strengths, experiences,

and needs of each student; and promote all students' development and learning

 5.5 knowledge of developmentally appropriate classroom management approaches and

positive guidance techniques, including relationships between specific practices and

student learning, attitudes, and behaviors, and the ability to use this knowledge to create

an organized, positive, and productive learning environment that maximizes students'

time on task; facilitates learning; and encourages student self-regulation, responsibility,

and accountability

Standard 6: The Professional Environment Teachers of grades P–12 have a broad and

comprehensive understanding of professional environments and expectations and demonstrate

the ability to collaborate with others to improve student learning, to engage in continuous

professional growth and self-reflection, and to adhere to legal and ethical requirements of the

profession

 6.2 knowledge of diverse family and community characteristics, structures, dynamics,

roles, relationships, and values, and the ability to use this knowledge to build effective

partnerships with diverse families and communities

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 6.5 the ability to use digital tools and resources to participate in professional learning

networks and to communicate and collaborate with parents/guardians, peers, and others

in the educational community

 6.6 the ability to participate effectively and productively as a member of a professional

learning community