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Composing a class (4/4: Participation & feedback)

Posted on February 11, 2022

In this series, I’m exploring how to “compose” a class. This may be redundant for experienced educators. But if you’re a grad student or new adjunct professor, hopefully these thoughts will be useful. In the previous posts, I discussed laying out the schedule, then delivery methods and activities. I’d like to wrap up in this post and discuss participation and feedback. Classes are collaborations I always ask students how the class is going for them, halfway or ⅔ through. StudentsRead More→

textbooks and tablet

Composing a class (3/4: Delivery and activities)

Posted on February 1, 2022

In this series, I’m exploring how to “compose” a class. This may be redundant for experienced educators. But if you’re a grad student or new adjunct professor, hopefully these thoughts will be useful. In the previous post, I discussed laying out the schedule, with an emphasis on scaffolding and feedback. In this post, I discuss delivery methods and activities. Content delivery One way to deliver course content is the traditional lecture. I don’t think there is necessarily anything wrong withRead More→

empty classroom

Composing a class (2/4: Creating the structure)

Posted on January 21, 2022

In this series, I’m exploring how to “compose” a class. This may be redundant for experienced educators. But if you’re a grad student or new adjunct professor, hopefully these thoughts will be useful. One way to compose a class is to find a good textbook and follow its structure. In fact, the school where you are teaching might require a certain textbook. For a 4-semester music theory sequence, the department probably doesn’t want students to jump from book to book.Read More→

empty classroom photo

Composing a Class (1/4: Introduction)

Posted on January 11, 2022

As mentioned in a previous post, I ended up teaching four classes last fall. Since I have a full-time non-teaching job, this was a lot for me to handle. Two classes were in-person, one was online and synchronous (we met on video call once a week), and one was online but asynchronous (students had deadlines but no lectures to attend).  The varied formats gave me an opportunity to think about my teaching and how to structure classes. How do theyRead More→

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels

Reflections on 2021

Posted on December 5, 2021

I just read through my “reflections on 2020” post and I feel much the same about 2020. 2021 was a steady-state year as well.  I’m wrapping up my 3rd year at SMU. Although I feel solid in my job duties, I still feel “new” here. I think, because of the pandemic, I’m still getting to know people. I moved to a new state and job, settled in for a year, then WHAM, pandemic, just as I was planning to rampRead More→

Somehow, I’m teaching 4 classes

Posted on October 16, 2021

Yit’s been…. two months since I posted here, two weeks since I started a new quarter, twenty minutes since I taught a class, and it will still be two months ’til I say I’m sorry. Somehow, I agreed to teach three classes at one school, while co-teaching another at another school. Two are “the same prep,” as they say in the biz (same course, different section)–though one is completely online which makes it actually a different prep. The third isRead More→

Music & Academia (In or Out): Interview with Katrin Meidell

Posted on August 18, 2021

In this series, I interview musicians about their experiences in academia. I hope their stories will help readers forge their own paths, in or out of the institution. I recently interviewed violist Katrin Meidell, who enjoys a prolific career as a performer, pedagogue, and lecturer. Her diverse abilities have taken her across the USA, to Canada, Finland, Austria, Poland, Brazil, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. She has performed with the Indianapolis and Fort Worth Symphonies, the Fort Wayne and Boston Philharmonics,Read More→

Music & Academia (In or Out): Interview with Nicole Gillotti

Posted on August 6, 2021

In this series, I interview musicians about their experiences in academia. I hope their stories will help readers forge their own paths, in or out of the institution. I recently interviewed Nicole Gillotti. Nicole is Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). In addition to teaching, she is an active freelance musician. She has performed with many professional ensembles as well as her trio Hint of Lime Brass. Nicole received a B.S. in Music Education from IndianaRead More→

Music & Academia (In or Out): Interview with Elyse Kahler

Posted on July 28, 2021

I recently interviewed Elyse Kahler. Elyse is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Texas Tech University, a Master of Arts from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Music in Composition and with All-Level Certification from West Texas A&M University. ​She writes for a variety of ensembles and levels, and has particular interests in fun and engaging music for middle school students and inspiring musicRead More→

Art & Academia (In or Out): Interview with Millian Pham

Posted on July 16, 2021

Bonus visual art edition! In this series, I interview musicians and artists about their experiences in academia. I hope their stories will help readers forge their own paths, in or out of the institution. I recently interviewed Millian Giang Lien Pham. Originally from Vietnam, Millian received her BFA in painting and printmaking from the University of Tulsa and her MFA in sculpture from the University of Florida. Her works highlight the intangible effects of socio-political structures on the body andRead More→

Welcome and thanks for checking out my work! -adam

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