Mission Accomplished!

I had so much fun today! I'm disappointed senior project is over- these past two weeks have flown by!

Today, the morning classes were 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. The 3rd and 5th grade were doing the same lessons. I stepped in to teach the tone chimes, leading the Memorial Day Songs and trying to keep switches fair. I also started the tableaus (like yesterday) and it was interesting to see how everyone reacted. I had them count off into groups by 3s. One kid said he could not work with another person in his group and that that person "hated him!" I tried to talk him into cooperating, but finally after awhile, I just sat there with him and of course, that's when he got bored and decided to try it out. Go figure! I attempted to intervene in the groups that really needed direction, but other groups were completely independent. I looked for any major differences in the groups that worked well and the groups that didn't work well, but I didn't notice anything in particular. I guess I'll have to leave some questions unanswered to revisit in future teaching opportunities! The other morning class was the fourth grade. They were practicing for their end of the year concert so I worked the stereo and observed. Mrs. Densmore did a really good job of refocusing the students after she had asked for quiet several times. She sat them down and explained that if they didn't catch up to the other classes, they would fall behind and drag the concert down. She was very logical and afterward, they complied and we ended up finishing everything!

The afternoon group was really exciting! There was a slight change to the lesson planned so I observed and helped with the second grade class right after lunch. But then I got a chance to solo teach a first grade class! (Well, not entirely because Mrs. Densmore was right there just in case, but other than that, all eyes were on me!) I started the class by taking attendance, trying to go fast to keep their interest. Then I led them in solfege! (This is what scared me so much before! But it wasn't bad at all and the students all sang really well!) Then I transitioned them into Memorial Day. My goal was to hit home the moment of silence after taps and I think it went really well! They stayed quiet even though there was outside noise as we practiced! Next on the agenda was Memorial Day songs with tone chimes. I'm not sure I did as well on this part. It was difficult to get everyone music and then over to pick out their tone chime without losing focus. After asking them to switch and give their tone chimes to the back row, one kid looked at me and said, "I haven't played yet!" So I said, "Well, we just sang. Why didn't you play?" And he went, "I didn't know I was supposed to!" That was a bit of a misunderstanding, but then I discovered that he didn't know when to play his note anyway so I decided to take a step back and explain the entire thing. The next couple of songs went much smoother. After singing the national anthem, I then retold (in a very animate way) the Francis Scott Key story. The students then had a chance to act it out themselves (a simpler version of the tableaus) as I dictated the story. While we were acting it out, one child started being rambunctious. I quietly asked him to stop because he was being unsafe and the other students couldn't hear. Once he refocused, he became interested in our activity and I didn't have to talk with him again! They were so attentive during class that they had extra time to play musical 'duck duck goose' at the end. During the game, one girl was upset that she had to go in the middle and then, guys on the outside of the circle started to pick on her. I was really upset because she was on the verge of tears and I couldn't let that happen while I was teaching! So I clapped for quiet and explained to the class that this was a safe learning environment where no one should be put down or picked on. I asked them what were nice, encouraging things they could say. I was glad to see the girl smiling on the way out. Overall, I was really excited to truly teach my first class and I think it was a very positive experience!

This is turning into a very long post, but I also wanted to mention the other afternoon class quickly. We were interrupted by the all-school picture and when they returned to class there was only 10 minutes left. I was really pleased when we sped through all the material and they had time to play a game! I'm so happy my senior project went so well and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to try teaching music!

Mash-Up Monday

Class today was a great compilation of many different topics. We covered everything from a review of Memorial Day to tableaus of Francis Scott Key to a reflection on Junk 2 Funk.

Mrs. Densmore started by asking the class 3 questions (which she also highlighted on the board): What did you learn from Jeff Irwin? How did he influence you? How was the concert successful? These questions were designed to get the students to respond in more than one word and really get them thinking about their topics. It was great to hear stories about how a couple of students had gone home and made recycled instruments. Others had taken initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle. It was exciting to see how much of an impact he had. The class then switched gears to Memorial Day review. With the fifth graders, we simply sang through the songs and discussed proper etiquette during the service. The fourth graders were responsible for the tone chimes so we had them practice a couple of times and then they did a dress rehearsal with silent transitions. It’s a really big day for Sutton Elementary School- the secretary of state will be attending the Memorial Day Service!

