Anne Marie Allauzen Teaching Portfolio
Professional Contributions
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Donors Choose Projects-
My first Donors Choose Project, "Xylophone Madness" allowed me to purchase three xylophones valuing $1,268 for the students to learn about harmony, timbre and rhythm. Our school had a small inventory of musical instruments when I first arrived and the xylophones provided our students with a hands on material to learn from. The second project I funded was “Aladdin in Brooklyn” which allowed us to purchase wireless microphones worth $384 for our musical productions.
In addition with the Disney team I also helped raised $2,054 for the Lion King production and $1,997 for the Aladdin show.
Save the Music Grant
I also received a Save the Music Instrument Grant to implement the Orff program. It enriches her music class by providing a dynamic, experiential, and inclusive approach to music education that empowers students to become active and confident music-makers. Through singing, movement, instrumental exploration, improvisation, composition, ensemble playing, and cross-curricular integration, you create a vibrant learning environment where every student has the opportunity to engage with music in meaningful and joyful ways.
Disney Musicals Student Share
The Disney Musical in Schools grant was one that I spearheaded for the school and it allowed our students to participate in the Student Share Showcase at Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. I assisted in the organization of the buses, permission slips and lunches for the children. Many of our students who participated in the performance expressed that it was their most memorable event of PS116K during the graduation ceremony.
Lion King Costumes
Although my principal role for the Lion King was music director I was also in charge of costume design. I designed and sewed the main lion costumes as well as the other animals’. In addition I provided Michael Gonzalez’s mom with video instructions to make his bird costume and directed Yatziri’s mother in our vision for the skirts of the Rafiki girls.
Dancing Snowflakes- Rehearsal and Performance
Spring Virtual Chorus Concert
During the covid year I met with the chorus students online every Saturday morning. Each student then recorded themselves singing the song, “Into the Unknown” from the movie Frozen. I then compiled the songs together to make this video.
Virtual Holiday Concert
Holiday Assemblies
Blueprint for Music Making Music: DEMONSTRATE an understanding of a variety of musical traditions through appropriate audience and performance etiquette.
Each year I organize a holiday show for the families and students of PS116K. Children prepare traditional Spanish and English Christmas songs as well as songs from other cultures. In addition students learn about the traditional foods and customs shared during Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. As director of the performances I ask the teachers to assist me in the rehearsals, coordinate with the PTA to decorate the gym and I provide a Santa Claus costume for Mr. Cody. This year the show was held virtually but the students were just as enthusiastic to participate!
Calabaza Festivals
Blueprint for Music Making Music: DEMONSTRATE an understanding of a variety of musical traditions through appropriate audience and performance etiquette.
Benchmark: Students attend live performances in their communities.
In October 2019 and 2020 I volunteered my time to organize and lead performances of our upper grade students at the Calabaza Festivals. The students sang “De Colores,” “Cielito Lindo” and the theme song from “Spiderman.” The first year it was held in Maria Hernandez Park and the second year it was held at the RiseBoro Youth Center. In addition to performing, the students had the opportunity to listen to traditional Mexcian music and try local foods in the area.
School Wide Committees
SLT Committee- This year I was elected secretary of the SLT committee. While diligently listening to the members’ dialogue I have been in charge of taking notes and posting them inside the school. My notes can be viewed on the PS116K website: SLT meetings.
Website Committee-This school year I have been central to the upkeep of the PS116K website and assisting Ms. Mclean with any new additions that need to be added on a weekly basis. I have also attended workshops from the website companies Edlio and EChalk. Currently I am focusing on the transition from our current company to the new company.
Caring Cafe
During July and August of 2020, PS116K held a caring cafe for those students who needed emotional support in the summer months. In addition to attending the first caring cafe I led two sessions on August 5th and August 12th focusing on sound. I incorporated yoga, sound meditation and directed drawing to facilitate the students in managing their emotions through positive outlets. By leading these workshops I learned how to facilitate SEL activities into my daily lessons and became a more relaxed educator.
