Paid on Student Performance

I don't believe that teachers salary should be based on student performance. Student levels change between classes and that should not be the sole evaluation process for the effectiveness of a teacher. I think that teachers could get a bonus for high student performance- if it's just the class then everyone will get a bonus at some point. But, if it is really that the teacher has gone above and beyond they should be rewarded.

An effective teacher changes their teaching strategies to benefit the need of their students. The teacher should also provided multiple ways to evaluate their students knowledge. They make their classroom as successful as possible. This includes having a fair, supportive environment that student feel comfortable in doing their best in. The teacher expects a lot from their students and give them high goals to achieve.

Teachers Unions and Tenure

There are good and bad sides of both teachers unions and tenure.
Teachers Unions help negotiate contracts, ensure that qualified teachers get hired, and protect teachers if they get sued. The negative side of the protection is that it will protect any teacher in the union no matter if they're good or not. This is hard to determine what we should do about that- is there an easy way to fix it? Teachers Union seem to have more positives then negatives.

Tenure on the other hand, I believe, she be harder or the process longer to get. I'm all for having job security but, there are too many bad teachers getting tenured and then being able to teach for many years as a bad teacher. If we would extend the time frame from 3 years to 5-10 it would help to make sure teachers are good at what they do.

Balancing Extra Curricular's with classroom expectations

Our society is very sport driven- do I agree, no. I think sports are great for kids and that you should try all types... but with such seriousness? What happened to children PLAYING. Our expectations should be the highest possible for our students. We need to engage them in the classroom and teach in ways that will do them the most good. Elementary classrooms shouldn't have much homework. When i was that age I didn't even think about it until 5th or 6th grade and then it was minimal. Give the students work time and its there choice whether to do it at the given time or having to do it at home. The only "homework" that I think should be assigned is reading for enjoyment at home. So, our expectations should be for the student to be engaged in the classroom and working hard. If they fail to do that, then they will have to do it on their own time, cutting into their extra curricular activities.

When to introduce instruments

When to introduce the recorder, rhythm sticks, finger cymbals, and the kazoo. 


Instrument introduction really depends on the class and making sure that your students are developmentally ready to play them. Some of these instruments are defiantly easier to play than others and can be introduced first and progress to other instruments that need more fine motor skills to be played. 
 I would introduce the gross motor skills instruments first like the kazoo and rhythm sticks; xylophone shortly after. I would then introduce the recorder and the finger cymbals later because require more fine motor skills.
The rhythm sticks are probably the easiest for the students to use. I believe that kindergarten or 1st grade would be appropriate depending on students and behaviors. The kazoo is a fairly simple instrument that I would introduce about the first grade.  The xylophone i would introduce about first or second grade because it does take the students listening skills to hear the different pitches among the different keys on the xylophone.  The finger cymbals can be introduced about second or third grade. These are pretty small and have to be played correctly so I think their motor skills need to improve before using those.  Recorders about fourth grade; takes a lot of motor skills to be able to read music while places fingers on the correct holes for the corresponding notes. 

Carl Orff for the 21st Century Child

Carl Orff's philosophies seem perfect for the 21st century child because it gets the students engaged in what they're doing. The child is either singing, dancing, playing creatively; the students are engaged and learning at the same time. The students get to be creative- making up there own rhythms or adding dance to music.  Kids love to explore and they get to when they are able to be creative with instruments. They are improvising and having fun doing it. Teachers are needing more to engage students these days and Orff's philosophies get the student active and enjoying- therefore learning.

Sequential Learning and rote

Sequential Learning is making sure that you're setting up your students for success. By taking them through piece by piece and having them practice each step they are getting multiple times to practice before they have to do it on their own.

Teaching a student by rote:
1. Modeling( set the student up for success). Provide Examples
2. Use nonverbal gestures (pointing)
3. chunk it (lump smaller sections into one)
4. Student will then perform entire thing

EDU Philosophy in alignment with expectations

Standards and Expectations are set up to ensure that students are being taught the best way possible. They are ensuring that students are learning to their full potential. My educational philosophy is there to do just that- give the students the very best opportunity to succeed.
I talk about that students are not all the same and that they will need varying opportunities of learning so everyone can get the chance to succeed.
I also talk about content being relevant to student lives. I feel strongly about this because this is something that greatly helps in my learning. The thought process of chunking (linking new information to something already learned) has been proven to increase the retention of the new information. That makes sense then to always relate the information back to some previous knowledge.
My last belief was that people learn better in a fun, safe environment. If the student feels accepted they will be more likely to participate and enjoy themselves. A happy classroom promotes the learning of students and their engagement.
I believe that I hit on some huge students needs. These will ensure a better learning environment for them.