Professional Semester III Final Report

Faculty of Education
Field Experiences
Fall

Spring

Semester, 2014 (Please check appropriate semester)

Professional Semester III is a five-course equivalent integrated semester including half-time teaching and
professional study in curriculum design, leadership, advanced methods, and reflective practice. Intern Teachers are
assigned full time to schools for the semester during which they assume responsibility for approximately one-half of
the teaching day. PS III professional study is designed to complement and enhance the internship. The
professional study components may occur on or off-campus and are coordinated by the Faculty Mentors in
collaboration with Intern Teachers and school personnel.

Place a checkmark () in front of the course in which you are registered

Education 4571
Elementary Education
Education 4572
Secondary Internship
Education 4573
Special Focus Internship
Education 4574
Fine Arts Internship - Art or Drama
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Education 4575
Fine Arts Internship - Music
Intern Teacher

Alex Hutcheon

Grade Level(s)

Grade 10-12

School

Olds High School

Administrator

Tom Christensen

Faculty Mentor

Ed Wasiak

Teacher Mentor Karri Anderson

Intern Teachers Descriptive Report:

Introduction:
During my third and final Professional Semester, I have had the honour and privilege to work
alongside the extraordinary staff and students at Olds High School. I first arrived at Olds High School in
late June to discuss my teaching responsibilities as well as my role within the school with both my
administrator and Teacher Mentor. After this meeting, it was very clear that my administrator wanted to
treat me like I was any other staff member. Thus it was no surprise that on my first day in late August the
remainder of the staff at Olds High School treated me with the same amount of respect as any other
colleague. I have been absolutely blessed to work with such supportive and knowledgeable colleagues
over the course of the semester and a lot of my success here at Olds High, is due largely in part to these
support systems.
Teaching Assignment:
My teaching assignment at Olds High School consisted of Instrumental Music 10, Instrumental
Music 20-30, Guitar 10, and finally Jazz 9 through 12. Along with these roles, I would also happily teach

