Joshua Stefans
Music Teacher
Mokena,IL
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
General Music/Art Teacher for Grades 4-5 - Tenured
Peotone Intermediate Center
Frankfort, IL
08.2023 - Current
- Created a new general music curriculum for two grade levels, which incorporates lessons in the Elements of Music, pitch and rhythm identification, practicing music reading skills, and singing as a group.
- Created a new art class curriculum for two grade levels, which incorporated projects with different artistic techniques such as the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design.
- Prepared students for Winter Concerts where they performed Holiday-themed Music.
- Restarting a Band program that had been on hiatus due to staffing changes.
- Restarting a long-dormant Choir program.
- Effectively incorporated technology into music making with the use of Quaver Music.
- Effectively incorporated a ukulele curriculum for students to learn and perform music on ukuleles.
- Assisted as Music Director in a grades 4-8 production of Matilda Jr.
- Coordinated logistics for events such as concerts, singing opportunities at Chicago Wolves games, and trips to Six Flags Great America.
- Effectively managing students and maintaining a well-structured classroom.
- Awarded tenure in 2026.
Part-Time Beginner Guitar and Vocal Instructor
Down Home Guitars
Frankfort, IL
01.2024 - Current
- Provides guitar lessons for beginning guitarists with an emphasis on proper technique.
- Provides voice lessons to students with an emphasis on proper vocal techniques and music theory.
- Acquired a repertoire of solo pieces for singers for young children, adolescents, and adults.
- Provides students with solo piece suggestions to help them achieve their goals and focus on advancing their technical skills.
- Built a rapport with students and family members of students to foster growth and trust.
- Encouraging students to perform live, which helps them gain confidence.
General Music Teacher for Grades 6-8
Colin Powell Middle School
Matteson, IL
08.2021 - 08.2023
- Created a new general music curriculum for three grade levels as a first-year teacher, which included instruction on the elements of music, the history of Jazz, sampling in music, reading notated music, instrument families, and instructing the basics of Guitar.
- Restarted a Choir program that had been on hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Effectively incorporated technology into music making with the use of SoundTrap for which I became a certified SoundTrap Educator (Level 2).
- Prepared the CPMS choir for six performances in one school year.
- Differentiated and translated instruction for English Language Learners.
- Effectively managing a classroom and creating a rapport with parents by communicating about their child's progress.
Classroom Instructional Paraprofessional
Grand Prairie Elementary School
Frankfort, IL
02.2021 - 08.2021
- Assisting students with academic support at the Kindergarten level.
- Prioritizing the needs of students with IEPs at the Kindergarten level in order to provide accommodations that are appropriate to their specific needs.
- Collaborating and communicating with multiple teachers in order to collect data and track the progress of students with IEPs.
- Observing and addressing student behaviors while providing appropriate forms of reinforcement and prompts when needed.
- Gaining knowledge and on-the-job experience in classroom management at the Kindergarten level.
Student Teacher in directing the school Choir
Gompers Junior High School
Joliet, IL
11.2020 - 12.2020
- Co-directed and independently directed the choir at the secondary level.
- Selected pieces that were appropriate to the choirs' skill sets to ensure success, as well as to garner more knowledge of choral literature.
- Ran sectionals and provided constructive feedback so sections may improve.
- Planned out lessons for general music classes at the secondary level.
- Co-taught and independently taught general music classes at the secondary level.
- Translated and modified class content for students who are English Language Learners.
Student Teacher in Elementary General Music
Spencer Pointe-Crossing Schools
New Lenox, IL
08.2020 - 10.2020
- Co-taught and independently taught general music classes within the grade levels of first through sixth.
- Created original lessons modeled from the Orff and Kodaly approaches to music education.
- Accompanied students on guitar during their daily welcome songs.
- Gained valuable knowledge and experience in classroom management styles at the elementary level.
- Incorporated technology into music education at the elementary level.
Paraprofessional
Lincoln-Way East High School
Frankfort, IL
08.2017 - 08.2020
- Assisted students with various physical disabilities in order to provide accommodations and differentiation that were appropriate to their specific needs.
- Assisted and cooperated with teachers in both general and special education classrooms to provide support and direction to students in accordance with their individualized education plans.
- Supervised students to ensure their safety and provide intervention when needed.
