Interview with Ashley Whelchel, January 23, 2020

Partial Transcript: It started with just a chorus and a band. I was half-time chorus for just 5 years.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes how a fellow teacher advocated for her help with his very large class. She also describes how an affluent school presents many programs in which her program has to compete but also as its benefits.

Keywords: Breneau; Gainesville, Ga; North Hall High School; competing; concert band; music theater; parental pressure; parental support; stem; upper middle class

Partial Transcript: I could sing before I could talk.

Segment Synopsis: Welchel describes how she was drawn to music at an early age and how she felt most comfortable pursuing music as a career more than any other career.

Partial Transcript: I like when I get to direct this class. I love this type of music making and I want to do the things he's doing. I"ve gotten to do a lot of the things he's doing but he did not have to compete with IB and STEM and all these programs of choice.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes how even though she felt she grew up familiar with the expectations of a music teacher, there has been a noticable shift in what is demanded of current music teachers and that teachers should not be so hard on themselves.

Subjects: advice; disappointment

Partial Transcript: I use the stuff that I learned at Brenau everyday. I think I had some of the best instruction…

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes the strength (component skills) and the weaknesses (education school) of her education from her point of view.

Keywords: Brenau; component skills; conducting; piano; rehearsal

Partial Transcript: I think in my specific case I started so small with that one class that met three days a week with only four kids in it.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes how her teaching career grew gradually instead of jumping right into a large classroom setting. She also explains how as time passsed there was an increase in responsibility that could easily discourage new instructors.

Keywords: communication; discipline; morals; social skills

Partial Transcript: It's going to sound like I’m bragging on myself. I am not. This has everything to do with this child and the family she comes from.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes a moment she witnessed one of her students excel in an unexpected way and the creative decisions that the she as a teacher made in order to provide a positive opportunity for that student.

Partial Transcript: Specifically with chorus, there have been- this seems so trite to say - a couple of years where I have made some naive mistakes with LGPE programming.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes a earlier in instructing where she felt that if she could have done a few things differently, her classes would have generated better scores.

Keywords: behavior; classroom management

Partial Transcript: The variety of the task is good for me as a person.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes how much she enjoys teaching and how much joy she gets from the sense a humor and willingness to learn from her students and from her profession. She also describes a moment when the students added a dance move to a chorus warmup.

Keywords: funniest moments; humor; teaching style

Partial Transcript: A lot of the teacher who were influencial to me infused humor into everything they did.

Segment Synopsis: Whelchel describes how she learned to infuse humor in her classroom from her mentors and how surprisingly one of her most influential teachers taught math. She also goes on to discuss a student that she was able to connect with that ended up having a surprising history.

Keywords: celebrating wins; mentor; motivating students

Partial Transcript: I have an orange ballcap on top of one of my sets of shelves.

Segment Synopsis: Welchel discusses a student that she was able to connect with that ended up having a surprising history.