Moving her hands to the beat of the music, Ms. Mckenna Schenk works on her conducting skills with the choir.
“I love being a student teacher here,” Ms. Schenk said. The students are awesome and they work hard. They love to sing and they all have fun personalities.”
Choir Director Josh Powell met Ms. Schenk last spring when she came to Legacy to observe a choir class. He reached out to her the summer before school started to talk about the process of student teaching.
“She’s really motivated and wants to improve herself,” Mr. Powell said. “She takes feedback and tries to implement it almost immediately.”
During warm-ups, Ms. Schenk guides the students through lip trills, a technique that involves blowing air out through the lips to produce vibrations. This helps students with breath control and vocal coordination.
“I really enjoy having a student teacher because I like mentoring and helping out young teachers. I find a lot of joy in that,” Mr. Powell said. “I think having a student teacher is good for the students because they get to see a little bit of a different perspective.”
She began student teaching Oct. 6 and will finish in December. When she’s done with student teaching, she will graduate with a Choral Music Education degree at Baylor University.
“Some challenges I have faced while student teaching are running on borrowed time and thinking I have one plan that is going to work out,” Ms.Schenk said. “If something falls through, I have to stay on course even if it’s not what I think it should be.”
A student teacher observes and assists in a classroom under the supervision of an experienced teacher. During this time, they take notes on ways they can improve their teaching methods and reflect on how they can teach their students in the future.
“My favorite thing about student teaching is getting to know the students and their stories,” Ms. Schenk said. “What they like outside of choir and getting to know them one on one.”
Some colleges offer specific programs that students can follow, requiring them to complete a set number of credits and hours in various areas. Once they finish the program, either the student or the university selects the placement where the student will gain their experience.
“I think she does a great job and she works to get to know the students and try to relate to them while still managing that professional boundary, which is sometimes hard for student teachers,” Mr. Powell said.
Ms. Schenk focuses on helping the students in choir and building a bridge between her and the students, strengthening her relationship with the class.
“I have learned to be more of myself and not only am I a teacher, but I’m also me and it’s OK to be human, whatever that looks like,” Ms. Schenk said.