- Adapted several curricula with teachers to allow students with learning or physical disabilities an equal chance to succeed.
Independently Contracted Private Voice Instructor/Assistant Musical Director
All About Music Inc.
Mokena, IL
06.2018 - 03.2020
- Facilitated my very own small voice studio.
- Provided voice lessons to students with an emphasis on proper vocal techniques and music theory.
- Acquired a repertoire of solo pieces for singers for young children, adolescents, and young adults.
- Assisted in All About Music's summer musical camps' production of The Lion King Jr.
Assistant Director for Lincoln-Way Central Madrigal Singers
Lincoln-Way Central High School
New Lenox, IL
08.2018 - 12.2019
- Led sectionals for two of three madrigal singing groups.
- Provided constructive feedback to help the groups improve their tone and quality.
- Accompanied students on the piano to solidify their pitches.
- Assisted in running the backstage logistics of the madrigal dinners.
Cantor/Chorister
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Rockdale, IL
02.2018 - 07.2018
- Chanted Gregorian Chants in Latin during Sunday Masses.
- Sung as a chorister in the church's chamber choir.
- Assisted the director by organizing effective rehearsals, pitching ideas to improve the choir and cantoring, and leading the other choristers and cantors by example.
- Volunteered to become interim director while the director was on leave.
Education
K-12 Music Education Teaching Licensure - undefined
Trinity Christian College
01.2021
Bachelor of Music - Voice Performance, Psychology
Illinois State University
05.2017
Skills
- Music theory
- Aural skills
- Sight-singing technique
- IPA symbols
- Foreign language diction
- Classical singing techniques
- Choral singing techniques
- Choral repertoire
- Western music history
- World music genres
- Piano
- Guitar
- Ukulele
- Choral Conducting
- Orff Schulwerk
- Orff Instruments
- Kodaly Method
- Solfege
- Windows 10
- Flipgrid
- Screencastify
- Voicethread
- Wevideo
- Seesaw
- Zoom
- Google Classroom
- Google Docs
- Google Drive
- Google Forms
- Google Sites
- Google Sheets
- Google Slides
- YouTube Music
- Flat for Docs Chrome Extension
- Qauvermusiccom
- SoundTrap
- Musicplaycom
Certification
- ILTS Music 212 Content Area Exam: Passed
- Certified SoundTrap Educator-Level 2
Freelancing Volunteering Experience
Freelancing singer, 2013-05-01, Present, Sang weddings, funerals, and national anthems., Production Assistant, 2018-07-01, 2018-07-31, Assisted backstage during a community theater's production., Lead role in Curtain Call Theater's summer stock production of Working, Mokena, IL, 2019-05-01, 2019-07-31, Chorister in St. Mary's Catholic Church's production of Dubois' Seven Last words of Christ, Mokena, IL, 2017-12-01, 2018-04-30, Party scene dancer in Ballet 5:8's production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Frankfort, IL, 2017-10-01, 2017-12-31
Organization Memberships
- Member of the Illinois Digital Educators Association (IDEA)
- Alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity
- Member of the Illinois Grade School Music Association for District 6
Timeline
Part-Time Beginner Guitar and Vocal Instructor
Down Home Guitars
01.2024 - Current
General Music/Art Teacher for Grades 4-5 - Tenured
Peotone Intermediate Center
08.2023 - Current
General Music Teacher for Grades 6-8
Colin Powell Middle School
08.2021 - 08.2023
Classroom Instructional Paraprofessional
Grand Prairie Elementary School
02.2021 - 08.2021
Student Teacher in directing the school Choir
Gompers Junior High School
11.2020 - 12.2020
Student Teacher in Elementary General Music
Spencer Pointe-Crossing Schools
08.2020 - 10.2020
Assistant Director for Lincoln-Way Central Madrigal Singers
Lincoln-Way Central High School
08.2018 - 12.2019
Independently Contracted Private Voice Instructor/Assistant Musical Director
All About Music Inc.
06.2018 - 03.2020
Cantor/Chorister
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
02.2018 - 07.2018
Paraprofessional
Lincoln-Way East High School
08.2017 - 08.2020
K-12 Music Education Teaching Licensure - undefined
Trinity Christian College
Bachelor of Music - Voice Performance, Psychology
Illinois State University