Colin McPhee

As an experienced professional who has been adaptable to the changing work environment I have built positive relationships with both colleagues and pupils in the schools in which I have worked. I am an enthusiastic music teacher who plans, prepares and delivers highly interactive practical and listening lessons using practice-based approach. I work well as part of a team but can also work independently. I am flexible to the needs of individuals and communicate detailed feedback based on their progress. I prioritise student engagement and enjoyment by tailoring lessons to different abilities.

• Several years experience of leading a department including through Covid 19 emergency and producing successful outcomes for young people.
• Many former pupils going on to become teachers themselves.
• Many former pupils securing places at The Royal Scottish Conservetoire.

• I was involved in managing a large volume of evidence required for the presentation of pupils in music during the world pandemic. (N5, Higher and Advanced Higher) and music technology (N4,N5 and Higher).
• In addition I created many assignments for pupil use during the online teaching phase at this time. I have adapted many resources to take account of changes to the music curriculum in order to engage learners and to cater for a wide range of ability levels.
• I was appointed as the coordinator of music video teaching materials by West Partnership for Inverclyde and East Dunbartonshire for online teaching resources, creating units which covered a range of concepts at National 5 level and tutorials in creating music using technology.
• I have created templates and logbooks for the use of pupils studying music technology and assessment materials for the understanding 20th / 21st century music units of this course enabling pupils to complete their assignments in time for submission. I have created many units of work for use within the BGE and my experience allows me to draw upon these as an when necessary.
• I have developed units in Rock and Pop Music, Music Theory, Music and the Media, Musicals, Christmas unit and Jazz and Blues for S1 and S2. I have also created a course booklet for the teaching of keyboard, tuned percussion, guitar, bass guitar and drumkit to S1 and S2.
• I have created a number of interactive lessons in listening where pupils are able to develop their awareness of music concepts.
• I have developed a sequence of units in music technology. These units cover the music technology skills unit and are designed to prepare for the contexts which are used for the assignment in S4. The topics in this unit are cross curricular. 6/11The first unit is creating a podcast which will utilise Ableton Live software to manage files, write a script, research and download music files for a sound bed to the voice over and working with a partner to record the introduction to the podcast. Overdubbing the voice over on the music file. Extension work includes an interview with a partner. Pupils keep a log book of these tasks which has screen prints showing the processes which they have used. The second unit is multi tracking. Adding files to the multi track, panning the tracks. adding effects and mixing the song. The third unit is sound design for film, where pupils add media files to a video using video pad. Trimming the video, importing the media files and positioning them in the time frame I am constantly updating and adapting courses to reflect new resources which become available and to cater for a range of abilities and interest within music. I am also reviewing the latest software as it becomes available to further enable pupil access to these technologies. . , As a member of staff I have been fully engaged in the life of the school and committed to the school ethos and values. I have presented pupils at Inver Clyde Music Festival, school Christmas and Summer concerts and have prepared pupils for the Inver Clyde Young musician annually, including the winning entry. I have prepared and accompanied pupils at the annual rotary Burns Club Burns Supper on an annual basis. I have been accompanist to the Inver Clyde Schools Choir and prepared pupils for religious services within the school.
• I have worked on four school shows in my time in St Stephens and rehearsed soloists and chorus members for these. I have regularly organised music in the community at Christmas, visiting the care homes in Inverclyde and performing at shopping centres to collect money for local charities.
• I have regularly worked with colleagues from other departments, in particular RE when preparing music for religious services. I have also accompanied pupils on several school trips to London.
• Having worked all over Scotland I have a broad view of education and have taught pupils from many different backgrounds and abilities, always seeking to develop a rapport and engage pupils in tasks which are of interest to them.
• Many former pupils have gone on to have successful careers in the music industry or in teaching themselves. I have organised pupils to perform at information evenings in the school to demonstrate the ongoing work of the department and engage with parents regularly.
• I have good knowledge of the pupils at St Stephens and communicate well with them. I have been innovative in the use of emerging technologies, recording a series of video lessons for use during lockdown and demonstrating music concepts to ensure pupils remained motivated during the pandemic.
• I have recruited pupils to perform musical items at Awards Ceremonies, parents nights and look for performance opportunities to showcase the talents of music technology pupils by presenting a sound design for film project which had been completed by BGE pupils on Autism awareness at assembly and engaging the work of the music technology pupils to assist with sound at the school shows and showcase events. I am fully conversant with the use of Microsoft Teams and in particular the monitoring of pupil engagement.
• During the current situation I have participated and engaged in a great deal of collaborative work and have welcomed the balance and checks which have had to be put in place to ensure the fairness of the assessment process and have taken steps and shown initiative in order to, discussions at school level to ensure that the aims of the department reflect the aims of the school. This venture involved eight members of staff including art staff, music staff and SLT. This concert raised funds for the school and engaged parental interest in the new faculty structure with parents. It included pieces of work from pupils within the BGE with performances from pupils who had taken part in class music ensembles. It also included performances from pupils undergoing instrumental instruction and pupils taking part in the ongoing extra curricular activities which are a part of the ongoing work in the department. It gave a number of pupils the opportunity to show art work at the interval in the concert, and for parents to have tea while viewing this work. I was able to involve senior pupils in selling raffle tickets and taking money at the door, involved canteen staff in the interval refreshments and janitors who helped with the laying out of the canteen area. I have successfully coached and mentored several student teachers within the faculty some of whom now work within it and all of whom have gone on to take up teaching positions in other schools. I took responsibility for the regular trips to care homes and visits to shopping centres at Christmas, engaging with support staff and colleagues in instrumental services.

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