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spontaneous lessons for the Grade 9 Band class when my teacher mentor was ill and the substitute
teacher was uncomfortable teaching music. Teaching all these classes allowed me to grow as an
educator, in that I could implement backwards design with a variety of units and fill my tool box with a
variety of instructional, assessment, and classroom management strategies.
In preparation for my Instrumental Music classes, I created three units using the backwards
design method; beginning with the end in mind. By using the Instrumental Music Program of Studies as a
guide for my planning, I was able to create relevant and valid units that improved the musicianship skills of
every student involved, while still following the mandates set by the Alberta curriculum. All three of my
units incorporated entire-ensemble rehearsals, with each lesson focusing on a different musical concept.
The first unit entitled Getting Back in Shape was intended to refresh each students musical abilities after
the summer break, while the remaining two units were intended to prepare the students for upcoming
performances (Remembrance Day, and the Winter Concert). These authentic performance situations
were wonderful experiences that really allowed our ensemble to set individual and whole-ensemble goals
throughout the semester; thus beginning each unit with the end in mind.
As previously mentioned, the Senior High Band participated in two concerts throughout the
semester, in which I had the privilege of preparing and conducting. In order for the students to
successfully prepare for these performances, I needed to incorporate a variety of instructional,
assessment, and classroom management strategies within my lessons. I believe that it is extremely
important for students to actively participate in self-assessment practices, in order for them to critique and
discover different musical concepts. For this reason, I incorporated a tremendous amount of student-led
formative assessments during rehearsals. A specific example of this self-assessment technique was
made possible by using the iPad application called Tonal Energy. Using this application allowed me to
record our ensemble during rehearsals and then use these recordings as a tool for students to critically
self-assess. In order to keep the students accountable for their own playing and to collect concrete
evidence of a students progress, I also incorporated individual playing tests (summative assessments)
throughout the semester.
An inventive classroom management strategy that I continuously used during my rehearsals was
the use of energy breaks. During this activity, a pre-determined student has the opportunity to lead the
class in a spontaneous, one-minute activity that will energize and bring focus back to the rehearsal. While
instructing the class I was always cognizant that I needed to execute fast-paced lessons that moved
between small, medium, and large ensemble playing. One of the more memorable instructional strategies
that I implemented during the semester was the monk rehearsal. During this particular rehearsal, the
students and I were to be completely silent during the entire 75-minute block. After receiving positive
feedback from students as well as listening to the positive progress of the ensemble, I believe that this
strategy was completely effective. Another extremely memorable instruction strategy implemented during
the semester was inviting composer Kenley Kristofferson to guest conduct both Senior Band classes.
During this rehearsal, Kenley gave a personal and authentic touch to his composition Prairie Wedding;
which our ensemble was preparing prior to his visit, and revealed his new composition that was written in
the memory of a young Olds High School student who passed away, entitled Matters of Kindness. I can
honestly say that the authenticity and emotional experience of playing Prairie Wedding and simply
listening to Matters of Kindness was the greatest and most touching moment of my young teaching
career.
The Olds High School Jazz ensemble was a diverse group of musicians with differing ranges of
playing ability; due mostly in part to the fact that it was a grade 9 to 12 group. With this wide range of
grade levels came a staggeringly high number of students with a very disproportionate instrumentation
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(resulting in the worlds biggest big band). Picking repertoire that would complement our large ensemble
and that was challenging enough for the grade 12s but not too challenging for the grade 9s was very
difficult. Regardless of these issues, the Jazz ensemble had a tremendously successfully year with
performances at the Mountain View Jazz Festival and the Olds High School Winter Concert.
One of my Teaching Professional Growth Plan goals this semester was to develop strong, positive
classroom management practices that maintain a classroom culture that has a balance between fun and
business. I am proud to say that the classroom culture present during my Jazz rehearsals were always
positive and fun, while at the same time had a sense of productivity and drive for improvement. Teaching
this particular class has really taught me that creating genuine positive relationships with your students
can increase morale and even productivity within an ensemble. I was always told throughout my formal
schooling in the Faculty of Education, relationships are everything. After instructing this fantastic
ensemble, I can confirm that establishing positive relationships is in direct correlation with effective
classroom management and ultimately the success of the ensemble.
My final major teaching assignment at Olds High School was a beginner guitar class. A major
challenge with the majority of guitar classes is the massive range of ability and proficiency that students
have on their instrument prior to them entering the class; this particular group was no exception. In order
to bridge the gap between individual students, I made sure to incorporate copious amounts of
differentiation throughout the course. For every major assignment students were given multiple paths to
achieve the same outcomes (from the General Music Program of Studies). In addition to this, I
established a classroom routine where we would begin every class as a large group, learning new pop
songs and different techniques, then branch off into individual settings where students were able to work
at their own pace to complete assignments. This routine established a sense of self-direction and
motivation within the class, which in my opinion was an extremely rewarding experience for both the
students and myself. Teaching this class has instilled the understanding that fair is not always equal, in
that differentiation must occur within a classroom for every student to reach their full potential.
Extra-Curricular Assignments:
Outside of the traditional timetable I was fortunate enough to be involved in numerous extracurricular activities throughout the school, including volleyball, choir and drumline. As the head coach of
the Senior Boys Volleyball team, I had the responsibility of planning practices, scheduling league and
tournament games, and communicating with parents and staff members. This task was extremely
challenging because Olds has not had a volleyball program for many years, thus the majority of the
students had never played organized volleyball. With that said, I still instilled high expectations within our
team and assisted in setting realistic team and individual goals for the season. Our growth throughout the
season was highlighted with a second place finish in the Chinooks Edge School Division finals. I am
forever grateful that I was able to coach these fantastic boys and the comeradry and relationships formed
throughout the season is something that I will never forget. A key lesson that I took away from coaching a
team is the importance of parental interactions and communication. I began the season by sending a
personal letter to the parents communicating my expectations for the team, which made parents aware of
the legitimacy of the program. Throughout the season I constantly communicated with the parents
regarding transportation and even volleyball strategy. Creating strong positive relationships with not only
the team but with the parents made my experience as a coach that much richer.
Professional Inquiry Project:
As previously mentioned, I was involved with assisting the after-school drumline ensemble. Being
involved with this non-traditional ensemble allowed me to improve my percussive skills as well as assist
me in the creation of my Professional Inquiry Project. The aim of this project was to create an online
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resource that would assist me, fellow music educators, and students in developing the knowledge and
skills required to start a drumline ensemble. In addition to creating this wonderful tool, I also had the
intention of improving my own percussion skills on three of the drumline instruments (tenor, bass, and
snare drums). I have successfully created this resource and with the help of my teacher mentor and
students during drumline rehearsals, I was able to improve my percussive techniques on all three major
instruments. Completing the Professional Inquiry Project has reinforced the notion that being a successful
teacher requires being a life-long learner and a reflective practitioner.
Conclusion:
Being immersed in the curricular and co-curricular culture at Olds High School has been the most
enlightening and rewarding experience of my life. With out a doubt, this practical experience within Olds
High School has strengthened my ability to be an effective educator. The support I have received from my
Administrator, Teacher Mentor, colleagues, students, parents and University Consultant has been
absolutely outstanding, and for that I am forever grateful. Having such a positive and rewarding experience
during my final practicum has reassured me that being an educator is the career that I want to pursue.

