InTASC Standards

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The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) has developed a series of standards, or principles, to promote and measure the effectiveness of educators. On this page, I write about each standard, elaborate on how I demonstrate mastery from each pillar of the InTASC Standards, and explore ways in which I can progress in my relationship with each particular principle.

Standard 1

Learner Development

Understanding learner development is crucial in the way that any teacher structures their pedagogical approaches and lays the foundation for their curriculum map, and this is ever so true in the world of music education, where early skills like listening are integrally tied to how and when you began to develop them. A master music teacher understands the way that building musicianship is tied to brain research, and uses discoveries of educational psychology to justify their methods and strategies. This is true in both directions, with the neurological patterns in our brains supporting the way that we pick up music, and, in return, music education bolstering cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional intelligence. A semester out from the time that I am writing this I’ll begin my first education psychology class, but there’s a lot that I’ve learned just from spending a lot of time around experienced music teachers that I can use in my toolbelt right now. I’ve spent some time this year reading about the concept of voice building in a book by Wilhellm Ehmann and Frauke Haasemann, and we’ve spent a lot of this year in MUSE 100-150 talking about Dr. Don Ester’s Sound Connections method for building a stronger ear and aural vocabulary in young musicians. It’s tried and true methods like these - already founded in pedagogical science - that will help me introduce concepts to learners and facilitate their growth. As stated in the last paragraph, I have classes yet to take that will explore these very ideas in more depth, and I intend to make foundational curriculum a principal focus of my time studying under a student teacher after my 7th Semester on campus here at Ball State. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) In the secondary general music classroom, it's important to recognize that your learners are simultaneously experiencing the most extreme psychological upheaval since early childhood. With this in mind, it's important to design a curriculum that revolves around consistent, intentional activity. During my time studying secondary general music students, we explored the way that keeping middle school students busy with things that are important for them to know improves retention of those key skills and knowledge sets. I plan to make this a part of my teaching by spiraling my curriculum and employing consistency in my daily procedures.

The teacher understands how children learn 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.

Council of Chief State School Offices. (2011, April). Revised Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue. Washington, DC: Author.

ARTIFACT: EDPS Final Grade & Paper

Standard 2

Music isn’t just a cross-curricular practice, but also a cross-cultural one as well. While everyone grows up with a different relationship with music, exposure to it at a young age is universally beneficial. In the field of music education, it’s important that learning differences are taken into account in the classroom setting. Teachers should use music as a tool to enrich, affirm, and introduce culture to their students based on the musical background which they grew up in. This includes a variety of linguistic, religious, and tonal traditions, and approaching music this way (as a diverse artform) is sensible because of its intimate connection with social/emotional learning, which is extremely personal to each and every student, whom all reflect a diverse mosaic of life experiences and cultural signifiers. It’s always been important to me to tailor my teaching to the room that I’m in front of in that very moment, on that very day, in that very building. A class period, just like any gathering of people, is best approached with a keen understanding of what that group of people knows, appreciates, and could benefit from learning: that’s what makes a firm grasp of learning differences so important to me. I have a lot of progress to make in understanding more about the music that I didn’t grow up with, but fortunately, we live in a time when hearing new and different music is easier than ever. Additionally, building bridges between myself and the students and families in my school community will be important in delivering an education that is both personal and practical. Next semester I take a class focused on the intricacies of multicultural education, which I believe will make me a better mentor, advocate, and guide for my kids. A large part of my growth will happen in simply exposing myself to art which I’ve grown up isolated from throughout my life, and other parts of it will come in one-on-one conversations with students that learn and communicate differently so that I might ensure an excellent experience for them with music. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) One of the most important discoveries in adolescence is identifying what makes you different from other people: what sets you apart and makes you yourself! When teaching this age group, it's essential that you both foster this growth and acknowledge it your planning and verbiage. For example, providing choices of how to participate in class is a great way to account for learner differences and increase participation and overall contentment with the activity.

Learning Differences

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that allow each learner to reach his/her full potential.

