Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Acadia University
Graduated with a BEd secondary (Music and Science), May
2009.
Acadia University
Graduated with a BA in Music with Minor in Biology, May
2004.
2007 to 2009
1999 to 2004
1995 to 1999
-
Ensemble Awards_____________________________________________
Annapolis Valley Music Festival
References
Michael Landry
Former Principal, West Hants Middle School
1816 Bains Road, Canning, NS, Canada, B0P 1H0
michael.landry@avrsb.ca
Workxxxxxxxxxx
Mobilexxxxxxxxxx
Jean Corporon
Principal, Coldbrook and District School
2305 English Mountain Road, Coldbrook, NS, Canada, B4R 1B6
jean.corporon@avrsb.ca
Work: xxxxxxxxxxxx
Moblexxxxxxxxxx
lessons around this. The best educators are able to make work be play; they get to know their
students and set them up for success through self motivation.
Students are engaged in a constantly changing technological world that has the potential to
influence every new class of students we encounter in a new way. I anticipate the needs of
students at any international school being as diverse as the family cultures and nationalities from
which they come. With such diversity, following one method or set of guidelines would not be in
the best interest of my students. I would strive for a classroom as dynamic and adaptable as the
world our students live in; with the goal of instilling problem solving skills and a sense of
individualism to serve them in whatever world it is that they will graduate into. Lessons should
encourage students to look for new solutions, teach them that their creativity and personal ways
of looking at things can lead to important new solutions. Creative and independent individuals
will make positive contributions to our world; conformed students who cannot think outside of
the box are more likely to perpetuate the negative issues of society. Creativity, flexibility, and
independent thought are essential skills to develop in our students.
Communication with students and parents/guardians should be clear and consistent. In addition to
phone calls, meetings, and emails; regular newsletters and my webpage mrreidsite.weebly.com
have played important roles in communicating with parents while running busy music programs.
At West Hants Middle School we also had a web portal where parents and students could log in
to track daily assessments. This setup enabled students, teachers, and parents to keep track of
progress, catch problems early, and as a team make adjustments as necessary. This team can be
critical to student success, as more people around them get communicating and involved in their
learning, the more value they place upon it. Frequent and diverse classroom assessment combined
with effective communication is important for student success.
Studies continue to show the value of music in education and personal well being. When I am
approached by a parent doubting the value of their childs music education, I often quote a study
where scientists put participants into an FMRI machine to study their brain activity as they
performed various tasks. When they placed musicians in the FMRI machine to perform music,
they found more of the brain lighting up than any other activity. A great video on music and the
brain that I have shared with both parents and fellow staff can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng. Music is a deep-set and important part of
who we are as human beings. By scaffolding knowledge, skills, and developing work ethic,
students can succeed not just in making better music, but in building skills to make life better for
themselves and others. Music is an important component of a childs education, and of any
healthy school community.
International travels have brought me to numerous corners of the world such as Eastern Europe,
Western Africa, and North to South-East Asia. I have had the privilege of getting to know
amazing people from cultures across the globe. My goal is to combine the wealth of knowledge I
have built up through international travels with the career I have built on a passion for teaching
and music. The music related vacancy at your school has much potential to help me reach this
goal.