Jazz Concert Success

Last night was our "Fall Jazz Festival." Our school had conspired with two other schools to have a Fall Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, the other schools couldn't participate. But, we still had a fabulous time. Sonny Carreno, dear friend and awesome jazzer, was our guest director. We had three master classes (saxes, brass and rhythm section) as part of our day. The students were marvelous. They never complained about anything and they played very well. One of the joys of having this day together was how the students interacted when we weren't rehearsing. You'd think they'd be tired of making music, but as soon as we took a break, they'd get a drink, use the restroom and then start messing around. It was awesome -- it was music all day! This made me think about how too much structure in the classroom might actually be a detriment to learning. Sure, I learned a lot in my music classes, but there is something essential to that "messing around" time. In fact, I don't think a musician can ever become a jazz musician without that chance to mess around. I believe I need to build this into my program. Thanks, students, for teaching me something new... again!

Post-concert week

This week is post-concert week. We had our fall concert on Friday evening, and it was a success. It seems concerts are the most difficult thing for me. I feel anxious and troubled about how it is going to go. Then, there is the euphoria of the event and the happiness at the appreciation from parents and audience.

And, THEN, there is the next week. Concert reflections, turn in old music, hand out new music, and begin all over again... only now our routines seem stale, the struggle with the new music is not nearly as exciting now, students are antsy and frustrated with each other, and I'm shocked at how unaccomplished they seem all of a sudden.

This year, it does seem that the flow of things is a little better. They did have most of the Christmas music ahead of the fall concert and we have been working on it. Not everything is disastrous! But, oh, the joy of actually making the music! And, therein lies my challenge. We need to MAKE MUSIC every day. We can't wait until the "polishing" weeks. We need to make music every, single day.

So, tomorrow... back to high standards! Back to insistence on the small things. They have let down because I have let down. No more will my weariness pull them down! I vow to try to Teach Like a Champion!

Journal Reflection #1

1. UTILIZING ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES TO CREATE/MAINTAIN CLASSROOM CULTURE

Since I am teaching my own class for student teaching, I actually spent a tremendous amount of time in the summer planning for the first days of class. I used the book "The First Days for School: How to be an Effective Teacher," by Harry Wong and Rosemary Wong as my go-to resource for my planning. I kept extensive notes on this process.

First, I have a document called "Preparation for First Day." It includes the following categories:

• Call/Email students with welcome, first day instructions, general information
• To Post in class -- posters, teacher name, room number, concert dates, set up bulletin boards for each class
• Plan to be professional -- choose early my best school outfit, be prepared to wear a smile
• Be organized -- a place for everything and everything in its place (this is a long list!)
• Discipline plan -- posted
• Update Orchestra handbook -- has much information for students including grading policies, dress code, information for parents and much more!
• Prepare 1st and 2nd assignments.

The Lesson Plan for the first day (shortened version) -- Objective -- Set up positive classroom environment

• At door offering greeting. (Students 1st assignment on assigned seats. They get right to work, even before bell rings.)
• Introduce self and strings teacher.
• Introduce discipline plan (including why we have one) -- consequences and rewards. (I devised the rules based on what common issues have been in past years.)
• Classroom procedures -- Starting class, handing in papers (practice with 1st assignment), quieting the class (hand raised), using the restroom/getting a drink (class passes), ending class. Students are informed there will be more procedures to come and that we'll practice procedures until we have them down pat -- and will re-practice if we start to slip!
• Practice dismissal procedure.

Then, the next days of school, we practice these very carefully and diligently. It worked wonderfully well this year, and I felt like the year had a great start. I was glad to see much of this work reinforced in the Lemov text.

