Touching Greatness

Using Previous Successes to Inspire a Love of Learning

Stories

• We all have stories. They are part of who we are.

Mentors

How Do We Measure Greatness?

• Awards as incentives?
• Competitions placements?
• Festivals ratings?
• CCHS – 19 Golds

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• SFHS Marching Band

How Do We Measure Greatness

• Personal Growth
• Student Growth
• Atmosphere (In the Zone)
• A Single Student’s Triumph
• A Group Overcoming the Odds

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• SFHS Concert Band

Attributes Of Those Who Touch Greatness

Teachers

• Experience
• Vision
• Knowledge
• Positive Reinforcement
• Safe Society
• Creativity

Students

• Experience
• Vision
• Knowledge
• Positive Reinforcement
• Safe Society
• Creativity

Students and Teachers need the same things!

Greatness in the classroom can be a shared experience!

Rehearsal – Costa Del Sol� Greatness Affects:

Outlook Of What We Hear

• Tone
• Rhythm
• Balance
• Articulation
• Blend

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• Positive vs Negative

Decisions About How To Proceed

• What to Fix
• How to fix it
• Demeanor
• Methods and Pedagogy
• Knowledge of Individuals

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• Positive and Negative

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Rubber Hits the Road

• More than 50 percent of public school teachers who started their careers in 2008 were no longer teaching in 2015, according to a study by the Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah. 
• The number is even higher among younger teachers. Within the eight years included in the study, 73 percent of teachers who were 25 or younger dropped out of their jobs. For teachers ages 26-30, 54 percent of them left their jobs.
• dixie sun news

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Music Teacher Trends

• Burnout tended to occur after approximately 5 years
• 6% of music teachers left profession each year
• 21% of these were out of teaching completely, and 14% were in education but not as a teacher
• Approximately one third planned to return after 5 years

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• Hancock, Carl. “National Estimates of Retention, Migration, and Attrition: A Multiyear Comparison of Music and Non-Music Teachers.” Journal of Research in Music Education, June 8 2009. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022429409337299

Longevity and Lifelong Learning�***We Can Help***

• There are many reasons for teachers losing steam and leaving
• We will not discuss most of them here…but…
• We can increase the staying power and influence of future professionals by TOUCHING GREATNESS!

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• Four places to help
• 1. Know What You Bring
• 2. Philosophy Statement (our own & our students)
• 3. Well of Positive Experiences
• 4. Vision for the Future

Know What You Bring

• Identify past mentors
• Identify their attributes, and the times you touched greatness with them
• Identify your own teaching habits
• Identify common traits
• Have students do the same where possible

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• Ask “What Can I Add?”

Philosophy Statement

• Create your own personal philosophy statement
• Have it highlight the attributes you learned from touching greatness
• Show how touching greatness drives you to better teaching
• Allow students the same opportunity where possible

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• Ask “Am I showing these attributes clearly?”
• Attend professional development to grow

Well of Positive Experiences

• Everyone will have Ibuprofen days
• Have a well of experiences where you touched greatness
• Reflect on them and revisit them, personally and with your students
• Keep learning from them and seeking new insights

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• Never forget the powerful experiences that brought you

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Vision for the Future

• Touching greatness is not merely for past events
• Look for chances each day to touch greatness again
• Plan for ways to touch greatness in the future
• You
• Student

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• For students, you are now the mentor.
• It’s time to touch greatness together, once again!

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Dr. Bryant Smith�Director of Bands�Dixie State University

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Eccles #111

Dixie State University

St. George, UT 84770

435-652-7997

Bryant.smith@dixie.edu

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Comments welcome!