Sep 25 2008
You can never have too many Sharpies on hand
I’m nearing the third complete week of my new job as a middle school music teacher. Here are some brief reflections; maybe you can relate-
I know:
- Teaching 3 ensembles in an auditorium is absurd (beginning band, intermediate band, and choir, back to back)- kind of like herding cats.
- You can never have too many Sharpies on hand for kids that forget to label their band books, instruments, music folders and other items that get left behind after class. My students know that any unlabeled items left behind become school property.
- Greeting kids at the door of my piano class is much more effective than catching up on email over at my desk before the bell rings.
My favorite statement to new band parents:
“In regards to your children forgetting to bring their instruments to school, I want to encourage you to move from enabler to facilitator. The enabler parent drives to school to drop off a forgotten instrument left at home 3 minutes before band for the fourth time in a week. The facilitating parent refuses to deliver the forgotten instrument that fourth time when the student calls from school, effectively teaching their child to accept the consequences and learn responsibility.”
My favorite statement to new band students:
“Hanging out in this band is not allowed! Always play on purpose and with purpose, not on accident. We will be making music for the next 55 minutes.”
My choir students favorite song (so far):
“Bist du bei Mir” by Bach. Not any of the jazz or pop stuff in their folders…
One great idea that has worked for me this week:
When I need to work with a particular section, but don’t want to lose control of the ensemble, I will tell the remainder of the band to “fake play”. This means they must assume good posture and finger the instrument without blowing (or hitting for percussion) while I hear one section of the group play. “If I were to video the band and turn off the sound, all of you who are “fake playing” should look like you are really playing…”
I often feel:
1. Exhausted.
2. Ineffective.
3. Overwhelmed by paperwork.
4. Thankful for empathetic colleagues.
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You’ve covered a lot of ground in this entry, Ken. Administrative issues, motivation, pegagogy, curriculum…
I’ll have to share your “fake playing” idea with my music supervisor. He is a stickler when it comes to having the rest of the ensemble actively doing something productive while the conductor is focusing on one small section of the ensemble. One of his techniques which I’ve adopted as my default is active listening. “Everyone listen as the flutes play this passage, and you tell me if they’re getting the articulation right.”
And yes, I share your feelings of exhaustion and inefficiency.
And so do the thousands of other teachers who are too exhausted to comment.
Some great observations here. I also feel the same way at the end of the day and also agree the meeting the kids at the door does some great things. I do the fake playing thing too but encourage tissling (a tsss sound) as well as fingering when it doesn’t cause distractions. I have found that getting procedures ingrained is extremely important, and I’m struggling with it a bit.
You have some wonderful ideas in this! And wonderful ways to word the things that you want done.
I’ll need to remember them for when I actually graduate and find myself being the music teacher in charge of the classroom.
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