This week’s Farmer Focus is on choir director Benjamin Johnson, who previously student taught with choir director Steve DeCrow. After graduating from UNT, he became the assistant choir director, leading two of the choirs.

SNAPSHOTS

Worst flavor of cake: Fruitcake

Weirdest song you’ve ever heard: “Epitaph for Moonlight”

Favorite month: December

Breakfast or lunch: Breakfast

Teleportation or time stopping: Teleportation

ZOOMING IN

Q: What was it like student teaching?

A: “It was great. I had good mentorship. It really helped out with my transition that I student taught at the same place I ended up getting a job. I was fortunate to student teach in a really good program. Good situation that kind of checked a lot of the boxes of what kind of school I wanted to be in. So, I was very fortunate that the job became available when it did.”

Q: What made you choose this school to teach at?

A: “I appreciate the culture and the type of kids we have at Lewisville High School. I think it’s a pretty unique focus on community. I loved the connections I already had here. I knew with the faculty and staff and also getting to know students that this was at top of my list of where I wanted to work.”

Q: What challenges have you gone through this year so far?

A: “I think I’m still getting used to being the commanding presence in the room and being consistent about upholding my expectations, especially with classes that need more reminders than others, just being consistent and firm in those expectations.

Q: Tell me some positives about this year.

A: “Overall, it’s been really good. It’s felt like a natural transition. Really enjoyed getting to work with the singers in every choir, and I feel like we’re off to a good start; just the energy has been good.”

Q: How does being in a familiar setting help subside the stress?

A: “I mean, we always find comfort in our routine, right? And the unknown can be really intimidating. So kind of the first week of school definitely was scary, because we didn’t know how everything was going to work and what things were going to look like. And now that we’re kind of settling into that familiar routine, it feels better. And we’re kind of able to change what needs to be changed and keep consistent what seems to be working.”

Q: How hard is it going from graduate to teacher?

A: “It’s definitely a lifestyle change. And things start to feel, you know, like, this is your career. This is the rest of your life as opposed to ‘OK, I’m getting through this school year.’ So the mindset changes a little bit. But overall, it’s been really exciting.”

Q:  How has student teaching helped you prepare for this?

A: “Student teaching is the best way to get experience of being in front of a group of students while still having the support and immediate mentorship to get feedback. So you can grow in your own teaching. But then the jump up to teaching and being the only one in the room is definitely still kind of an elevated level of expectation and difficulty for assuming that full role of the teacher in the classroom.”

Q:  What have you learned so far this year about teaching?

A: “I’ve learned that a lot of times when I’m working with a class and things aren’t being successful, I just need to reflect and look at my own teaching and say ‘How could I have set students up better for success?’ As opposed to thinking, you know, the students are doing something wrong. It’s an opportunity for me to learn how I could scaffold things better and how I could most set them up to be successful.”

Q: What are your hopes for this year?

A: “I hope to keep building relationships with students and build a really positive culture and culture of engagement where students are really excited about getting to know their music and grow and be the best singers they can be and people they can be. I’m hopeful about developing the culture in our whole program.”

Q: What advice would you give people becoming choir teachers?

A: “I would say do everything you can to spend as much time in front of students as possible. Whether that’s going in and visiting a school or whether it’s teaching voice lessons or anything like that. Putting yourself out there early in situations to be in front of students is going to be really immensely helpful when you’re making that jump to being a full time classroom teacher.”