Learning is a process, not an event.

Thoughts and ideas to help stressed out teachers, or new teachers, get an idea on the "art" of teaching.  ...sometimes we just need the basics.  These thoughts are structured for a 45 minute middle school music, chorus, or band class (some of the ideas are very generalized [this is not my doctoral level writing!] because some teachers need, "What do I do?  I want application, not philosophy.")

Class time structure:

• 5-7 minutes: opening, familiar exercises, “group focus” to start the class; something they know, is relatively easy, but may include things for them to gradually learn.  Start class off with what they know; trust this.
• 15-18 minutes: review previous material (activate prior knowledge [my whole doctoral study was about this and how it helped low-socioeconomic students learn and retain material]).  Generally, review material in huge overlapping circles - things from last month to last week to yesterday.  It should be easy things.  The more review, the more they will retain, the better they will get at it, the more successful they will feel, they will enjoy the class, and they will be better musicians.  They will retain it over time.  Speak in fundamental terms and concepts: “What was important about this exercise?”  “Why did we learn line 9?”  They will retain what you said and thus learn fundamentals; trust this.
• 10 minutes: introduce new material using a steady, methodical, slow, academic process.  60%-80% of them need need to be successful through each step of the learning process.  Summarize by having students demonstrate their learning through clapping, singing, saying, or some other means that they have a grasp on what you wanted them to learn.  It doesn’t have to be a final product; have them demonstrate - through any means - that they learned the concept.  “Show me that you know what I’m talking about” and get 2-3 kids to show you.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, their demonstration gives you the basis and starting point for tomorrow’s learning goal; the next day, either review/re-teach, or solidify and move on.  One day use the SmartBoard, one day clap, one day count, one day sing, one day say syllables - there’s your 5 day teaching pattern...
• 5 minutes: do something they can do well; do big chunks of things if you can.  It doesn’t matter if it sounds good, bad, or ugly - let them enjoy participating.  Let them sing w/the CD, turn the CD up too loud to drown out how terrible it is if you have to - it will get better in time.  If it’s terrible, it gives you an indication of what you need to work on the next week or two; trust this.

Learning skill before learning concept is OK (Orff, Suzuki).  They are successful with the idea, then they learn about the idea.  That makes them interested in learning the academic part b/c they already know the outcome (musical part).  Continue developing your plan.  Nothing is perfect.  Use yours for a week (don’t give up on it too soon), and then tweak (don’t kill) your plan to make it a little better.  Sample:

1. Identify measure(s) to learn.
2. Teacher claps short rhythm pattern; not necessarily the entire rhythm-could be only ½ of the rhythm (measure) to learn.  (demonstrate)
3. Teacher claps rhythm, students echo pattern.  Repeat, then add next section of pattern.  Don’t do more than two sections (rhythms at a time).  Take your time; learning is a process, not an event; trust this.
4. Teacher demonstrates with clapping and singing tah, ti, tu, to, ta with rhythm.  Students echo.
5. Gradually piece together each element - building on prior knowledge - until the whole thing is done.  This usually isn’t done in one class period!

You need to know what is in their head (what they know correctly, what they know incorrectly, and what they don’t know at all).  For the students to demonstrate that they know rhythm (and this is not a fast process, but cyclical),

