First Day Activities

The first day of school usually proves to be an exhausting day for teachers and a relatively boring day for students. Lots of guidelines, and policies, and syllabi, and not enough activity and FUN. Most of them are excited to be back in school, with all of there friends, and in a safe environment. We should capitalize on that concept!

My first day activities always include 2 key ingredients: the "Syllabus Scavenger Hunt" and an activity that gets them engaged and speaking.

The Syllabus Scavenger Hunt takes the typical policy review to a fun level. I make a list of the key information I want the students to review with me the first day of class. I create a PowerPoint presentation with each key point phrased as a question and appearing on mouse clicks. Some of the questions have follow-up questions (How many performances do we have this year? When are they?).

For each correct answer, I give the student a small piece of candy; I usually buy one of those humongous bags of candy, such as Dum-dums, Jolly Ranchers, or a mix of types of candy. I call on a different student for each answer if the question has multiple answers. There are enough questions in the activity that every student is able to earn one piece, if not two or three pieces of candy.

Yes, it is a bit like bribing them to participate, but yes, it works! They look through the syllabus to find the answers as quick as they can.

Most recently, the activity that got them engaged and speaking was an online resource: Incredibox.

In between the Scavenger Hunt and this activity, I shared with the students what I had been doing over the summer (knee surgery, my garden, my Musikgarten classes, etc.) and I wanted them to share something about their summer. Usually just asking them to share out-loud earns me eye-rolls and groaning. But I added a twist.

I demonstrated the coolness that is Incredibox, then made the stipulation that if they wanted the opportunity to interact with the program, they would have to share, out-loud, something about their summer. Hook, line, and sinker. They were so enthralled with the program that they were BEGGING to share! It really gave me the chance to get to know them, while they just wanted to "play the game."

If you are not familiar with Incredibox, go play with it now for a few minutes. I'll wait here...

...

Fun, right? It exposes students to the concepts of looping and phrases and effects, while seeming like a game. My 6-year-old loves to play it at home!

After the student shared a detail from their summer, they could interact in whatever method they wanted to with the program: add a character, delete/add a character, mute a character, or mute everyone except that character. And my classroom students picked up on the bonus fills very quickly; some would watch the screen carefully and then volunteer to speak when the bonus was activated :)

This activity does require a computer with internet access and a method to display the screen for the entire class to view, as well as a decent set of speakers.

What activities work for you first day? If you do try Incredibox, stop by and comment with how your students interacted with it. Have a great start to the school year!

Nature versus Nurture via "The Talent Code"

As a music teacher, I have taught thousands of students over the past 12 years. Among those thousands are the small percentage of super-talented students, some of whom choose a career in music. These students have a love of music, an intrinsic motivation to constantly improve, and recognize that hard work pays off. No, they are not all music "prodigies." Their effortless ability is a result of passion and practice.

I recently read "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle. Being a person who witnesses this talent every year, I wanted to see the insight Coyle could bring to this process. Are there really prodigies? Or is it simply the result hard work and ambition?

Coyle found that these prodigies are simply people with a combination of intense desire and purposeful practice. These talented people, whether in art, sports, or academics, have a targeted focus, gather the necessary resources to make progress towards that focus, and practice purposefully & deeply to achieve the focus. The process is rather scientific.

"Skill is a cellular insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows in response to certain signals." (page 15)

"Deep practice is built on a paradox: struggling in certain targeted ways - operating at the edges of your ability, where you make mistakes - makes you smarter." (page 28)

"Deliberate practice is working on technique, seeking constant critical feedback, and focusing ruthlessly on shoring up weaknesses." (page 80)

Ability is less about who or how long, than what and how much. As I read the book, I found many of Coyle's discoveries and connections to really make sense. Of course deep practice would result in greater skill! Of course the presentation of challenges instead of repetition creates better learning experiences!

"The trick is to choose a goal just beyond your present abilities; to target the struggle." (page 31)

"Players touching the ball 600 percent more often learn far faster." (page 44)

Coyle consulted scientists who research and study the brain to simplify the process down to three steps:

1. Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electric signal traveling through a chain of neurons.
2. Myelin is the insulation that wraps these nerve fibers and increase signal strength, speed, and accuracy.
3. The more we fire a particular circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the stronger, faster, and more fluent our movements and thoughts become. (page 51)

That makes complete sense. Those of us who have experienced this process, personally or through someone close to us, are more likely to understand. For example, I impress on my students that muscle-memory is a key component to improvement. Once the muscles can do these tasks automatically, the brain can then focus on more challenging tasks.

Coyle then gives three rules for encouraging this process to occur. These rules can be used personally or for coaching purposes. Being a music teacher, and teaching band, these are not completely foreign to what I do in the classroom.

1. RULE ONE: Chunk it up. Look at the task as a whole, then divide it into the smallest possible chunks. Slow the action down and speed it up to learn the inner architecture. Eventually link them together in progressively larger groupings. (pages 124, 131)
2. RULE TWO: Repeat it. Systematically fire the circuits required for the skill. (page 136)
3. RULE THREE: Learn to feel it. Students don't like the "taste" of deep practice at first; eventually they begin to tolerate and even enjoy the experience. (page 143)

"...the deepest truth about deep practice: to get good, it's helpful to be willing, even enthusiastic, about being bad." (page 145)

For anyone to be willing to commit to deep practice, something has to motivate them. Coyle labels this Ignition, motivational fuel. "Where deep practice is a cool, conscious act, ignition is a hot, mysterious burst, an awakening." (page 154).

