The candidate seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for

student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school

professionals, support staff, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to
advance the profession.

The candidate should complete a reflective essay detailing how they participated in the
school in terms of leadership, collaboration, other school professionals, support staff, and
community members. Artifacts detailing these relationships and activities should be
included.

During my undergraduate experience at Kansas State University I was offered many

opportunities for leadership and professional growth. As section leader of concert band and wind
symphony, it was my responsibility to lead others in my section to create a cohesive sound that
positively contributed to the ensemble. I was tasked to create sectional rehearsals outside of the band
rehearsals and communicate with the director about what was rehearsed and section growth. This
challenged me as a leader as I led my friends. There were two times I had to put friendships aside and
report negative growth of individuals to my director as that was my job. I learned how to work with
others and let them offer input and opinions differing from my own.
However, some of my favorite experiences came through collaboration. I participated in the
Wamego Colombian Theatre’s performances of The Music Man as a pit orchestra member. I worked
with Dr. Rosine and Wamego community members to put on this performance. The show ran for three
weekends and the pit rehearsed for 3 weeks. These events are great community outreach for support of
the arts and I hope to participate in something like this again.
I was a member of the Kansas State University Flute Studio. Through this we spent a lot of our
time reaching out to novice flute players. Every spring, the studio would host a “Flute Day.” We invited
flute players of all levels to come and work together on new music and flute techniques, eventually
performing a final concert at the end of the day. Over the course of the four years I participated, I
helped with logistics and ensemble coaching.
As a student teacher, I collaborated with my cooperating teacher daily. One example being, we
would teach an MTSS class. My cooperating teacher would have those students list musical things they
would like to learn. Most classes listed trap drum set so we taught this unit for every MTSS class. While
Mrs. Oatney would lead individuals through what to do on the drums, I would lead the rest of the class
in right brain/left brain coordination exercises. I feel this collaboration greatly improved student ability
on drum set and increased their engagement levels whereas they would have just been waiting for their
turn. I learned that collaboration can bolster a unit to even higher levels than could have been done
alone.