STW2: Timing Is Everything

Successes

On Thursday I experienced the greatest silence during a rest I’ve ever experienced. After a whole day of students fidgeting, short attention spans, and constant noise, the 4th grade class demonstrated PERFECT and UTTER silence. It was before playing, during rests, and then after playing. I had explained the importance of silence, then I challenged them to see how silent they could be. It gave me chills.

Challenges

This week I experienced my first argument with a student. It broke my heart that the student believed I was mean and disrespectful because I actually really could understand and empathize with his issues with teachers and schools. I learned a valuable lesson from my cooperating teacher that though I don’t ever need to give up on a student, I don’t have to take it personally and bring it to my grave if I can’t turn around the lives of a few individual students.

My next challenge is timing. Wait, actually that’s not the issue. My BIGGEST challenge is classroom management. By that, I mean getting students to follow directions and be quiet when they’re supposed to be. I have so many techniques such as

• whispering until students get too curious as to what I’m saying that they stop

• Playing my violin which always catches their attention

• Putting a peace sign or a hand up, which students will slowly reciprocate

• Clapping and using body percussion for students to answer back with

• Even just standing there and saying “I’ll wait” and just waiting, looking at the talkers

Try as I might, no matter how many activities I give for them to do during transitions or how clear I try to be, there are some students that will just ignore everything to just talk to their classmates. Bring us back to timing: this in turn makes every lesson I have last two or three times longer because I spend much more time on waiting for disruptions to stop than I do actually teaching. Help me?

Feedback

Based on my supervisor’s and cooperating teacher’s feedback I’ve gleaned that I need to work on giving students less open-ended options, not moving on to the next activity until it was played correctly, and calling out students who are being disruptive.

Highlights

• Witnessing the interview for the school’s band director position

• Attending the district meeting for orchestra, band, and choir teachers

• Creating a worksheet that my students actually got to use

• The advanced orchestra playing an entire piece with no conductor

• After a conducting lesson, a student said that he wants to be an orchestra teacher (and/or conductor)

Surprises

I’m surprised by how old middle school students look and how tall they are. I’m surprised by how many bad words and inappropriate things children know. I’m surprised by how well-behaved students are the younger they are. I’m surprised by how unhappy and lifeless some of the younger children seem. I was surprised that the 8th graders had to line up before going into the orchestra room (for CORE).

Vows

I vow to myself never let any single student make me cry or doubt my entire choice in profession

I vow to myself to never develop a dependency on caffeine

I vow to myself to never give up on a student

I vow to myself to maintain musical integrity

Check back every weekend for weekly updates regarding my student teaching!