They can read!!!

My first year teaching music, I assumed that my sixth graders knew how to read notation. I realized, about halfway through the year, that they didn't. I assumed this meant that their previous teacher hadn't done a great job with them. My next year, my sixth graders didn't seem to remember learning to read notation. That year, I knew exactly what they had been taught, so instead of placing blame, began trying harder to reinforce notation.

This year, finally, my students have retained from last year how to read notation. There are a few things I've been doing that I think I'll continue with. One thing I do is connect the staff to their hand. That was Guido's intention in the first place, and it seems to work. As students say Every Good Boy...or whatever, they touch each finger with the opposite hand, kind of like playing "this little piggy". Then they wiggle the appropriate finger at me (and I haven't yet had a student associate B on the third line with a vulgar hand gesture). This kinesthetic reinforcement seems to have made a difference.

I also make sure that students are learning to read music in association with playing it. Some teachers in my district will only allow students to play recorders after they can fill out a worksheet identifying all the notes. I'd rather use recorders as a teaching tool than a carrot, and I'm finally happy with the results. Today, I gave my sixth graders some easy notation and a review on recorder fingerings, and they figured out the songs with out me. Woo hoo!

Mainstreaming Special Ed with Music

At my schools, special ed students are mainstreamed for music. That means that a class of special education students (about 15) come to music at the same time as a regular class (32) in my little tiny classroom. My first year, they were just sent with an aid. After discussions with the principal, union reps, and others, we determined that their teacher needed to be present as well. It's still a very frustrating situation.

The worst part for me is the behavior. It's really difficult to manage the behavior of that many students in that small a space at one time. The special ed teacher doesn't do much to help, either. At first, I was hoping she would do all the management of her class since I don't know as much about their disabilities. That didn't work because she doesn't seem to monitor their behavior. So I teach all these students while monitoring and correcting behavior.

Here's what I've tried: Communicating with the teacher so that she'll be more involved with the lesson. Unfortunately, she seems really dingy and either interrupts me and the flow of teaching or just sits off to the side.

I've proposed giving them their own class time (can't because their IEPs specify mainstreaming them in music) or having just a few of them in many different music classes with an aid (the teacher wasn't willing to part with an aid for that much time).

I've tried having the teacher work with them in small groups while I do a whole-class activity with the rest. This doesn't work well when singing, and the time we did this while they were doing group activities, her group totally missed the objective, even though they were just writing what she told them to.

Has anyone had similar frustrations? Are there any suggestions you have? I love all of my students, but the current plan is just not conducive to learning.

Heat wave after spring break

This is the first day back from spring break, and boy is it hot! The air conditioner in my classroom is on a timer, which means it never comes on when I need it and the custodian can't change it. Despite that, I had a good teaching day. My sixth graders have been bothering me about singing a Beatles song, so today we did "Birthday".

First we listened to it and analyzed the form (ABCA). Then we sang along. After that, I told them we were going to compose something in ABCA form as a class. They did pretty well, altogether, although I need to work on having everyone participate in that sort of activity without them interrupting each other and shouting. Next week I'll have them write pieces in small groups so I can make sure they're all participating. But I was impressed with how they did. The first class's composition was mostly eighth notes and quarter notes, which was fine. The next class was worrying about pitch, as well. They ended up with a pretty interesting piece of music, and would have kept going if I hadn't stopped them. My last class's A section was quarter notes and eighth notes on an A, their B section was the famous Beethoven motive, and their C section was the class singing the "William Tell Overture". Fun.

After teaching, I resolved the issue of when my shows are (without any response from the principal). Then I drove to my other school and got the lyric-prompting posters ready for my students, so I can run over there tomorrow and be ready for their dress rehearsal.

It's good to be back in the swing of things.

Letting them choose

My sixth graders at one of my schools sing a song during their promotion ceremony on the last day of school. I've had a hard time convincing them to sing the past few years, so this year I decided to let them choose the song. I gave them choices that I thought were appropriate, from their textbook and from a subscription for music teachers, and had each student vote. With their vote, they had to give me a reason using music terminology, so I could use this for a grade, too.