ARTIFACT: EDMU Final Grade & Paper

Standard 3

In the world of education, it is my belief that in order for a space to be conducive to learning, students must feel safe within it. Any teacher must have a good understanding of the way that their space - its parameters, its elements, and what surrounds it - can help or hinder the learning experience, and a variety of factors, like layout, accessibility, and aesthetic can have a massive impact on the way a student learns and grows within the confines of the classroom. Music classrooms in particular might be set up with the acoustic dimensions of the room in mind, with other factors like attention to the director/conductor and accommodation of class/ensemble size also playing into the learning environments. Aside from the physical, a learning environment also might be made up by specific behaviors and culture native to it, like the volume at which students talk, sing, or play in the room, the lighting of the room, or the relationship between students and the instructor. These are all things that you might be able to “feel” or observe in a music classroom, and are often where music classrooms notably differ from other classrooms. As a future music educator, it is extremely important to me that I work in a space that is safe, comfortable, and productive. Some specific examples of effective room design choices that I’ve observed include the inclusion of a mirror at the front of the room (to help students see what they are doing with their bodies) as well as a separated or occluded office space for teachers and other professionals to collaborate in private. I’ve also seen room design choices that aid student organization, like places to store music or other instruments within the room, and I intend to make this a part of my room design in order to structure my students’ learning environment. While I have yet to design my own room, I have some ideas for posters and visual aids to help communicate important and recurring messages in my curriculum, such as a healthy body map for balance in singing, important vowels from the International Phonetic Alphabet to help unify the sounds that my students make, as well as basic sight reading tools like solfege and rhythmic syllables as building blocks for learning music. It is, however, imperative and most critical that my students feel safe. Whilst cooperating with district methods and procedures for emergencies and general safety, I also plan to keep up with my training in first aid, CPR, and emergency response certifications to ensure that should a threat ever arise to the safety of my students’ learning environment, I am prepared and capable to keep them safe. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) In the secondary general music classroom, it's all about creating a comfortable and familiar environment. The reason is simple: students that are uncomfortable will not participate or take risks. As an educator, it is important that I take steps to carefully curate a classroom and culture that promote togetherness and accessibility. An active, methodical reevaluation of what environment my learners walk into everyday will make my classroom - and therefore my class - a better experience.

Learning Environments

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

ARTIFACT: United Educators Certificate: Protecting Children from Sexual Misconduct

Also Attach: Classroom Poster Designs & First Aid Certification

Standard 4

Content Knowledge

The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of content.

Knowledge is power. A teacher must be prepared to not only answer students’ questions, but must also be prepared to weave a variety of new and meaningful information into curriculum maps each and every year. In the case of music teachers, this presents a unique challenge: very often, students take the same class year to year because it is designed to be an ensemble independent of age or grade. Additionally, music teachers are expected to deliver excellent performances to audiences with often little resources, and this can put the focus out of learning and onto rehearsing and performing exclusively. While much can be learned through performance, teachers should carefully craft their curriculum and in-class activities to reflect the content that they want their students to be exposed to and master. An effective teacher must also be able to assess understanding of content knowledge, and for music teachers this can be done with listening carefully for mastery and asking strategic questions to gauge student knowledge. Excellent instruction requires a comfortable understanding of the discipline in question (music in this case) because it strengthens a teacher’s ability to present content, measure mastery, and facilitate learning. One place that I demonstrate mastery in my content knowledge is in my ability to quickly pick up music and music information. Growing up, I trained to be a performer, and for a large portion of my life, I focused exclusively on my abilities to sing, act, move, and conduct myself in a manner befitting to a professional artist. Through my high school and college education, I have continued my performing career in choir and music theater with a focus towards the way that I develop as a performer. This has given me a new perspective on developing learners’ understanding of content knowledge. In my experience cadet teaching and observing, I’ve also been able to observe effective assessment tools that teachers have used: from quizzes, to selective listening, and even simple lines of questioning. One place where I continue to improve is in my understanding of diverse vocal techniques, a field of study that I am especially interested in developing my mastery of during my years in college. This will make me a better teacher to students of different ages, voice types, and vocal styles, thus allowing me to provide opportunities for more students, an important part of my educational philosophy.

ARTIFACT: Music Education 100 Grades | Adam Bedel

Standard 5

Application of Content

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical/creative thinking and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Music education has a unique power in its ability to be flexible to the demands of the school community that it inhabits. A good music teacher can use the musical skills that they’ve taught their students to build connections with other important concepts that they might learn about or need to learn about in the school setting. This is especially powerful when integrated with social-emotional learning, and allows students to develop a deeper connection with related material. For example, a master music teacher might have pieces of repertoire with historical relevance to allow students to expand upon their knowledge of the time period or series of events by giving it emotional depth, which can be extremely powerful. I plan to regularly integrate learning concepts outside of music standards in my classroom on the daily. As a voice principal teacher, there’s a great deal of physical and anatomical science involved in the way that we use our most handy instrument: our body. Additionally, I think that repertoire and performance programming can be used to give kids an opportunity to dive into historical, philosophical, and literary topics in a way that only music can: by enriching a textbook to the point at which it becomes an interactive story. As I begin to develop more specialized curriculum maps for my students, I’ll have to be certain to lay this out intentionally, and in a way that is unique in student experience from year to year in order to ensure that this important hallmark of teaching doesn’t slip through my fingers. Specifically, I will plan to lay out a “theme” or concept for each of my groups with their performance programming: whether it be for a concert or travelling set; this delivers a unique opportunity for the kids to connect as a group to a certain focus, which will not only elevate their performance, but also grow their minds and maybe even grow their perspectives within their classroom studies. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) Adolescents are in a crucial phase of their life where they can chart the course of their life with developments of attitudes, outlooks, and habits that shape more than what we do inside the classroom. There is so much to be learned from the general music classroom about the fundamentals of learning, leading, and listening. By engaging students in problem-based and experience-centered learning, they connect personally with the subject matter AND develop their social and cognitive toolbox that they'll be using for the rest of their lives.