• Always use all three aural, visual, and kinesthetic modes for teaching (for everything).  Therefore, use at least two of the below at all times; overlap creates reassurance, creates security, creates learning, creates students who understand, creates individual thinkers, and creates (eventually) musicians; trust this.
• Clapping reveals where the students think the beginning of the note is, nothing more.  It is least stressful when the rhythm is easy or the pattern familiar.  It is most effective for review of prior knowledge rhythms.  This is not a good method for learning new, complicated patterns b/c the students have to pay attention, focus, and try very hard; this creates many errors which causes frustration for students & teacher.  
• Singing (du, dah, dot, deet, lah, etc.) reveals how long the note lasts, but not necessarily the beginning of the note b/c they can “sneak in” with the vowel from the person beside them; it is OK, but provides unclear data for the teacher.  However, it is fun; it’s OK.
• Tizzling reveals, to some degree, beginning and ending of note, but is better at revealing style, accents, articulations, and dynamics.  It is great for articulations and dynamics.
• Singing syllables (tu, ta, ti) can help, but is a barrier initially for demonstrating rhythm or length b/c the singing the correct syllable gets in the way.  Syllables significantly drop the participating, engagement, and effort of the students (to about 30%) to show you what they know.  They are concerned w/singing the correct word; trust this.  To offset this somewhat, have them sing a single syllable (tah) for the entire rhythm, and progress slowly to the correct syllables; learning is in stages, not all at once; trust this.  Say the correct syllable (in rhythm) and then sing it.
• Counting is similar to singing syllables - it must be practiced regularly and routinely on simple patterns to have 80%+ engagement.  It is good for the teacher to demonstrate and the students to practice very slowly, but it is extremely difficult (and time consuming) to have high engagement and high accuracy b/c MS kids are just too concerned about making a mistake in front of others.  For my students, counting seems to be very academic and not a tool at all to help learn rhythms or demonstrate knowledge (I have other research to support this); trust this.
• On a display (SmartBoard, etc.) have an example of the pattern to learn.  Point to the rhythm and use all of the techniques above to demonstrate.  Have kids repeat after you.  This is effective for 75%+ engagement of students.

Word bank

• Do the best you can.  (tests, singing alone/in small groups)
• Is this one similar or different than that one?  How can you tell?
• What do you see in this measure?
• OK, let me hear what you mean.  (play/sing/say that for me)
• Show me how you know ____.
• Raise your hand if you think the answer is “Yes….”  “No….”  “I don’t know….” (always include that last one)  This creates a safe-answer environment.
• Rate yourself by showing me with your fingers 1-5 how well you understand that (1 is not at all/terrible, 5 is perfect, ready to perform)
• Self-discipline: what you use on your self internally to follow instructions and do the right thing.  Discipline is external and what I use on you when you don’t use internal self-discipline.

Philosophy

• Teach only fundamentals.  When there is something new to learn, relay it to a specific fundamental the students have already learned.  “This is similar to….” or “This should remind you of….” or “This is an extension of….”
• Don’t give tests on Friday.  Have “fun Friday” whatever that means to you and to them.  You want them to go home being glad they were a part of your class.
• Pick 1 (one) thing you want them to learn for the class period; everything else is a bonus.  Count, clap, say, solfege, and sing words to a 4 measure section of music is not one thing, it is 20 (5 times 4 measures).
• Praise the kids for their learning the one thing.
• Teach to the top of the class at least one day each week.
• Regularly (daily) praise the kids who excel, exceed the standard.

Classroom management

• There’s no such thing as classroom management.  The classroom is made of cement bricks.  It’s all about (student) behavior management; similar to dog training.  You have to (sorry to say) train them (over and over again) to do what you want.  Dogs are easier to train b/c they want to please their owner (our dogs can learn something new [and repeat it] after one time [ring the bell, marshmallows, etc.]); 12 year olds (generally) want to be rebellious.  It’s not your fault or a reflection on you - they get it from their parents and (usually) treat their parents the same way.
• Numbered outline on board so kids know what to do.  If they ask, just say, “Look at the board,” or “Look at number 1.”  “Everyone, do number 3 on the board.”  This keeps the stress off you, reinforces the students to read and do for themselves, etc.  Sometimes it is slow, but sometimes you have to dig in your heels too and not let a 12 year old dictate how the class is run.
• Have a school approved writing assignment folder ready with paper and pencil in it.  Tell disruptive students, “Complete assignment 1 and turn it in at the end of class.  If you don’t finish, you’ll have to continue the next day until you’re through.  You can’t participate in class again until you have finished this assignment.”  You keep the writing assignment and student copy each day for documentation.  Have a separate area for them to do their assignment, possibly away from the other students.
• Move talkers away to a different part of the classroom; isolated.  Better to have one student upset b/c they got disciplined than have one student disrupt you and the education/learning of 25 kids.  They’re young, they’ll get over it.
• Use one word commands: sit, stop, look, no, quiet, now, don’t, etc.  It’s even hard for a 12 year old to argue with one word commands.