I'm a little worried about the results, now. I haven't gone through them but most of my last class seemed to be voting for one that my other classes didn't like. If that wins, I'll have to hope they don't remember disliking it and just post the results. It was interesting the write-ins I got, too. One student voted for "The Bucky Rogers Theme Song" because it has a good message. I need to find out what that is. I also had votes for a Chris Brown song. Thankfully, there's no way that will be the winner.

UPDATE: Actually "The Buck Rogers Theme Song" actually would have been appropriate. I also had write-in votes for "Don't Worry" and "Let it Be".

Habits

Well, it looks like I'm keeping my job. It's amazing how relieved I feel. And now I keep thinking about all the things I can keep working on improving for next year.

Now that I'm in my third year of teaching, I finally feel like I know what I'm doing teaching, but lately I've noticed that my good habits cycle. Like lately I've been doing pretty well with keeping the students engaged: my 6th graders are starting to appreciate classical music, because I have them conduct it. My students get more comfortable with foreign-language songs because I have them listen while doing movement, or learning a percussion part the first few times.

On the other hand, I had stopped pointing out my objectives. I did that during my first few years as an induction requirement, and had continued to write them on the board. Today, I pointed them out to the students, as well as the plan for class, and we actually got through everything. I also had much fewer "requests".

I'm so glad I can continue to refine these kinds of things.

Assessing

Grades are due soon, so I've been trying to get caught up. Every year gets better, but it's still hard to have so many students to do grades for, especially when so many move away or just moved here.

Anyway, a lot of my grading is done by observation. I keep my seating charts in a page protector, and just put a mark on their names depending on if they can do what they're supposed to, and then I eventually enter those marks in my grades.

I've been trying to do some paper grades, as well. I think it helps me to be able to sit down and have something concrete to look at, and then if the teachers or principal has a question, I have something to show them. The students can give some really interesting answers, though.

In the beginning of the year, I had a substitute present a gospel version of "America the Beautiful" and then the students were supposed to describe the style. I had three students fill in the sheet that the style hurt their feelings. The first one made me laugh, but the third one made me frustrated.

I think I'm still trying to get the balance of assessment. Mostly I have to remind myself to pay attention and write it down, instead of just walking around and helping. Maybe someday I'll get a camcorder.

The Joys of Having a Sub

I'm out sick today. I've had this terrible cough for what seems like forever (the doctor said it may last a month) and have taken one or two days off per week since it started. I hate being out sick, though, because I never know what will happen in my class while I'm out. I've had several interesting substitutes, who rarely ever do what I want:

I had one actually follow my lesson plan (mostly) but teach my students (and somehow they retained this despite my best efforts) that saxophones are in the brass family of instruments. Of course, saxophones are made out of brass, but, by virtue of the reed mouthpieces, are actually in the woodwind family. Plus, no brass instruments have that many keys. But you have no idea how much it work to convince my students of that.

I had another teach my lesson plan to the tee, except she didn't have the students sing, because she herself didn't know how. So I had a music class listen to a song several times, but not actually making music, because somehow the substitute didn't feel qualified to say "sing along this time".

The worst, however, are when they completely ignore my lesson plan. I had a substitute recently who left no note whatsoever. So I asked the students what happened (and I hate having to ask my students what happens in my own classroom). They told me they watched a movie. I didn't leave a movie, and the only movie I found in the room when I returned was Back to the Future, which I think was for the after-school program. The students told me the movie was about musical instruments, so I don't think it was Back to the Future, but I wish the lady had returned my phone calls. At least I don't expect the office will schedule her for me again.

And sometimes there is no substitute for me. Then it's really embarrassing to ask my students what happened in my classroom. And I have to figure out how to "make-up" the time.

I have had a substitute lately, who I hope to have again today. He doesn't understand music, but leaves thorough notes, doesn't yell at the students, and when I get back there are stacks of papers they wrote, showing me that they did something. You would think leaving the book of lessons developed by our textbook series developed specifically for non-music substitutes would be a bit more idiot-proof.