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.

Practice Democratic Principles

In my high school orchestra class, I realized today that I practice democratic principles. We just completed our Orchestra Festival last weekend. Therefore, it is time to turn our attention to the Spring Concert. In Full Orchestra and in Concert Band, we discussed the repertoire we just performed and whether we wanted to perform it for the spring concert. We ended up "taking a vote" about the pieces. Then, we chose a couple of new pieces. First, we listened to a few options, and again, we voted about the preferred options.

It seems that the students really like to have a say in what they learn and perform. As I become more experienced as a teacher, I feel like I am able to present them with better, higher quality, educationally sound options. Then, it is easier for me to accept their decisions about what we are performing. I still reserve the right to make programmatic changes to make a better balanced program, since concerts tend to be "high stake" events. The music program is deemed "good" or "weak" based on our performances, so it seems critical to present the students' abilities in the best possible light.

In another class, we have discussed classroom "problems" and worked at some solutions together. For example, we have been working on classroom management issues in Middle School orchestra. The class simply talks too much. They are happy and having fun, and the result for middle school students is chattering. So, we devised together a reward system for them. I have worked much harder at my own behavior to help enable better behavior in the students. I believe that the students having a say in the classroom environment has helped them to participate better in making changes in classroom behavior.

Get Political - 3

Obama sends 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

My heart sinks with these words. In my choir class, we are singing these words

Sing our song of peace and brotherhood,
Come on and lift your voice.
Then in peace we'll live together
And all nations will rejoice.

Oh let there be peace and brotherhood,
Treat every person as we should
Let there be peace and brotherhood
And all nations will rejoice.

My hopes for our country have been small in one way, grandiose in another way. I would like us to stop meddling in other countries' affairs. I realize that the issues are complex and that my "solution" is simplistic. I realize that great harm can come to many people if malevolent earthly powers are allowed to persist aggression against others. But, how can we possible solve a violence problem with more violence.

I am reminded of a show I guiltily watch when my family is away (sometimes even when they are home!) called Super-nanny. She deals with families whose children are wild and out-of-control. It is a fascinating psychological study as she teaches parents how to handle their children and effect peace in the household. Some children hit, spit, bite and kick their parents. Some parents respond by spanking, slapping, shaking, and pinching. Super-nanny describes these parents as causing aggression by being aggressive with their children. She shows them an alternate approach that works -- it is persistent, consistent, and effective. It is also non-physical. She has a variety of techniques set up from reward systems to effective use of time-outs to actual training strategies.

Why are we so uncreative when it comes to dealing with aggressive countries and other "enemies"? Will aggression and violence put an end to aggression and violence?

Getting Involved with People Different from Me - 3

My neighborhood is diverse. I like that about my neighborhood. We have white families, black families, hispanic families, young families, older couples, middle-agers like us. We aren't a very prosperous neighborhood, but it doesn't seem to matter much. I feel safe there. When we first moved in, of course, I felt uncertain like anyone does in a new location. But, as we've gotten to know our neighbors a little and been around home, it seems like a great place to be.

We have made friends with almost all our neighbors. My husband is a very neighborly person. I was raised on a farm and our neighbors were quite spread out, and my family of origin liked it that way. When Steve and I married and moved into town, I was terribly uncomfortable in the city. It was never dark. It was always noisy. There were people close to the house... it felt like people walking by on the street were in my yard! On the farm, it would have been in our large yard! But, now, I like sitting on the front porch in the summertime, watching people walk by, waving at anyone who seems friendly, whether I know them or not. So many people say something friendly-like, and it feels like we have community. My husband is extrememly extroverted -- he's never seen a stranger, only friends he hasn't met yet. It's taken me a long time to get used to this trait, and he's put me into quite a few uncomfortable circumstances, but it has taught me something very important. No matter how different we are, we all want the same things: someone to affirm you, someone to encourage you and someone to love you.

I feel proud of my neighbors. They might be surprised to hear it. I'm not sure why I have this warm feeling toward them, except perhaps for the fact that they are so friendly and that they are the reason my neighborhood feels safe to me. But, I also feel some pride for my hispanic neighbors who always seem to have friends over. I feel pride for the unemployed, undocumented mother raising five children with grace and humility. I feel pride for the older couple who can't work easily in their yard, but continue to persist with help from their adult children. I feel proud of our overly fastidious neighbor who literally walks around his yard picking up stray leaves that fall after raking, and grooming his tiny lawn to perfection. I am proud of the white dread-locked neighbor who helped me jump-start my car the very first day we came to our new home to clean it before we moved in. I feel pride for us, too. I am proud that I can come from a farm and make peace with living in the city. I am proud that my husband knows all the neighbors and all their names... and can remember them. I am proud of my son who sits on the front porch, or climbs out the back window to sit on the roof, and plays his guitar and sings, hopefully delighting the passersby and the neighbors.

All these folks are different from me. But, they now belong to me, to my heart, in a special way from hence forward.