Cultivating and nurturing young composers has its beginnings in school and private study settings. Helping students to develop as composers is a task that benefits from research that identifies the structures that assist that process. Structure issues are of concern to teachers who nurture young creators. Too much task structure can inhibit creativity and personal expression (Wiggins, 2002); however, too little task structure can cause students difficulty because of too many choices (Folkestad, 2004;

The cooperating teacher helps transform students into teachers. Janice P. Smith outlines steps to make this process smoother and more successful.

By videotaping their teaching and analyzing those tapes at "video club" meetings, teachers can help each other become more effective in the classroom.MARGARET HAEFNER B AE RS S AND JANICE P. SMITH ary, a third-year high school band director, sat down in her office after another unproductive rehearsal. "I can't seem to figure out why concert band isn't going as well this year," she said to herself. "Of course, the music is different, and there are a few new kids, but it's like that every year. I'm not even sure whom I can ask for help! The other teachers in this building are too busy, and the other music teachers in the system all seem to have it together.Little did Mary know that Steve, a veteran general music teacher with many years of experience, was also having misgivings about his teaching. "I'm really not motivated this year," he said to himself. "I've got my curriculum and teaching strategies set. Sure, I get to work with new kids each year, but it all feels so automatic and uncreative." Do these scenarios sound familiar? Both teachers are frustrated with their Portfolios can be assessed formatively with the goal of improved teaching, and they may also be assessed summatively to yield a score or judgment.When compared to written observation notes, watching a videotape has several advantages. First, it encourages teachers to reflect more deeply on 32 MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL

Creating, performing, responding, and connecting are often central foci in the development of music education curricula. While these meta-organizers provide a sense of direction for planning instruction, greater depths of knowledge and skill could be achieved if these actions were viewed as means rather than ends in music education. The profession needs a more artistically driven mind-set to ensure that engagements with performing, creating, and responding support both intellectual and musical growth. A critical examination of each organizer reveals specific capacities that should be nurtured as students discover/explore the relationships between music and feeling. These musical capacities can help students clarify artistic goals, enhance artistry, expand expressivity, and build technical skills. This article examines how teachers can actively engage K–12 students in the development of these capacities as they compose, perform, and listen to music.