ISM- MENTOR INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name: Hamid Koroni Period: 1st

Printed Name of Person Interviewed: Thomas Macias

Role of Individual:
__X__Mentor
Place/Name of Business: Creekside Intermediate

Business Address: 4320 W Main St, League City, TX 77573

Phone Number: 281-284-3500

Date of Interview: 4/13/18

Type of Interview: __X__ In Person

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)

The biggest thing that people think is that the kids will do everything to do to be a musician, but
the reality is that there is much more to it. You have to paint the big picture to get them interested, and
teaching an instrument includes teaching manners and other social constructs that they have not learned.

2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)

I have a bachelor’s of arts in music education, and required to teach would be a certain amount of
hours of professional development, and then attend conferences, and teach at other places to learn other
teaching methods. Some stuff like attending conferences isn’t required by the district but it is helpful to
be the best.

3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)

I get to school, check my emails for anything important, teach a sectional for an hour, and teach 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th period. Sixth period is my conference period; after, I stay after for any other
sectionals to teach, put in grades, and typically leave by 6:30 so 11 hours is a usual time I leave.

Revised Fall 2017

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)

I feel very secure in my position, there is always a need for teachers, and CCISD always does a
great job with its fine arts, especially for band directors. Texas has a system in which it has superior
band programs under the UIL organization compared to other states, so if anything, band directors get
more competitive, which can be scary cause as the field gets better, we have to get better.

5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)

For entering teachers, it is $52,000. The salary grows over time for the years of experience, so
for somebody teaching for 42 years, they can make $71,000. Overall, it is dependent on the experience.
This is for CCISD faculty so I believe that it can also vary depending on the position itself.

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

(growth potential)

Band Directors are constantly meeting each other to learn ways of teaching the kids, these methods can
help or not help make your band better and yourself better. Being a band director, you are kind of on a
microscope as so many aspects are taking in how good the program. TMEA and other teaching
opportunities to get better. Schools are growing so there will be a growth in bands and directors as well.

***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.

7. What is the one thing that bothers you in your classes?

Definitely for me, and probably every band director, would be the talking. When I’m trying to teach,
especially since all band kids in intermediate school are somewhat “beginners”, unrelated talking hurts
the rehearsal and will sometimes personally offend me. That’s one of the things to understand as a band
director is that you are also teaching manners.

8. Do you want to stay at the position you are at or do you think you will want to move up to a
much higher level? (i.e. high school director or university professor)

Revised Fall 2017

For now, since I just recently graduated only a couple of years ago, I want to stay at the position I am at
and listen and learn to what everyone else has to say at the higher positions and develop experience. At
some point, I don’t know when, I do want to work at a higher level and I think I would enjoy my time
with much more mature students at the same time (this was a joke at the end).

9. What do you think is the most important thing to obtain from playing an instrument and being
in band from Intermediate to High School?

I think the most important thing to get from playing an instrument from in middle school, to especially
high school is impossible to say. You develop your brain to understand things others wouldn’t, you build
better character, manners, respect, but I would have to say the friendships you make on the way. In high
school, you will make many friends, but as we grow up, most friends become distant, and that’s just life,
but the friends you will still stay in touch with were the friends you had in band.

10. What would you say to a student interested in joining band as an incoming sixth graders?

Obviously, I would say go for it. I would explain the fun in playing music, and our band plays a piece of
music for incoming sixth graders as a way of recruitment. After, I would explain that you shouldn’t
worry about being bad, because we (Mr. Macias and Mrs. Tran) will guide you and help you learn and
have fun.

Interview Summary
What information from this interview will you select for your ½ page typed,
bulleted list of research information—to be used in your presentation?
Create a bulleted summary list on the next page.

Revised Fall 2017

  There is a lot more to music
 You learn other skills other than how to play an instrument
 Music is a rewarding art
 It build friendships that will surpass high school
 You have to try multiple methods in teaching to know what works
 It is vital to get better by listening and attending event consisting of experienced, successful
teachers
 The pay in CCISD is pretty solid
 There is way more work than what it may seem
 The goal is to make something “seem easy”
 Most careers will be different to what you dream of it to be
 There will always be more to the job
 Persuasion is needed to recruit kids to band
 Persuasion also needed so they won’t be scared to join
 Teaching music requires help from experienced people and attending important events
 The interview opened up on the process and life of a band director

Revised Fall 2017