ARTIFACT: Annotations on "An Integrated Approach", an article about Comprehensive Musicianship through Applied Performance by Dr. John Grashel.

Also Attach: Sample CMP Lesson Plan "Harold & the Purple Crayon"

Standard 6

Assessment is one of the trickiest parts of teaching, because while you are gauging your students’ progress, more truly you’re taking an introspective look at your own teaching: what worked, and what do I need to go over again? As it turns out, rubrics can be tricky to use in the arts, and that’s why a master music teacher needs to develop both an excellent ear and eye for assessment as well as a personal grasp on their individual students to better understand what growth and success look like on their faces. Particularly in the choral setting, a large part of assessment comes from being able to read group and individual technique, even when dozens of singers are in front of you at the same time. In high school, I was fortunate enough to have a director that gave me a great deal of experience through student leadership. He gave me a lot of insight into what he looks for from the front of the room, and ways to quickly understand and address the root of the problem, whatever it may be. My lifelong exposure to music has also developed my ear to be pretty tuned to intonation, tempo, and other musical elements. I am a confident problem-solver, and like to take things step-by-step, and I believe that this is an excellent approach in the music classroom, because sometimes the solution to whatever issue you might be hearing needs to be generated of your own devising. However, this is an area where I can see myself growing the most. Some of the best choral music educators I know can identify the culprit of a cent of pitch difference in a room of 50-100 Singers, and many of them know how to “clinic” or work with a group of singers that they’ve never met before, and often can hear and assess areas for growth to the finest detail on a first listen. I believe that my interest in observing some of these teachers will greatly improve my abilities to assess my music-makers and help them discover what steps they can take to hone their craft individually and as a larger group.

Assessment

The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to document learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s

ongoing planning and instruction.

ARTIFACT: My reflection on Dr. Sheila J. Scott's "Rethinking the Role of Assessment in Music Education".

Standard 7

Planning for Instruction

The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

In the context of my discipline (music education), planning is especially crucial. Oftentimes, music classrooms are some of the largest in a school building at any given time, and this standard dictates the expectation for teachers before they even begin class. Additionally, this standard doesn’t simply demand any lesson plan, but one which is comprehensive. A comprehensive lesson plan is intentional about its outcome, and maps out the different ways in which it may arrive here, dependent on learner behaviors. A developed understanding of musical pedagogy, student behavior, and classroom culture, thus, is a must for a teacher when developing instruction plans. In my past, I have drafted up lesson plans for my cadet teaching experiences during my senior year in high school. I always began my lesson plans with an objective, or outcome that I expected of my students; the catch was that it was my responsibility to get them there. I believe that I am proficient in organizing and planning instruction, however, I certainly will improve as I get more experience in the classroom and become more familiar with learning patterns and recovery methods for unexpected events. In the lesson plans that we will develop in MUSE100 and future classes, I plan to detail the experience which I intend for my learners to have during the lesson, and account for differences in student behavior which I can accommodate to ensure success. Finally, it’s important to me that my teaching exists in a broader context. Each individual lesson is a part of a much larger picture, and connecting common themes, standards, and concepts throughout lessons over large periods of time is what will make my lessons effective and impactful for my students. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) While I am typically skeptical of negative attitudes towards adolescents, the "give them an inch... they'll take a mile" idiom is quite true in the classroom. Thorough, cautious lesson plans are a must with this age group. Detailed and consistent planning is especially important, because "winging it" with middle schoolers does not get you very far. The pedagogical and developmental considerations that go into a great secondary general music lesson plan extend from the basic outline to the most minute details. While studying in MUSE293, I've learned that when I teach this age group, I need to prepare for everyone to react to content uniquely by structuring my lesson plan to guide students from point to point.