The last activity was designed to get the kids up and moving. I reviewed the Francis Scott Key story with the class. One student even remarked, “You did a really good job explaining that!” which was really nice and a huge difference from my first, stumbling attempt two weeks ago. Then we started the tableaus (living pictures) because it’s a great way to get the kids physically acting out the story. I watched some interesting group dynamics as the students hurried to finish all 5 pictures. One group didn’t really understand the concept of using everyone in each picture so I stepped in to straighten them out. I also added in some creativity when some kids were left out of a picture, but other than that, they really came up with some interesting concepts! They had a great time acting and freezing and they learned a lot. I also had a lot of fun learning and teaching today!

Weekly Reflection #2

This week was not a boring, repetitive time in the music-teaching world! I saw many different types of teaching this week: Mrs. Densmore, the substitute, the Junk 2 Funk program and my own teaching. Each style demonstrated a unique aspect to teaching and even as a teacher, I learned quite a bit! The flexibility within senior project also allowed me to pursue other music performance venues: my bassoon lessons and the quintet tour. Even though everything did not go as planned this week, I had a great time and really experienced a lot.

I learned so much this week from the different teaching styles. On Monday, Mrs. Densmore started class and I got to watch her navigate through David Coffin’s website. Although she was lecturing in a way, she used the smart board to keep everyone engaged and each student got to pick an early instrument to listen too. One class even commented on the blog; it was great to see them so excited! I learned that in elementary music, even when you have to lecture, it’s very important to be creative and keep the kids interested. I also got to show and tell my bassoon on Monday. As I put my instrument together, I watched the kids eyes get wider as the bassoon grew taller. I led a discussion on why the bassoon plays in the bass clef and how it makes such a deep sound. I played “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and had the students sing along with the last verse. Then I played a more classical piece and took questions afterward. I think Mrs. Densmore asked me to do this because she knows I am really passionate about bassoon and it’s a subject with which I’m very familiar. I was very comfortable in front of the class and it was fun to show them my gigantic instrument.

The Junk 2 Funk program was also a great learning experience. Jeff Irwin had the challenge of keeping 20+ students attentive with the added distraction of noisy percussion instruments. Mr. Irwin did a really good job of connecting with the kids. His way of getting them quiet was to shout, “Yo!” and they would answer, “What’s up?!” It was cute and they enjoyed doing it so they quieted down right away. It also crossed their sticks so they couldn’t make noise on the drums, which was really clever. I really enjoyed the program and I even got to pound away on the drums a couple of times!
One thing that didn’t go quite as planned was having a substitute on Thursday. However, it was a good time for me to take a leadership role. The sub had never taught music and so I was available to help. I started the tone chimes and helped them sing along. I also took a more prominent role in discipline. I talked to a couple of guys and used the clap method to get their attention. All in all, having a substitute and seeing the Junk 2 Funk program was very informative.

I really appreciated the flexibility of senior project this week. My bassoon teacher was only free Wednesday morning so I was able to take the morning off and become a student again. My lesson went really well. On Friday, I also toured with the Scholarship Quintet. We played at four different venues for about a half hour each. It was a playing marathon and very challenging mentally. If I was to major in music, I could branch into music education or performance. This week was great because I got to explore each venue.

World Tour

I didn't go to school today. I was on tour with the CCMS Scholarship Woodwind Quintet! It was quite a day as we traveled to 4 different schools and performed a 30 minute concert at each. I had a lot of fun traveling, answering questions, and in one case, explaining what a bassoon was! One of my challenges was staying focused throughout the performances. It is especially hard to mentally because of nerves and playing the same piece over and over. I kept thinking I had it down and then, I would just skip over a couple of notes. It was tough remaining consistent. But we had 4 excellent concerts and I saw today as the other side of a possible musical career- performance!