Intern Teacher Signature

Date

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.

School Administrator Comments:
Alex Hutcheon is a PSIII student teacher who began his teaching assignment at Olds High School
in September 2014. His assignment has included a Band 10, Guitar 10, and Band 20/30 classes. Alex
submitted his course outlines before classes began and they comprehensively outlined key objectives,
assessment processes, and semester timelines.
Alex is very professional in his interactions with colleagues and students. He is very effective in
addressing students who are in need of intervention and has shown a comfort level in approaching
parents about student performance. He has become a mentor for many of the students in the music
program and has quickly gained respect from the school parent community. Students have expressed
how much he has taught them and they want to work hard for his during classes.
Alex has attended all staff meetings and functions, effectively recorded absences and assessment
with our online marks program and has participated in all of the school and district professional
development. He has been an active participant and has really adapted into the unique culture of Olds
High School. This semester he attended the provincial music conference and has sought out other
opportunities to learn from colleagues in the field.
Alex teaches his music classes in the Fine Arts building. This is a shared facility, which
necessitates being organized as community groups can use his teaching space at night. His room has
always been neat and functional making it inviting for students attending the music class. In every class
observed of Alex, he showed clear purpose. Classes begin with clear instructions of objectives for the
day being articulated by Alex. He is comfortable with the students knowing when to be humorous and
when to be more formal. After directions are given, Alex has demonstrated outstanding confidence in

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directing the students and leading the various parts of the band. He moves comfortably among the
different areas of the classroom often playing different instrument parts as a model to students. He is a
gifted musician himself but recognizes that his students are just learning their craft and is able to help
them build skills while not hampering the learning process. As the class progresses, Alex moves in a
balanced manner spending some time with each student. It is clear that he loves music, which is
assimilated by the students.
Alex is particularly skilled with classroom management as he always has a warm demeanor with the
students. All of students respect him, know of his love of subject, and know that he is genuinely
interested in each of them. Alex addresses behaviours that are not on task before they become
problematic. As mentioned earlier he has involved parents in getting students back on track. I have had
parents express their appreciation to me for Alex and his warm approach.
Alex has also been involved in helping with various extracurricular activities in the school. This year
he was the coach of the senior boys volleyball team. What was particularly significant is that the school
had not had a boys team for two years and despite this they placed second in the league championship.
He also helped organized fundraisers for the band and directed the students at the community
Remembrance Day ceremony.
Alex Hutcheon is the strongest student teacher we have ever had at Olds High School. He is
mature, takes advice well, has empathy, and loves teaching. His skills as a musician are matched with his
skills as a teacher. Alex will be the kind of teacher who becomes better every hour of his career as he will
reflect and improve on his practice. We have been fortunate to have him at Olds High School this
semester
Tom Christensen

School Administrator Signature

Date

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.

