As some of you know, I've been struggling a bit to get up to speed in a new area of teaching. Still music, yes, but classroom music can be very different from the band classes I'd become used to teaching. Luckily, both involve kids - and that's what makes the difference no matter what I do, what subject I teach, and in what approach I use.
I taught the kids a fairly easy pop song this week, one that realistically most of them had heard before. But we had fun, I accompanied them on guitar (a weak spot for me that's getting much stronger) and I was able to reinforce some musical concepts within a framework where they where already comfortable. We enjoyed music, we enjoyed each other, we were respectful and attentive. This class has many personalities, and is rather large compared to some others in the school - so just all staying to the task might be a challenge. But I was DRIVEN to get that song sung. They felt that. So some simple mistakes, a missed chord here and there - we all kept singing, and enjoyed ourselves in the process.
I will challenge them to greater musical heights, and give them more opportunities to take charge of their learning with new songs. However, it was great to be able to just step back and enjoy the class for what it was, without consideration for an upcoming performance. I think this way of looking at my classroom, with every class being its own "performance", will help me greatly this year in my search to find a home in a new place. This is the week I usually become frustrated with the knowledge that kids will have to perform. And yet it always comes together, if I have done my preparation each week in the classroom, that "performance" falls into place.
I taught the kids a fairly easy pop song this week, one that realistically most of them had heard before. But we had fun, I accompanied them on guitar (a weak spot for me that's getting much stronger) and I was able to reinforce some musical concepts within a framework where they where already comfortable. We enjoyed music, we enjoyed each other, we were respectful and attentive. This class has many personalities, and is rather large compared to some others in the school - so just all staying to the task might be a challenge. But I was DRIVEN to get that song sung. They felt that. So some simple mistakes, a missed chord here and there - we all kept singing, and enjoyed ourselves in the process.
I will challenge them to greater musical heights, and give them more opportunities to take charge of their learning with new songs. However, it was great to be able to just step back and enjoy the class for what it was, without consideration for an upcoming performance. I think this way of looking at my classroom, with every class being its own "performance", will help me greatly this year in my search to find a home in a new place. This is the week I usually become frustrated with the knowledge that kids will have to perform. And yet it always comes together, if I have done my preparation each week in the classroom, that "performance" falls into place.
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