You can view the lesson plans that I used by clicking below:
Student Learning
Arts Monday Project- Student Growth Artifact
-Sample group, gaps in learning, Instructional Goals
-Performance tasks, Feedback Processes, Procedures
Writing Examples of Musical Appreciation Essays
Evidence of Rigorous Music Instruction
Connecting Music to other Art Domains
Evidence of Student Learning in the Classroom
Evidence of Student Learning in the Virtual Classroom
Arts Monday Project:
Rubrics and assessments used in the music classroom.
Blueprint for the Arts- Making Connections: Recommended Material Resources for the Elementary Core Music Classroom: Melodic and harmonic instruments: resonator bells, autoharp, song bells, xylophone, recorder, electric keyboard, acoustic piano
Who is your sample group?
Gaps in Learning
Instructional Objectives and Learning Targets
Performance Task
Feedback Processes
Procedures:
Blueprint for the Arts- Making Connections:RECOGNIZE and ADJUST intonation as needed, producing a secure and expressive tone. (Music Making, Vocal, Instrumental)
Evidence of improvement
Kayslen Payne is on the left. This video was taken in February 2020. She was unable to successfully play Hot Cross Buns
This is a video taken in December 2020. Kayslen joined my recorder club where we reviewed the procedures and she successfully played Hot Cross Buns.
Reflection
What went well? The kids were enthusiastic about playing the recorder. The procedures I put in place provided students with structure and a clear guideline in what to do.
What was challenging? At first students could not produce a good tone and there were complaints of the room being too loud.
What did not go well? Students had a difficulty with the muscle memory of the finger positions.
What was the impact of your implementation on your students as independent learners and artists? Please give specific examples. Students were given harder songs if they mastered the easier ones.
How did formative assessment help promote equity in your classroom? The formative assessment gave everyone a goal with specific criteria on how to master it.
In what ways did knowing and understanding your students well inform your teaching practice? I knew some students would struggle with self control and group work. In order to not upset the classroom environment I made sure students were accountable for their actions.
How did discussion in your classroom contribute to students’ learning? Support your students to think and work like artists? Placing the students in pairs and having them critique each other gave them the support and the confidence to succeed.
What new insights have you gained as a result of your implementation? I realized that with a well rounded unit plan and a rubric with attainable goals most students will be successful in the task given to them.
What would you do differently next time? I would start the recorders earlier in the school year.
What advice do you have for other teachers who are planning to teach a similar unit? Never let students play all together. Always have group work. It gets too loud otherwise.
Examples of Musical Appreciation Essays-
Throughout my classes I incorporate social studies and ELA activities into the musical appreciation lessons. For example, while listening to music from Africa and Asia students delve deeper into specific countries’ cultures and use their prior knowledge about the continents to locate them on the map. When learning about classical western composers students study European geography. Students also write essays on these musical topics and improve their grammar while increasing their knowledge of musical terminologies.
�Stars and Stripes Together- Class 402 analyzed the patriotic song, Stars and Stripes Forever with a listening map and then summarized their ideas into a listening essay. �(DOK 4: What information can you gather from your listening map to support your essay on patriotic music?)�Spooky Music- Students in 5th grade first analyzed and critiqued a selection of ten songs that are often related to "spooky" music with specific criteria to listen for. Then with a word bank they wrote essays based on their findings. �(DOK 4: What information can you gather about specific qualities of music that make it sound “spooky:?)�Nutcracker- Students analyzed the movements Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Trepak from the Nutcracker. With their notes they compared and contrasted the movements’ musical attributes in essay form. �(DOK 2: Compare and contrast two pieces of musical works.)�Concert Reflection- Students reflected on their Earth Day performance and completed a reflection form. It was graded with a rubric that focused on active listening. �(DOK 3: What makes this performance superior to others you have performed in?)
