Student teaching can have a lasting impact on both the teacher candidate and the supervising teacher. In this session, we will discuss the needs and requirements for a positive student teaching experience through the lens of the teacher candidate and the collaborating teacher. This session is a great opportunity for veteran educators to learn strategies for working with a student teacher and for future educators to learn strategies that will lead to a successful student teaching experience.
Shawn Morton
- Biographical Information
Shawn Morton is currently in her seventeenth year as an orchestra teacher. Mrs. Morton has taught in her current position at Duluth High School for twelve years. Prior to teaching at Duluth High School, she taught five years at Five Forks MS. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. While attending UGA, Mrs. Morton was a member of the Honors program and was president of the UGA chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Mrs. Morton also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Shorter College where she graduated with a 4.0. Mrs. Morton conducts the Gwinnett County Kendall Youth Orchestra, and she has worked as a sectional coach with the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony, and she has served as a clinician for local school orchestras, the Spivey Hall Chamber Orchestra Workshop, The Gwinnett County Violapalooza Festival, The Gwinnett County 6th Grade Honor Orchestra Workshop, the UGA Summer Music Camp and various other workshops and clinics. Mrs. Morton’s orchestras have performed at the 2007 Midwest Clinic, 2009 American String Teachers Association Conference, the 2011 Georgia Music Educators Association In-service Conference, the 2013 National Band and Orchestra Festival at Lincoln Center, the 2014 Midwest Clinic, the 2018 American String Teachers Conference, and 2019 Capital Orchestra Festival at the Kennedy Center. Mrs. Morton has served as the secretary for the Georgia Chapter of the American String Teachers Association and as the GMEA District 13 Orchestra Chair. In addition, she was selected to present at the 2014 and 2019 GMEA In-service Conferences. Recently, she served as one of the writers for the new Georgia Standards of Excellence for Orchestra. She resides in Buford, GA with her husband Dale, son Hudson and dogs Mozart and Aria.
David Metrio is currently the Director of Orchestras at Lanier High School in Buford, GA as well as the conductor for the Georgia Youth Symphony Camerata Orchestra. He is a graduate of Kennesaw State University and currently working on his master’s degree in music education from the Florida State University. While at KSU, Mr. Metrio served as the president of the KSU chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Mr. Metrio has studied double bass under Dr. James Barket (Kennesaw State), Mr. Joseph McFadden (Atlanta Symphony), and Mr. Michael Kurth (Atlanta Symphony). Mr. Metrio has also performed with several orchestras in the Atlanta area such as the Georgia Symphony, the Kennesaw State University Orchestra, the Gwinnett Symphony, and the Emory Symphony. Mr. Metrio is an active bass clinician in the Atlanta area. He has presented bass clinics at various middle schools and high schools in the Gwinnett, Cobb, and Fulton County School Districts as well as the Atlanta Public School District. He has served on staff at the Upbeat! Summer orchestra camp as well as the Georgia ASTA summer orchestra camp. Mr. Metrio’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the American String Teachers Association, and the Georgia Music Educators Association. Currently, Mr. Metrio serves as the GMEA District 13 treasurer, as well as the Membership Ambassador for Georgia chapter of ASTA. In his free time, Mr. Metrio enjoys traveling and considers himself an avid foodie. He resides in Atlanta, GA.