When I observed Adam, I got to see his 2nd grade general music classes and his 6th grade general music class. Overall, his Kodaly teaching style was very effective at keeping things moving and having kids quickly transition from singing, to movement, to using white boards to write out rhythms. There were a variety of activities that clearly corresponded to Kodaly's prepare, present, practice. To prepare for full notation they sang a song with different pitches being represented by pictures of bells on the staff. He presented syncopation by teaching the song "Liza Jane" and coloring the lyrics where there was a short-long-short rhythmic pattern. Finally, there were several activities that practiced musical skills such as arranging magnets with rhythms and reading them aloud as well as marching to Engine Engine.
Classroom management was incredibly smooth due to fully laid out lessons and strict routines. Every class starts with a welcome song, which Adam will often sing in different languages, that students walk in singing. The class then says their class pledge, which is simply expectations for music class such as being respectful, being good listeners, and being musical. Next Adam has the objectives, or goals, written out for the class that he has two volunteers read, helping to connect english and music for the students. Finally at the end of the class, the expectations stated in the introduction are revisited where a student gets to check mark on the board if they met the expectations which is determined by reflection on the part of both the students and the teacher. This creates a reward system for the entire class to follow expectations in a positive and communal way. I learned a great amount by observing Adam's brilliant use of routine and planning. He created a very welcoming and productive classroom environment while being a great example of a Kodaly teacher.
0 Comments
The first time I observed Caleb Cutler, I saw his 8th grade guitar, 6th grade general music, 6th grade chorus, and 7th grade guitar. Immediately I was put to work and learned how to restring a guitar as well as how to use the big copy machines they have. Additionally, I got to get to know a few students well. Caleb had me help two students organize the choral music in his office where we got to some time to talk as well.
Observing Caleb's teaching, he has a very vibrant teaching personality. His classroom management most of the time consisted of connecting with the student that was talking or off task by poking just a little bit of fun or asking how their weekend was, just to regain their attention. In terms of teaching style, he used a lot of peer modeling. In the guitar class he would point the doc cam at the students fingers so that people could learn from both what they played correctly and what mistakes they made. Other ways I got to participate were through helping students with theory worksheets in the general music class and helping Caleb to assess the guitar playing, which he is clear about grading based on tone, note/rhythmic accuracy, and a sense of pulse. When I observed Jamie I saw her drama, chorus, general music classes, and the fall play rehearsal. In general, there was a good amount of student leadership in her classes. In her drama classes, they had a sort of warm-up activity where students were tasked with creating a tableau of a particular scene and then having one student director make changes. The choir warm-ups were lead entirely by student leaders from the 8th grade chorus where they even taught a new warm-up song with multiple voice parts. When there wasn't a lot of student leadership, there was student autonomy. In the general music classes, students were given demos and chances to play drum set, bass, guitar, and keyboard and then have the freedom to pick which one to practice and use for a project. In terms of classroom management, her main technique was to remind students of expectations and possible losing of privileges if they don't follow those behavioral expectations. This pre-management proved to be fairly effective.
Overall, even though I did not personally participate in the classes, I could see that the students had respect for Jamie and that she was able to clearly teach musical, as well as dramatic, concepts. |
AuthorReese Massey recounts her observations of elementary and secondary music teachers during her time in pre-practicum. Archives
November 2019
Categories |