How will I use my understanding
of communication and human behavior to create a classroom community that
fosters positive social interaction, collaboration and active inquiry?
I believe that teaching
is not just a career or a role one fills in life but a vocation, a calling with
heavy responsibilities. The teacher owes these responsibilities not only to the
students in his or her class, but also to the parents, the school and the
larger community in which the student lives. The teacher must, therefore, be a
builder of community at every level to which he or she is accountable, offering
his or her very best at all times and in all places.
I
know from the outset that wherever I teach, my standards for classroom behavior
will be quite high. This is not to say that I want an army of technicians who
leave their personalities and differences at the door, but if I wish to get any
learning or performing done, I must set the bar high and offer every
opportunity for my students to surpass it. My rules and expectations will be
stated quite clearly at the beginning of the school year, and I will put a
graduated system of discipline in place, so that I can curb destructive
behavior in the least obtrusive manner possible. The most useful tool for encouraging
learning behavior and eschewing distracting tendencies is to involve students
in a high-involvement learning environment. Music has both aesthetic and a
paraxial dimensions and to fully understand music one needs a good grasp of
both. Thus it is in my best interests to make sure that a great deal of
hands-on learning takes place at all times. I intend to engage the optimum
number of students at a time at any given moment and in any situation. In
choir, band, or orchestra, when I am focusing on a particular section I will
expect the other sections to be following along in their music, marking their
score and applying what I say to the other section to their own musical line.
Any expectations I make will, of course, be made known to my students at the
start of the school year.
Building
a positive classroom environment is essential before one can even think of
approaching the subject matter. Bullying, which I take to mean any form of
communication, verbal, physical or otherwise, which demeans any person, will
not be tolerated. I intend to make it clear to my students at the outset that
negative humor is no joking matter to me, and will not take place in my
classroom. There will be a large plaque in my room that reads, “If you can’t
say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Of course, I will have to model
this behavior in myself, which I know to be a challenge for me. Criticism must
always be preceded with an encouraging focus on what the student or choir did
right, and must also be given in a true spirit of charity. Then, and only then,
will my students both accept my criticism of their performance and have a
desire to do what I ask of them. My respect for them and their person and my
expectation that they will treat themselves and each other with respect will be
most effective in insuring a positive and productive learning environment.
Student interaction is a given in a group musical setting. Indeed, without
student collaboration, no music aside from solo repertoire could ever happen.
Mutual affection and amiability are necessities to making sure my classes run
smoothly and effectively, thus, I will employ many methods such as name games
and retreats to help students get to know one another. I will also voice place,
or chair place, in order to discourage the formation of cliques, and I will
assign quartets, or small groups, to branch relationships across sections.
The
most powerful project musicians can employ to build community is performance.
Nothing unifies a group of people so well as performing together, whether the
group is as small as soloist and accompanist or as large as a grand performing
ensemble. People share their selves in performance and unite to make something beautiful;
therefore I wish to stress performance opportunities in my classroom. As I
stated above, music is both aesthetic and paraxial. I wish to encourage the
development of the aesthetic through the paraxial, and by doing so I teach
music and unite persons at the same time. Performing for their peers in class
develops individual musicianship and confidence as well as addressing key
technical issues through the medium of a master class. Performing in small
ensembles such as string quartets and barber-shop groups enable students to
form close relationships and raise the standard of artistic excellence. Playing
for school sporting events, pep-rallies, or other school-wide events will not
only encourage my students to perform well and to do their best in class, but
will be a unifying force for the school. Nothing contributes more to the energy
of a crowd than a live pep-band playing for their team. This will also,
hopefully, foster mutual understanding and appreciation between the various
departments of the school, especially between musician and athletes. In
addition, the school community will ideally come to see music as an
approachable and attractive way of life, one which is very dear to them. The
benefits of such an arrangement cannot be overstated. Formal concerts, in which
the students dress up and perform standards of their respective repertoire,
also bring the school together and have a chance to make money for the school,
if they wish to charge an admission fee.
Performance in public concerts and
participation in national or regional festivals additionally bring together members
of the larger community. As is apparent whenever a school concert takes place,
parents flock to see their children perform, and it is a delightful thing to
behold when parents have a reason to shower their child with pride in his or
her achievements. The town or community usually rallies around a concert,
especially if it is well advertized, and success in competition gives the
community reason to be proud of their school and support its involvement in the
arts. This success brings with it touring opportunities, which advances the
school’s reputation and brings in additional support from increasingly larger
communities. The students themselves benefit greatly from performance
opportunities and the long-range goals of competition and travel.
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