Lord of the Flies

Today was an interesting experience. Mrs. Densmore was sick so I shadowed a substitute teacher. She had never substituted for a music class and I've only been doing this a week, so together we made a great pair! Well, it actually didn't go so badly and I did learn a very important lesson.

We started out by writing thank you cards to Junk 2 Funk. I went around and talked with the fourth graders, making sure they added what they learned or what their favorite part was. Then we had back-to-back 4th and 5th grade classes. They both followed the same schedule because of the sub plans. It was amazing how each class came in, recognized that Mrs. Densmore wasn't there and then almost started to panic. There was a lot of, "Where's Mrs. Densmore? Why isn't she here? What are we doing today?" The kids didn't like the fact that something had changed in their schedules. It immediately made them noisier and more disrespectful. It was difficult to make them settle down to talk about Memorial Day. I found myself intervening a lot more in discipline issues as the sub tried to teach. After the discussion, I helped the sub hand out tone chime sheets and helped the students get the proper tone chime. Then I led the singing side of the group. (My fear almost completely mastered! I was singing loud!) It was really hectic during transitions as we changed tone chimes each song. The kids would get loud and we lacked the rhythm Mrs. Densmore uses to keep the class focused. I realized that sometimes you have to push ahead to keep the class in the present.

Both of the classes finished with extra time so we played four corners. However, half way through one of the games, there was a heated argument about whether a girl was out or not. Although it was a minor detail, it was a quite the shouting match; I could really see the effects of a stressful environment. Coming into the classroom, the kids were disconcerted and then, when they didn't see the effective authority leader, they abandoned classroom rules. This put stress on all the other kids and they became frustrated with their other classmates. This showed when we kept having to wait for quiet to start the tone chime songs. Kids would turn to the louder ones and 'shhhh!' them loudly. I thought it was a good thing at first- the kids were 'policing' themselves so to speak. But then, I realized that the kids could only really be responsible for themselves because when they had to police their classmates, they lacked the disciplinary figure that they could rely on. By the end of class, it was apparent this high-stress environment was putting strain on the kids. I understand 'Lord of the Flies' better now. Younger students need structure. It makes them feel in control and therefore, they feel safe. Take that away and they suddenly become highly stressed, little monsters. And you could definitely see they didn't want to be badly behaved. It was the lack of structure that led to the outbursts. Maintaining structure- something to ponder for future teaching.

One great moment today- everyone was talking really loudly and I used the 'clap clap clap-clap clap' method to quiet them down. They all clapped in return and went completely silent. It was really cool to see them respect me and respond!

Rest, Reprieve, Relax

Today I got the day off because of conflicting time schedules. I did however do musical things like my own bassoon lesson. (The teacher becomes a student again!) I also went to a quintet rehearsal. Unfortunately, because of play rehearsal, I did not get to see the Junk 2 Funk concert. I'm sure I'll hear tomorrow that everything went superb! I'm excited to get back to regular classroom teaching tomorrow!

Junk 2 Funk!

Today was quite an interesting day! All of the classes were centered around the ‘Junk 2 Funk’ program, a percussion presentation with recycled materials. It was a later start this morning, which was a nice (if short) sleep-in. I started at 9:30 am and got to meet the instructor. Then it was one of those days where I just moved around to help out where I was needed. I felt a bit awkward at first, because I wasn’t sure what I should do and I didn’t have anything specific that needed to be worked on. It was a bit hectic because they only have two days to put on a concert. But I found my rhythm (no pun intended) and the rest of the day was a blast!
My first (self-directed) task this morning was to help out the dancers. The ‘Junk 2 Funk’ set-up is really neat. Each of the kids gets to play on a different drum- big water barrels, turned-over buckets, the ‘beast’ (a rack of pots, pans, and springs). All of them are really cool. There’s also a screen on which the dancers are silhouetted against. That also looked really cool and I helped come up with a routine. It was a way to keep the dancers interested while everyone else worked on the percussion part. (It also kept all the drummers from being distracted by the screen.) The kids were so cute! I even played a little bit of dress-up with them as they accessorized with brightly colored scarves. I was impressed with how well they remembered the routine and how they worked together to finish the ‘free style’ section. It was great to watch!
I also got to eat lunch in the faculty room today and that was a learning experience in itself! I sat with the teachers and got to hear their discussion. I heard the positives (a lot) and complaints (a few). It was a whole new perspective. I also realized though that really, a teacher never gets a true lunch break. As I walked through the halls, I saw many teachers having lunch with their class or aids supervising a directed lunch of one or two kids. I saw that the teachers all really cared about their kids and they didn’t care that they didn’t get a lunch break. The message was crystal clear- if I wanted to become a teacher, I had to love teaching kids and seeing their progression.
Although I won’t be in class tomorrow, I’ll hopefully get to see the Junk 2 Funk concert and my amazing dancers!