Teacher Mentor Comments:
Here are my observations in regards to Alex Hutcheons work in the classroom and growth as a
teacher throughout this semester. I have watched Alex develop key relationships in our school, with
students, staff, and community during his semester residence with me at Olds High School. He pays close
attention to student needs, communicates well with the students, other staff members, and parents in the
community. In my opinion, developing these relationships is very important. The students show a lot of
respect towards him. He has taken time to get to know the students on a personal level. He always
maintains professionalism and does not struggle with his classroom management skills.
He has worked hard at his conducting with the senior band. I can see that his techniques are
developing, and he is gaining more confidence. He is also gaining more confidence when trying to do
small instrument repairs and fixes in the classroom.
I can see that he is more aware of the non teaching tasks that music teachers have to contend
with. Photocopying, field trip forms, fundraising, band parent meetings, uniforms. These have become a

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reality for him, and I feel confident that he will be able to handle running a fairly large program and
keeping up with these tasks.
He has been very open to learning about new things, for example, choir and drumline. He actively
participates and observes during these classes. He is not afraid to ask me questions. He is not afraid to
jump into the unknown.
I feel that Alex has grown significantly as a teacher throughout this semester. I feel that he has
gained a lot of confidence. I have given him a lot of freedom in the classroom, and I think he has
embraced it. He always works hard, has impeccable score analysis and preparation for lessons and warm
ups. He arrives early for classes every day and stays late to reflect on his day. We have daily discussions
in regards to his lessons, and I feel that he is continuously trying to perfect his teaching craft.
I have been honoured to have Alex in my classroom for the semester. Thank you for this
opportunity. It was rejuvenating for me.
Karri Anderson

Mentor Teacher Signature

Date

This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report.

Faculty Mentor Comments:
Alex Hutcheon completed his Professional Semester III Internship in an out-of-zone placement (i.e. out of
Zone 6) in Olds, AB. With out-of-zone placements, University Consultants are technically not required to
visit the schools in person. Nevertheless, I did make one trip to Olds for an on-site visit early in the

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semester and another in early December for his Portfolio Showcase Interview. We maintained regular
contact throughout the semester in a variety of other ways as well: email, weekly reflections, sending
video recordings of his teaching, video conferencing, and attending seminars virtually via video
conferencing. Alex, his Teacher Mentor Karri Anderson, and I also met in person on two other occasions
once while we were all in Calgary attending a music reading clinic in late August and again in Edmonton at
the Alberta Music Conference in late October.
As Alexs University Consultant, I also oversaw all aspects of his internship, with particular focus on the
Professional Study component. He completed the Faculty of Education piano proficiency exam - a
requirement for all music majors. In late August, we met to review his plans to ensure he was well
prepared to begin his internship. This included his long-range plans, unit plans, and classroom
management plans, his Teacher Professional Growth Plan and his Professional Inquiry Project (PIP),
which focused on developing the knowledge and skills needed to effectively implement a drumline into a
music program.
Another aspect of Alexs professional study was attending and actively contributing to our music cohorts
five professional study seminars. The interns assumed ownership for these seminars by identifying the
topics for discussion and taking turns co-chairing the meetings. The co-chairs set the agenda, arranged
for any guest speakers and/or resource materials needed for the seminar session, and co-chaired the
session. Alexs group organized a wonderful session entitled Getting a Job/Keeping a Job!
Finally, interns are responsible for ongoing portfolio development. The portfolio is used as a powerful tool
for reflection, as well as for showcasing the interns professional knowledge, skills, and attributes. Portfolio
Showcase Interviews were conducted during the first two weeks of December with the Intern Teacher,
Teacher Mentor, Administrator, and University Consultant in attendance. Using the portfolio as evidence,
Alex demonstrated his achievements in relation to each of the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes)
required for Interim Certification in Alberta by discussing aspects of his professional teaching beliefs and
practice and responding to questions. As part of this Final Interview, he also presented his PIP.
Based on my observations and interactions with Mr. Hutcheon described above, and input from his
Teacher Mentor Ms. Karri Anderson and supervising Administrator Mr. Tom Christensen, I am happy to
report that Alex Hutcheon has met or surpassed all requirements of his Professional Semester III
internship. Mr. Hutcheon successfully completed his Portfolio Showcase Interview on December 3, 2014.
His portfolio provides tangible evidence that he meets all of the Knowledge Skills and Attributes mandated
in the Teaching Quality Standard for Interim Certification in the province of Alberta.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with Alex over the past year and I have every reason to
believe that he will be a wonderful teacher!
I have read the complete Final Report and certify that the assigned grade is PASS.

____________________________________
Signature
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Date: December 3, 2014

PS III Final Report for Alex Hutcheon

Dr. Edwin B. Wasiak, Associate Professor of Education

University Consultant

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