**Click on links to view examples of the students’ work.
Evidence of Rigourous Music Instruction
Blueprints for the Arts: DEMONSTRATE an understanding of a variety of musical traditions through appropriate audience and performance etiquette. (Connections, Core, Instrumental, Vocal)
In this presentation the fifth grade students showcased their ability to harmonize with each other and perform body percussion at the same time. This is an advanced technique which the students mastered in only a few lessons.
I Feel Like Fa La La La La
During the Veteran's Day concert the fourth graders demonstrated advanced vocal technique while singing for the veterans. They sang using dynamics, melodic notation and breath support.
Veteran’s Day
Connecting music to other art domains-
Throughout my classes I integrate visual arts, drama and dance into the lesson design. Students enjoy these connections and understand better the lyrics of the songs that we are singing.
Blueprint for the Arts- Making Connections: A complete musical experience is enriched by recognizing parallels between music and other disciplines.
For this virtual activity in May, 2020 the second graders learned the Columbian song, "El Pescador" from the Carneige Hall Musical Explorer’s program. In addition they drew images to illustrate the life of the fisherman.
Each year the second graders learn the song "What a Wonderful World." The students then draw pictures of their wonderful world as well as a short description.
The kindergarten classes listened to and acted out the story of Sleeping Beauty. Then they performed the song, “Pretty Princess” using lyric sheets they had colored.
Evidence of Student Learning in the Classroom�
Students frequently complete listening worksheets while learning about specific composers or styles of music. Students learn how to read written notation and gain experience in composing. I also incorporate thinking maps into the musical history lessons as you can view on the bottom right.
Blueprint for the Arts: DESCRIBE various emotive and expressive qualities of recorded and written repertoire, using music terminology. Music
forms an introduction to competencies in literacy: composing (Music Literacy)
Evidence of Student Learning in the Virtual Classroom
In spring of 2020 the upper grade students learned about the Italian composer, Vivaldi through the Classics for Kids website. They made a circle map and answered the quiz on the website.
Students followed the instructions located in my lesson plan about how to make maracas. Then with various household items they experimented with the timbres of their maracas.
Students practiced their singing and performing skills to the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” for a virtual Earth Day celebration.
Guitar and Ukulele Programs
Blueprint for Music Making Music- PERFORM rhythmic and technical exercises based on repertoire. (Music Making, Instrumental)
Each year I have introduced the guitars to our fifth grade and fourth grade students. By the end of the unit the students are able to play along to at least three chords. To better support my students I also attend workshops and conferences from Little Kids Rock who provide curriculum material for our school.
This school year I have purchased 10 ukuleles using funds from the Arts Studio budget. Since I am traveling to the classrooms the ukuleles will be easier to transport and sanitize between classes than the guitars.
Instructional Practice
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Curriculum Maps-
I created a music curriculum map for grades 1-5 using resources from Classics For Kids, Musicplayoneline.com, Teacherspayteachers, Carnegie Hall Link Up Program, Little Kids Rock, and Canticosworld.com. I have included unit plans and tasks for the following topics: The Nutcracker Story, Peter and the Wolf, Instruments of the Orchestra, Composer Studies, Recorder Technique, Intro to Guitar, Learning to Read Music, Composing, Patriotic Music, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Holiday Shows, Earth Day, as well as other culturally relevant musical pedagogical themes. I have also integrated song repertoire from traditional Spanish folksongs to support our dual language programs.
Sample Lesson Plans
In each of my lesson plans there is an anticipatory activity where students’ discuss their prior knowledge based on the essential question, a list of the procedures that we will do during class and an assessment component at the end. Included in the lessons there are rubrics, scaffolds for ELL learners, key objectives, connections to other subjects and links to the Blueprint of the Arts. In addition I make an effort to incorporate bilingual versions of the songs we are working on for the dual language classes. A sample of my lessons for grades Kindergarten through 5th is provided in the link below.
Classroom Environment
Music Classroom- 208�Last year I dedicated time after school to re-organize and declutter the music room. I invested in music theory posters, labeled the inventory and added accountable talk posters. I also rearranged the furniture so that it was better accessible for our special ed population.
