In the spring of 2016, I practiced writing a formal lesson plan to accompany one of my regularly scheduled teaching sessions. This particular lesson was centered around my zero period jazz band class, when they were polishing the music for their spring showcase concert and beginning to learn the music for their Academy Awards concert that takes place at the end of the school year. 

This lesson took place just a week prior to the showcase concert. In this context, we were putting finishing touches on their two pieces: "Birdland" and "Fanfare for the Unsung Hero". My plan was to have the ensemble play through both pieces, then identify which sections of the music they felt needed work, both on an individual level and as an ensemble.

The goal of this lesson was to get my students in the habit of taking responsibility for their learning. I wanted them to practice self-identifying areas where they needed improvement so we could go back and fix those spots before the concert. I wrote in specific times throughout the lesson when these moments would occur so I made sure to include them in my lesson.

 My formal lesson plan shows that I know what I want to communicate with students and how I plan to do that. It also shows how I plan to use question and discussion techniques to engage my students in their learning. This lesson was successful in that my students did take responsibility for their learning, engaging with the music in a deeper, more personal way.