2. CLASSROOM CULTURE PRINCIPLES

1. Discipline -- I was struck that the Wong book uses the term "routines" in the same way that the Lemov book uses the term "Discipline". I like this use of the word -- it implies that we are teaching students self-discipline by teaching them to do things in a specific, orderly and routine way. I particularly like the phrase "I teach discipline," rather than the more commonly heard phrase "I discipline my class." We teach them discipline so they may successfully manage themselves. The Lemov text and Wong text both state that we must give them opportunity to practice the discipline. What a beautiful thing! My classes are much more self-disciplined this year and we have much more time to work because I do not have to manage everyone's behavior moment-by-moment.
2. Management -- To reinterpret a bit, my view on management is to reinforce the discipline when necessary. It is the best means for consistency in the classroom. I am struck by my need to constantly be aware of minor slips, and, consequently, to decide what is my appropriate response. A look may suffice, or a touch on the shoulder, or sometimes even a significant glance at the "Classroom Canon" (class rules), or whether a verbal reminder has become needed or whether a consequences must be issued. My awareness and responses keep the classroom humming along. If I get lazy and start to overlook things, discipline degrades -- slowly at first, then gathering speed. (Don't ask me how I know!! Yikes!)
3. Control -- Generally, this has not been an issue for me. My natural personal style involves persuasion as a key characteristic. However, from the Wong book, I learned that I have even more success if I make the "request" with a "please" and "thank you." It demonstrates that I respect the student(s) and that I believe that they will respond to me positively. In addition, there is an importance to smile at the students, even while making a management request -- "Daniel, will you please put both feet on the floor. Thank you!" with a pleasant smile -- this yields immediate positive results. I believe that the students here at Bethany are unusually compliant. I enjoy that reality!
4. Influence -- I have a poster in my room that says "Every expert was once a beginner." I tell my students that they have boundless capacity to achieve and that we are going to have success -- but not only success... Excellence. This is new for me this year. I feel that I am finding my way out of survival mode in the classroom and learning how to use influence to inspire some students. I continue to work at this. Today I am putting up a new poster that uses a point in the Lemov text -- 100%. We will begin to practice this in the classroom. 100% engagement. 100% of instruments up on time. 100% of eyes. I'm excited about how using 100% may influence those who are coasting along to ante up and carry their load.
5. Engagement -- Keeping students fully engaged in orchestra is usually not too difficult. However, at times, the pacing of the classroom does get complicated. I am learning how to engage everyone better. For example, I know that if I'm belaboring a passage with one section, I can get the other sections to listen and assist and interact better by simply asking for certain responses. "Listen for the trumpets alternating staccato and tenuto notes in these two measures." Sometimes I can get everyone involved by mimicking what they hear (maybe on a concert F, for example). I am not the greatest at this yet. I get my brain down into the details of why the heck don't the trumpets know this part yet -- why aren't they practicing!? -- and fail to engage the class. A side-benefit of engaging everyone this way is that the trumpets also know their classmates (their teammates!) are listening specifically for what I am trying to reinforce. I believe I have a ways to go yet on this point.

DIFFICULT STUDENT

One student that is sometimes difficult for me is my own son. He is a junior student with a great deal of natural ability -- and he knows it. Therefore, he is sometimes quite lazy because he can be "good enough" resting on natural ability. He also has a sense of entitlement -- to my room, my resources, etc. In class, he will test me and I have failed to treat him as I do the other students. I realized upon reading this text and musing over this journal question that my tack with him has been faulty. I do not treat him as I do the other students. I am much more negative with him and tend to give him direct "motherly" orders. "Andrew, sit up!" Rather than the anonymous and positive statement, "We need 100% of students with proper posture." I was blaming him for not toeing the line when it has been my inconsistent treatment of him causing the problem. He is unknowingly responding to my inconsistency with a challenge. I am going to try to change my focus with him. I have been thinking to myself that he should be a model student because he is my son, and then feeling angry with him because he is not. I am going to try to think of him more as I do the other students. He is there for me to teach -- not to support my role as a teacher in the classroom.

What works.

A clock.

Not just any clock, but a clock that checks the time with a weather tower. I can't believe how it helps the pacing of my class to know for certain just when that bell will ring.

Simple.

A clock.

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A smile.

"Smile at your students" the Wong & Wong book says. Last week, I believe I forgot to smile at them. When I forget, my face must turn into a scowl. When I smile, they smile back. When I smile, they look at me. When I smile, I feel happier, too.

Simple.

A smile.

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What works.

Sometimes the smallest things work. Case in point -- I'm always searching everywhere for where I last left my scores, trying to find them to study or write lesson plans. Two days ago, I stuck them in the back of my HS Orchestra binder (which has state standards, unit plans, lesson plans, roster, seating chart, schedule, homework, etc.) I'm not quite sure why I put them there. But, since I did, I always have had them for class and I've always had them with me when I wanted to work on a lesson plan. It's such a "no-brainer," but what a relief to finally have a home for them after teaching for three full years.