Bassooning

Today was really exciting because I got to share my bassoon with the elementary classes! I love playing bassoon and it was one of my main reasons for considering music education so I was enthusiastic about sharing it with my students. Another cool thing about today was they got to explore early instruments on an interactive website- one of them was an early bassoon. It's officially called 'the rackett', which I thought was rather hilarious because when you first start playing, the bassoon does make quite a racket! The kids were really amazed by the transformation from a jug-like instrument with a pipe sticking out to a modern day bassoon. As I put it together, their eyes kept getting wider as the instrument got bigger. (A bassoon is about 4ft tall.) I led the discussion about how it's a low instrument because the sound has to travel through all the pipes. We talked about how I could change pitch by opening up the keys closer to the bocal and mouthpiece or sound really low notes by closing all the holes. To get the kids involved, I played 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' and they sang along with the last verse. I allowed some time to ask questions before playing another piece and they came up with such great questions! We talked about how I made my reeds, what were some challenges of playing bassoon, and the styles bassoons normally play. Then, I played a classical, but fun piece called 'The Squirrel', which they also really liked. Overall, it was a very positive lesson (both for me and them) and I was really pleased how it went. I also noticed that I'm much more comfortable in front of a class this week; it seemed almost natural!

Weekly Reflection #1

Teaching music to young children can be both a joy and absolute terror. During my senior project this week, I experienced the highs and lows of elementary music class. There were some things I really enjoyed this week: working with the young age group, listening to their adorable voices, and being in the same classroom for the entire day. But I struggled with little kid attitudes, adjusting to very different classroom settings, and trying to stay sane with twenty screeching song flutes. Not everything went as planned, but I learned a lot this week, mainly in teaching class and individual work.
The first couple of days of my senior project were spent observing classes. I watched how Mrs. Densmore ran class and what the classroom rules were. I saw when to discipline disruptive behavior and when to let the kids figure it out on their own. I memorized what needed to be taught during the lesson and tricks for keeping the young students’ attention. Then it was time for me to teach my first class. Mrs. Densmore asked me if I wanted to teach only two days after I started, but I think she had a good insight; I had some challenges and some really big successes.
The only way to see what teaching music is really like is to actually teach. Observing a class was so different from actually teaching one. Even though I had listened to the lesson several times, it was hard to give out all the information in my own words and keep the students’ attention. From watching the class, I could judge when I had said enough and when I wasn’t clear. I think I will improve on this with experience and by the end of the week, I could tell that I was becoming more clear and concise in my explanations. In second grade music theory class, I had a mishap with terminology, which mixed them up a bit, and so I learned that you have to be really careful in explaining things. Another teaching challenge I came across was singing. I’m not very comfortable singing in front of people, even little elementary schoolers and of course, a music teach has to sing a lot! At the beginning of the week, Mrs. Densmore did all of the singing, but toward the end of the week, I began taking charge of group singing. Then I had a major break through during the ‘Who’s got the Dragon Game.’ (It’s an activity designed to check individual voices through call and response.) Mrs. Densmore asked me if I wanted to do the call right before so I didn’t really have time to think about it. All the kids were really good about and I have more confidence in my voice now. Teaching has been a great experience and I hope to improve on it next week.
I also got a chance to work individually with different students while they practiced dulcimers. There’s two very different types of individual teaching: constructive criticism and praise. There was a girl who could play ‘Happy Birthday’ at a very speedy tempo. She didn’t really need any coaching so it was important for me to be sincere when I praised her. However, I once found two boys who didn't know anything. It was great to straighten them out (literally turn it around so one was holding it the right way) and when we finished, they could play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.' That was really rewarding and I look forward to seeing how far they get next class! Another time, I met a boy who didn't like playing the dulcimers and said he was bored out of his mind. So I proceeded to try and entice him in trying a song. He got the basic technique, but just didn't show any interest. I tried a lot of different things and finally, we played 'Rain Rain Go Away' by splitting the strumming and noting. It was a challenge to coach them and balance the criticism with praise so they didn’t get discouraged. By working individually during the dulcimer time, I learned how to balance and give constructive criticism.
Teaching music to elementary students can be crazy at times, but overall, I had a great week. I got to teach my first class and I’m learning how to give clear explanations as well as becoming more confident with my voice. I enjoyed working individually with the kids and I’m getting more used to balancing criticism and praise for positive results. I hope to continue working on this next week!

