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Educator Ken Thompson describes several views or perspectives on balancing an ensemble. By asserting his opinion as well as that of Francis McBeth, he weighs the pros and cons of some of the most common models, including the "Christmas tree pyramid." In short, Thompson uses SBO Magazine as a means through which to discuss the need for teachers to make balance an integral component of their day-to-day instruction.

Zoom products are some of the best recording devices on the market. These could help from recording a student to a full ensemble. The recorders also balance the recording and are very user friendly. I have used these on many occasion professionally and will in the future. There is also free app for most smart phones that will do just as good of job as purchasing a recorder.

This website has helped me organize my instrumentation for my beginners. Knowing retention rates and how to get a better ensemble sound has been very benifitial

Black Violin shares the influence music education had on their lives. This podcast discusses how art and music education introduces students to perspectives that they would not necessarily come across in their upbringing. They also discuss balancing classical music with music that is culturally relevant to the students and how classical music needs to be more inclusive to bridge the gap. This is especially relevant in my urban teaching environment. 

This is a PDF file of the various pitch tendencies of wind instruments. Along with a sheet explaining the tendencies for each instrument, a blank worksheet is provided in order for students to fill out for their own understanding of the tendencies of their own instrument. This is valuable when focusing on intonation, balance, and blend within the wind band.