Study Effective Teachers

My dream -- to be an inspiring music teacher. But, this blog is about effective teachers. As I ponder this difference, I am puzzled that I never thought about the inspiration versus the effectiveness of my work as a teacher. I'm rather chagrined to discover that the more appropriate goal, and most helpful for my students, is to be an effective teacher. An inspiring teacher may be riveting, engaging, and, well... inspiring... all the while being completely ineffective. Contrarily, an effective teacher may have inspiring moments, but true effectiveness means that students are learning, growing and being challenged. Inspiration may have more to do with personality or energy, while effectiveness has to do with a long lasting desire to learn.

I have a college professor who is an inspiring, effective teacher. She inspires me because I mysteriously connect with her, or at least think that I do. She motivates me by who she is. I gain energy and excitement from being in her classroom. She is also effective. When I leave her classroom and I am charged with completing my homework or assignment or project, she is not there to inspire me. Her effective instruction and thoughtful assignments are what I actually lean on when I am away from her. The things that she has taught me will go with me. She's given me a gift. I can succeed without her.

I had another college professor last semester who did not inspire me as much. Though I felt he lectured well and easily engaged me in class, I did not feel inspired in the same way that I do with the professor from this semester. However, his effectiveness was equal to that of my inspiring teacher. His class was well prepared. The assignments were meaningful and pointed me a direction that caused me to learn and grow. I felt he was readily approachable, helpful and thoughtful. Again, the things that he taught me will go with me.

So, the question yet to explore -- can a teacher be inspiring without being effective? I believe this might be more rare than either of the other two cases. (Unfortunately, there are far too many cases where the teacher is neither inspiring nor effective.) Though rare, I will hazard a guess that it does exist. I once had a music teacher who inspired me to practice and inspired me to perform. But, when my work with him was complete, I found that I was left with little long-term increase in knowledge. I had played important works without learning about the composer, the form and structure, the genre, the historical events that occurred when the piece was written. I had not learned how style connects to history nor how to approach the next piece with an independent mind to interpretation. In short, I left with a touch more technical skill, but just as ignorant of music as when I entered the class. Still, I love this teacher. He did inspire me to continue to play. He did inspire me to compete. He did inspire me to study music in college. So, in the end, his effectiveness was related to long-term motivation. For other students, though, he must have been sorely ineffective. Many did not go on to study music, and they must have been left with some vague notion of band music and its relation to school-life, but little else.

The things that I have observed from my effective teachers:

• well-planned lessons
• organized class periods and coursework
• thought-provoking assignments
• clear objectives
• a passion for the content
• thorough knowledge of the content
• a willingness to learn

I might dream of being an inspiring teacher, but I will aspire to be an effective teacher.

Recharge Your Batteries

My batteries have run down.

Right now I travel back and forth from Bethany Christian Schools to Goshen College in a frantic attempt to cover all of my responsibilities. When I go home, my energy is nearly completely spent and preparations for the next day must start. I keep thinking to myself, "when classes are over...", or "when spring break is here...", or even, last spring, "when summer comes." But, the truth is, when those times come, I'm ill-prepared to recharge those batteries.

This semester, I've tried to take a more active approach to recharging my batteries. What I've learned is that you need to find some way to renergize, not just to relax (though relaxation may be a part of reenergizing). When I have downtime, I have a tendency to want to "veg out" and do nothing. Doing nothing might rest my body, but it does not bring any new energy into my soul.

I have been keeping a journal. Journaling has given me time to reflect and to empty my thoughts onto paper. I like to journal when I have time and it is an emotional carthasis for me. Yet, I don't think it is necessarily the best way for me to recharge my batteries. I think it is better for me to 1) exercise, 2) read, and 3) play music.

In the end, then, my practice of journaling hasn't been the best way to recharge. At the end of this semester, what I've realized is that the way I've recharged my batteries all semester is to play music. I've accompanied the Goshen College choirs. I've played in the Goshen College orchestra. I've played in the festival orchestra. I've played at church. I've played in my classes and I've played at home. While my principal has encouraged me to reduce outside commitments (such as accompanying), this is the key thing for me that actually revives my energy to continue doing what I must!

For next school year... no, wait... beginning at the end of this college semester, I will use my newly "relaxed" schedule to plan time for exercise, for reading and for playing music. My students will benefit. My family will benefit. More importantly, I will be getting on with the business of living a rich life, doing what I love to do, and centering myself in the disciplines which give me strength.