ARTIFACT: "Don Gato" Peer Teaching Lesson Plan (March 2025)

Standard 8

Instructional Strategies

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Instructional Strategies are perhaps the most crucial aspect of a teacher’s toolbox to encourage great music in the classroom. In the music classroom, fundamentals become habits, which become character and make each classroom culture unique - for the better or the worse. The best teachers have a variety of instructional tools that they can quickly pull out, and this is no different for music teachers. It is equally important that teachers have a grasp on a variety of different instructional strategies: after all, we as teachers instruct a variety of learners, all with different learning styles. Specifically in music education, I believe that it is important that your learners are exposed to a variety of different ways to learn music: learning by rote, sight reading, modeling, and learning in tandem with movement. While there are certainly ways to consistently train singers quickly and efficiently, many of your musicians will learn in other musical and non-musical environments, and as a teacher, it becomes your obligation to prepare them as a learner for the plethora of different learning environments which they might find themselves in. I believe that this is the area which I know least of and the most about - it will develop throughout my life, and while that means that I know very little now, I fully understand and am interested in continuously developing this. One way which I intend to build my repertoire of instructional strategies is by practicing methods that have worked well for seasoned and new teachers. It is my goal to have at least 100 hours of classroom observation before my senior year here at Ball State, and I believe that this is one of the best ways to grow as a teacher. Some of the best teachers I know share many common strategies and practices with each other, and this kind of collaboration over best practices and methods will help me to remain the best version of myself as a teacher over time. Additionally, this is an area of teacher standards where I believe that students best help us achieve our goals. Receiving and working off of student input and feedback will help me develop instructional strategies that work particularly well for my students - methods that they understand and are comfortable with - which is important because the student population that I serve will be completely unique from any other from year to year. This is how I plan to both learn and develop my instructional strategies and keep them sharp over the course of time. SECONDARY GENERAL METHODS (MUSE293) Instructional strategies are the foundation of teaching new concepts. How do you present new information and develop new skills while still connecting to your students and maintaining a safe and orderly classroom? This is an area of growth for me; I think that most teachers develop their instructional strategies in one of two ways: they learn from other teachers, or they learn via the scientific method. My plan to refine my teaching strategies includes a lot of trial, error, and careful analysis of what worked for my students and what didn't work for them.

ARTIFACT: My summary of "Research-Based Principles in Effective Teaching" by Dr. Nancy A. Single.

Standard 9

Professional Learning and Ethical Practic

Teachers are learners too. In this profession, it’s important to be both flexible and self-driven towards improvement. Specifically, this InTASC Standard aims to evaluate a teacher’s ability to grow as an educator through means of self-critique and communication with colleagues to improve methods and practices. A good teacher should be able to justify their decisions, and this extends from the planning, the execution, and even to the reflection stage of a particular lesson. For me, lifelong learning and improvement is crucial to my philosophy as an educator, and as methods are modified and optimized, it is important to me that I continue to change with them. After all, the rotary dial phone was once the most efficient means of long-distance communication. By the nature of this standard, I should always be in a place of “still improving”, because it is a dynamic measurement. As a member of multiple professional organizations like NAfME and ACDA, my colleagues and I are constantly having important discussions about the best practices in music education, and I intend to continue this throughout my professional career. The other edge of this standard is about professional conduct with colleagues, students, parents, and my community. This is of the highest importance to me, because my behavior and public appearance directly impacts the support that my students receive from the local and school community, and I never want a blunder on my part to become a penalty for my students. This is why I resolve to maintain a high standard of professionalism and constantly monitor myself to ensure my proficiency in this regard.

The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community) and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

ARTIFACT: Certificate of My Attendance at the 2025 IMEA Conference

Standard 10

Music education is a tight-knit field of passionate and noble individuals who strive to create a better world for their students every day. The connections that an excellent teacher makes with other individuals in their field, students in their classroom, and parents in their school community are crucial to his/her ability to deliver a stellar, suitable education to their classrooms. It is also necessary, particularly in music education, that a teacher is able to maintain a high standard of leadership in front of an ensemble of any size. It is especially important to me that my music program serves as a community builder inside and outside of the school building that I teach in. An excellent music program invests in its community (within and outside of the school) and in return receives support. I aim to be a model of this by collaborating with other teachers and professionals in my school building to create a tight connection between my program and other fields of my school. The quality of leadership which I hope to achieve is also intimately connected with this concept; good educational leaders have the trust of their students, and maintain this relationship by demonstrating consistency in both their expectations and their behavior. This is one of the most valuable things that I’ve learned in observing a variety of master teachers. However, this is still an area in which I have plenty of room to grow. Experience is truly the best teacher here, and I have a couple of different opportunities in front of classrooms presented to me both by my education here at Ball State and within my job creating and teaching choreography to middle schoolers. I envision myself as a more and more confident leader with each year of my teaching career, and intend to make this a reality by pursuing more and more experience in front of the classroom.

Leadership & Collaboration

The teacher collaborates with students, families, colleagues, other professionals, and community members to share responsibility for student growth and development, learning, and well being.

ARTIFACT: My current observation log as of February 2025.