Marathon of a Friday

Wow, I thought yesterday was busy! The morning today was absolutely crazy- one class after another with no time in between and then a full fourth grade chorus rehearsal. I've gotten pretty used to teaching this week's lesson and I'm feeling more comfortable in front of a class. I also saw a different aspect of teaching when I helped plan next week's lessons.

I've already talked a lot about the logistics and schedule of teaching a class, so I thought I would hit on the high (and the occasional low) points. In my first (early!) class, I met a boy who didn't like playing the dulcimers and said he was bored. He explained to me that he would much rather be playing video games. So I proceeded to try and entice him in trying a song. He got the basic technique, but just didn't show any interest. I tried a lot of different things and finally, we played 'Rain Rain Go Away' by splitting the strumming and noting. Mission accomplished! It's funny all the things the kids share with you right off the bat (like his love of video games). Another time, one girl told me, "I hate my sister. When I was 2, she locked me in a closet so I still hate her." First thing she said to me! It really showed me how younger kids haven't defined themselves yet and how early development is influenced by so many different things. Teaching is so important and has so many far-reaching effects!

I also made some friends today! (I was scheduled for a lunch date with a 10 yr. old.) The students' friendliness and openness has made me more confident in the classroom. I've also found myself adjusting the class material for the different grades. For instance, when I read 'In Flanders Field' with the fifth graders, I can go into much more depth than with the third graders. I have to adjust accordingly to each class. I've also had a fear of singing in front of the class. But today, we played the 'Who's got the Dragon Game?' (a call and response singing exercise to check individual abilities) and I did all of the calling. A small step, but a big hurdle in confidence for me! Next week should be a bit of a change up as we go to Sutton for a guest artist and workshops.

Three's a Teaching Charm!

Whew! Today was a total of 5 classes, 2 schools, and a whole lot of high energy kids! I'm a bit exhausted, but there were some definite positive events today!
I started off in Sutton with a fourth grade class. This was a new environment because we were teaching in the classroom, not a music room. They had already performed their Spring Concert so we were going over some song flute music. Having 20+ 10 yr. olds all squeaking away on high-pitched instruments is not a fun thing to listen to, but once we got them settled down and playing together, I was impressed by their playing skills. When they divided into 2 parts, I got a chance to try conducting. It wasn't much, but by shouting 1 2 rest rest! everything stayed together! Then, we had to travel back to the 'home base' for a fourth grade class (more chorus singing, this time with dance moves!) and then one more observation of a fifth grade class.
After lunch, I taught my first real class! With the 3rd grade, I went through the Memorial Day lesson and got them started on the dulcimers. For my first stab at teaching, I think I adjusted really well (I realized they had missed last week's lesson and so I had to go over more information then planned on the folds of the flag). Other positives: they were perfectly behaved! Also during the dulcimers, I found two boys who didn't really seem to know what they were doing. It was great to straighten them out (literally turn it around so one was holding it the right way) and when we finished, they could play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.' That was really rewarding and I look forward to seeing how far they get next class! I think I need to work on being clear and concise in my explanations. I could tell by the end, the attention had wandered for a few. But I think this will come with experience. After reviewing the 1/2 grade lesson, I also got to work/teach a first grade class. We sang 'Fireflies' and I did the music theory lesson with them. Pros- they followed my directions and were involved in the lesson. Cons- I had a mishap with terminology and I think it mixed them up a bit so I'll have to be really careful to make sure they understand what I'm trying to convey. All in all it was a great day!