Rehearsal space within the music room�While designing the music room I kept in mind there would be a need for rehearsal space. The chairs were arranged ergonomically so that students had ample space to sing as a group.
Classroom Library�I created this library to reinforce musical topics and to enhance literacy among our students. They were organized by their musical style and subject. During free time students had the opportunity to view the books.
Bulletin Boards
In remembrance of Veteran’s Day students in class 402 showcased their “Stars and Stripes Forever”musical appreciation essays.
In addition to displaying the fifth grades’ essays on Spooky Music I also provided biographies of the composers whom the students wrote about.
This year to celebrate Black History month I taught the history of ragtime to the upper grades. Students learned about the life of the famous composer Scott Joplin and even had a chance to remix his famous song, “The Entertainer.”
Examples of Assessments-
At the end of each unit students perform a specific task that is related to the subject we are focusing on. The students are provided with a rubric that indicates the desired goal for the task. As for assessment, in vocal studies students sing either solo or in small groups; for movement, students are assessed as a group while I take notes; for the xylophone and recorder, students assess each other through a peer rubric checklist.
Recorder Assessment with class 402
Singing Pre-Exam with class 201
**Click on links to view examples of the students’ work.
Videos created for virtual instruction
This past year I created many videos for the students to learn music asynchronously. You can view a few of them here. They include Maraca Making, Rhythmic Reading Notation, reading of “It’s a small World,” Learning Recorder Notes C/D, Creating Your Own Songbook, “Wear Your Mask Song” and a recording of “Happy Birthday” that I sang for a remote student.
Google slides created for student instruction
What a Wonderful World- This presentation is specifically designed for our ELL students who may need visual support in learning the vocabulary words.
Cinco Pinguinos- This song was chosen as a counting song for our dual language kindergarten classes. I found the images on a youtube site and transferred them to the slideshow for students to learn the song.
African song Kaafo- This song was part of my African Music Unit where I taught the geography and musical culture from Ghana.
Antonio Vivaldi- I used this slideshow in my dual language classes to teach the background knowledge on this famous composer.
Instrument Families- Students were introduced to the instrument families in a clear and student friendly presentation.
How Far I’ll Go~ Moana- Currently I am using this presentation to teach the song, “How Far I’ll Go” to the chorus members during Saturday Academy.
Workshops and Courses Taken
This is a list of courses that I taken since starting my position at PS116K Elizabeth Farrell. On my resume you can view the courses I have taken previously.
**Click on links to view certificates***
Responsive Education- After taking this course I learned the tools to create a student centered classroom environment where social and emotional learning is integrated into teaching and discipline.
Little Kids Rock-During the workshop I learned to incorporate the curriculum of LKR into our guitar program at PS116K.
Arts Monday- These professional development meetings have assisted me in creating standard based rubrics and authentic assessments in the music class.
Private Voice Lessons at Sage Music School- These private voice classes have helped me improve my singing abilities so that I can demonstrate professional singing to our students.
Advanced Spanish Classes at BaseLang- I have started these online private Spanish lessons over the summer. They have given me confidence to communicate with our Spanish speaking students and families
Directing Plays and Musicals in the School and Classroom- This course provided me with the tools and experience to be able to direct and choreograph plays and musical productions within PS116K.
Evaluations-
Since beginning my position at PS116K I have been working on creating a classroom environment that is engaging and rigorous at the same time. I ensure that the students receive meaningful feedback using research based assessments. I am also apart of the Music Educator Association of NYC where I keep up to date with the latest curriculum and strategies. These practices have allowed me to have success in my instrumental, vocal and general music classes.
About Me-
I am an experienced music educator and professional musician who is dedicated to teaching students the fundamentals of music. I believe through singing, movement and playing classroom instruments students can have an enriching musical experience.
Recommendation Letter for Tenure
Before teaching at PS116K I wrote the music to an original children’s album that I performed throughout the NYC area. It is available on Spotify.
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