Matt+Leff



Matthew Leff email: mleff@uga.edu mobile: 706.491.8502 Ed.D. Student, Music Education Band Director, Effingham County High School 9th Year of Teaching. 5 years Middle School Band, 4 years High School Band Effingham County Schools, Stephens County Schools

Married to Nycole Leff. Two Kids: Andy (Son, 4) and Charlie (Daughter, 1)

Goals for 7260: -Better understanding of what makes GT kids "tick"! -Enhancing teaching strategies for GT learners. My personal teaching metaphor:

Teaching to me is like one of my favorite escapes, the game of golf. You never know what's in store on a fresh 18 holes at the course on a given day, much like beginning a school year with a fresh group of students. Invariably on the course some holes will be easier to reach than others. Some will be wide open, where others have many traps and obstacles built in. In the same way, some students are very accessible and eager to learn, where others have so many roadblocks that you have to push through to realize any success.

Each shot on the course brings that same unpredicatabilty. While the skill of shot making is a craft, the result can never be known beforehand. In the same way each day, each lesson, each instruction brings the same uncertainty. While the craft of delivery and instruction can be refined, each day presents itself as a new challenge. Some work out to perfection, while some require redemption in the next lesson.

Finally like golf, teaching is an art that must be practiced and improved upon constantly to see great strides in achievement take place. Taking the time to improve your game and technique translates to better scores on the course. The same dedication to personal improvement leads to greater understanding in your students. I enjoy looking at my scorecard after each round. I like to see how I played the par 3's, the water holes, the long holes etc... In the same way when I close out a school year I like to reflect on each concert, each festival, and more importantly my students to see what has been accomplished over a year's time. After this reflection, its time to start planning the next round...or the next year.


 * My Top Ten Favorite Things About Teaching Band**

10. Getting to travel often. 9. The close commeradrie that Band Directors across the country, state, and district share. 8. The opportunity to revise and create music. 7. The fun of watching a piece, program, etc...develop from sight-reading to performance. 6. The joy of watching individual students mature as young adults and musicians. 5. The fun of watching beginners learn something completely new. 4. The excitement and energy we have at every performance and competition. 3. Getting to reflect on what went right (and wrong!) after a performance. 2. Getting to form life-long relationships with fellow staff, parents, and students. 1. Getting paid to do something I have loved doing since 6th Grade!


 * Raising Brains favorite character**

In reading the Raising Brains book, the character that I felt I had the most in common with was the second son, Otto. Otto and I shared the same love of logic and numbers, had musical gifting, and wore our hearts on our sleeve. Like Otto, I was extremely affectionate to my parents, but I also had a bad temper as a child and wasn't afraid to fight to get my own way. That stubbornness was an occasional blessing, but generally a curse.