Take Two

Today I was ready to go for two classes- another 5th grade class and 2nd grade. First let me note, there is such a big difference between those three years! It was an entirely different environment. The fifth grade class was loud and rambunctious; my sponsor handled them well and I'll have to take a couple of notes out of her book. I'm going to take a try at teaching the 5th grade lesson tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous! Memorial Day is a serious topic for elementary schoolers and it is really important that they grasp its meaning and show the proper respect. It will be my first stab at teaching music!

Today, I also observed a second grade lesson. They started out by singing the ever-popular 'Fireflies'. Then, they practiced solfege (a method for teaching pitch) and I noticed significant improvement as they went through the 30+ cards. Pitch and the skips between them is a hard thing for second graders to grasp, but by the end, most were on (or close to) the pitch! Next, we went over the aspects of treble clef. A game of throwing bean bags onto the laminated note followed and I was surprised at how into the game they were. It was great to see them shouting out encouragement. I also noticed that the listening/game strategy was a good way to reward and reinforce good behavior. If they listened to the music theory part of class, they got to play a game. The class ended by going over some Memorial Day songs (the second grade will be singing on the risers), but disruptive behavior kept them from playing the last game. It's interesting though, 'disruptive behavior' isn't at all like the 5th graders, who (I think) speak out of turn to impress their peers. The second graders just have so much to say! And they want to share it with the teacher. One particular kid went off into a long tangent about a reenactment of the Battle at Fort McKinley (where the Star Spangled Banner was thought of) and he was so excited about it! I'm looking forward to teaching younger classes as well as the fifth grade class tomorrow!

Blast to the past

Today was my first day on site! It was weird pulling into the school parking lot like I was in elementary school again, except this time I was driving my own car and not riding in a big, yellow school bus. I signed in at the office and went over to the music classroom. The 'new' classroom (actually part of the old middle school) is a really good set-up. There's so much space and there aren't any worries about disturbing other classes! It should be a fun two weeks.
My first class today was a 5th grade class with a lesson on Memorial Day and dulcimers. The first part of class was mostly listening and learning the ropes on how class was run. I was surprised by how old the 5th graders seemed. Perhaps I was imaging elementary schoolers as 1/2 grade or perhaps I just think that was such a long time ago(!) but it was definitely a challenging experience for me. When they broke up into groups to play the dulcimers (a simple guitar-like instrument) I tried to connect individually. Some of the encounters went really well: one talented player strummed out a very fast pace 'happy birthday' tune for me. However, another kid was not confident about his playing. I was trying to convince him otherwise and then he had me tried to guess the song he was playing. I got it the first time, but then I couldn't guess the second one! It was a challenging situation. I really wanted to help him and I saw the opportunity to raise his confidence through a musical aspect, but although this situation didn't work out so well, I will be better prepared for any similar situations.
The second class went well. The fourth graders were preparing for their spring concert and I got to listen to a more chorus-styled class. They also auditioned for certain solos in the songs and I got to hear them sing individually. It was really heartening to see so many of them get up to audition! It's a big risk to get up and sing in front of your classmates so I was really pleased to see that a great majority of the class felt comfortable and safe in the classroom. It was a great first start to my senior project and I'm excited for the up-coming two weeks!

Project starts tomorrow! I took my AP Bio exam today. Can't wait to start teaching (and probably learning a whole lot too)!