Teaching Music!
Contentment:
For the past week I have been working pretty steadily in Greenville, Mississippi helping out with a summer camp and a play production. In both instances I've realized how much I've learned since I walked into my classroom the first day and took the plunge into being a music educator.
This is kind of a "toot my own horn" post, but I think it's important for me to recognize some of the things I'm doing well this summer, reflect on them, and apply them to my class this coming year.
Probably the coolest factor is having kids there that want to be there and it's very crucial. The kids at these camps have the resources to come and their parents have the money to afford it, which unfortunately sets it apart from others kids (such as the demographic at Lakeside). So that's definately a factor. However, I've realized that I deal with behavioral things right away and calmly, that "teacher cool" that I didn't have earlier I have pretty well during this camp. The offenses are minor, but I've been able to alter behavior without being a jerk and, more importantly, without feeling like a jerk.
The program I've been using is called "Recorder Karate," a very self-motivating program that rewards students who master a particular song and get rewarded a belt in response. As they master more difficult songs, they get better belts with the ultimate belt being, of course, the black belt. The kids love it, and thus I do too.
In the evenings I've been directing the choir for a production of "School House Rocks Live Jr." at the Delta Center Stage (actually the same building that the camp is in..an old High School run by a local non-profit arts council). This has also been a great experience that left me a little overwhelmed after the first night. We had 70 kids and I had to teach them two songs. Crazy. Luckily, I think they learned them pretty well: we had a cd as an accompaniment track and I've learned that those are the way to go. Teaching rhythm and different harmonies has also worked out well, and really my methods were very similar to how I taught my high school classes, so I'm hoping that it goes just as well this coming year (again, the omega factor is having kids that want to be in the class. That's my next big challenge). The play will be in late July, and, unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to the choral school I'm attending in Minnesota.
The confidence factor I was talking about is coming to me, and I'm very glad I took the opportunity to teach for these two weeks in different environments than my classroom: I feel vindicated, like I have a talent to share with my kids and they learn as a result. I felt that on occasion in my classroom, but there was always so much fighting to get to that point. At least in this environment I know I can do it. Now the talent is to transfer it into a different environment. Wish me luck.
On a completely random note, I've become addicted to late 70s, early 80s post-Gabriel Genesis thanks to the re-releasing and re-mastering of said albums.
(T-Minus 5 days until I'm back in Washington)
Cheers,
-Nate
"Times were good. She never thought about the future, she just did what she would. Ah but she really cared, about her music. It all seemed so important then. And she dreamed that every time that she performed, everyone would cry for more. That all she had to do was step into the light, and everyone would start to roar."- Genesis (Duchess)
For the past week I have been working pretty steadily in Greenville, Mississippi helping out with a summer camp and a play production. In both instances I've realized how much I've learned since I walked into my classroom the first day and took the plunge into being a music educator.
This is kind of a "toot my own horn" post, but I think it's important for me to recognize some of the things I'm doing well this summer, reflect on them, and apply them to my class this coming year.
Probably the coolest factor is having kids there that want to be there and it's very crucial. The kids at these camps have the resources to come and their parents have the money to afford it, which unfortunately sets it apart from others kids (such as the demographic at Lakeside). So that's definately a factor. However, I've realized that I deal with behavioral things right away and calmly, that "teacher cool" that I didn't have earlier I have pretty well during this camp. The offenses are minor, but I've been able to alter behavior without being a jerk and, more importantly, without feeling like a jerk.
The program I've been using is called "Recorder Karate," a very self-motivating program that rewards students who master a particular song and get rewarded a belt in response. As they master more difficult songs, they get better belts with the ultimate belt being, of course, the black belt. The kids love it, and thus I do too.
In the evenings I've been directing the choir for a production of "School House Rocks Live Jr." at the Delta Center Stage (actually the same building that the camp is in..an old High School run by a local non-profit arts council). This has also been a great experience that left me a little overwhelmed after the first night. We had 70 kids and I had to teach them two songs. Crazy. Luckily, I think they learned them pretty well: we had a cd as an accompaniment track and I've learned that those are the way to go. Teaching rhythm and different harmonies has also worked out well, and really my methods were very similar to how I taught my high school classes, so I'm hoping that it goes just as well this coming year (again, the omega factor is having kids that want to be in the class. That's my next big challenge). The play will be in late July, and, unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to the choral school I'm attending in Minnesota.
The confidence factor I was talking about is coming to me, and I'm very glad I took the opportunity to teach for these two weeks in different environments than my classroom: I feel vindicated, like I have a talent to share with my kids and they learn as a result. I felt that on occasion in my classroom, but there was always so much fighting to get to that point. At least in this environment I know I can do it. Now the talent is to transfer it into a different environment. Wish me luck.
On a completely random note, I've become addicted to late 70s, early 80s post-Gabriel Genesis thanks to the re-releasing and re-mastering of said albums.
(T-Minus 5 days until I'm back in Washington)
Cheers,
-Nate
"Times were good. She never thought about the future, she just did what she would. Ah but she really cared, about her music. It all seemed so important then. And she dreamed that every time that she performed, everyone would cry for more. That all she had to do was step into the light, and everyone would start to roar."- Genesis (Duchess)
posted by Nate at
2:48 PM
1 Comments:
Sounds like you've made alot of progress! Keep that confidence!
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