I know as a public school teacher, I wonder how to spark that ignition. Most of my students begin to play an instrument because they think it will be fun. After about 10 weeks, the realization that playing an instrument is work settles in... and they hit their first wall. I then work hard to re-ignite them and get them past this wall. And repeat this process whenever the next wall appears.

The moment I finished the final page of this book, my mind was swirling with information and ideas. These are the key adjustments I am making to my day-to-day "coaching" tactics in my classroom as a result of this book:

1. I will impress upon my beginners that it is a long-term commitment. I will not say "if you continue;" I will speak in absolutes regarding the continuation of learning music. My change of mindset will affect the mindset of my students.
2. I will be more creative in providing learning & practice opportunities that focus on challenges and not just repetition.
3. I will recognize and commend skill achievement appropriately, since this leads to greater confidence which will encourage more risk-taking in efforts of gaining more skill. This affects my choice of words: "You really tried hard" and "That must have taken focus and energy to achieve."
4. My "coaching" needs to be delivered in short bursts. STOP THE LECTURES, whether intentional or not!
5. Make sure I mention to my students how the myelin process works, that skill is not just about natural talent (everyone does have natural aptitudes) but about what you are passionate about and  how you work towards your goal.

Back to School, the Band Way

If you hadn't noticed, I took the summer off. Well, I didn't completely take the summer off. I was working at a local community music school as well as preparing for the new school year, however I did not blog for a few months.

I have returned and I am starting out by sharing my lesson plans from the first 2 days of school.

For the first time in 12 years, I am teaching ONLY band classes this year. I know: MIRACLE. I have taught band, general music, guitar, piano, theatre, foreign language exploratory and remedial math. This is refreshing and I'm hoping it will help me to focus and provide a better overall plan for my students.

Here is the break down of my teaching schedule:

On A days (every other day) I see my 7th & 8th grade Concert Bands (on grade-level ability) for 80 minutes each, and my 6th grade Advanced Bands (started playing in elementary school) for 38 minutes each divided into a woodwinds/percussion class and a brass/percussion class.

On B days (the opposite day) I see my 7th & 8th grade Symphonic Bands (advanced ability) for 80 minutes each, and my 6th grade Beginning Bands (never played before) for 38 minutes each divided into a woodwinds/percussion class and a brass/percussion class.

The program is growing, with a total of 160 students this year. Of course, I'm aiming higher ;)

For the first days of school, I decided to keep the activities interactive. There's a lot of "policies" and "procedures" in all of the classes, so I needed to keep their interest.

Day One, Step One: Attendance
I need to take attendance to make sure the students are in the correct classroom and to make sure I am not missing anyone. Instead of responding with "here" or "present," I ask them to respond with a Musical Term. It can be as simple as the name of their instrument, they can look at the words posted around the classroom, or they can state a term they remembered from last year. I was impressed by 6th grade students saying "fortissimo" or "crescendo." Side note: for the next 2 classes, the students insisted on taking attendance in this manner since they enjoyed it so much.

Day One, Step Two: Non-Negotiables
In my school building, we have a set of 4 Non-Negotiables which guide student behavior. These are reviewed and briefly discussed (with examples) to reinforce that the guidelines are school-wide. Student volunteers read the Non-Negotiable aloud and then we discuss the meaning.

Day One, Step Three: Who is Mrs. McEndree?
I created a PicStitch of six scenes from my summer. For students who I had last year, it was an opportunity to "catch up" with them. For the new students, it gave them a glimpse into my life and who I am.

Day One, Step Four: Incredibox
Thanks to the Facebook Band Directors group, I was introduced to the awesomeness of Incredibox. I use this as a tool to encourage the students to introduce themselves and tell something about their summer. To be able to use the ActivSlate and manipulate the "groove" being created, they have to share. They were so excited to share and work with the website! They often request to play with Incredibox when waiting for buses at the end of the day!

Day One, Step Five: Writing Rhythms
This step is not completed by the 6th grade students, since their class was half the length of the 7th & 8th grade classes. The students create rhythms on whiteboards based on guidelines (4-beats, 8-beats), and then random students are selected to create the rhythm on the screen, using the ActivInspire program and the ActivSlate. The entire class tapped/clapped the rhythms, and then we selected rhythms to add additional sound effects. For example, a rhythm might end up as clap-pat-pat-snap-rub-clap-clap.

Thus ended the lesson for Day One. I save the Band Policies and Procedures for the second class, since I know they are inundated with this information in all other classes on the first day.

Day Two, Step One: Attendance
The students respond with a Music Term to verify attendance for the day.

Day Two, Step Two: Policies Scavenger Hunt
Which student really wants to read through the class policies? The student that is being given candy! I make a game out of reading through the policies, in which a correct answer earns a small piece of candy. The process is simple. A question is displayed on the screen (using PowerPoint or ActivInspire). When the students find the answer in the policies, they stand at their chair. I select a student to answer the question,making sure every student has the opportunity to earn candy. All correct answers earn a piece of candy. Many of the questions have multiple parts: How many Musicianship points can you earn each class and how do you earn them? The students then enjoy learning (or reviewing, for returning band students) the class policies and are actively engaged in the lesson.

Day Two, Step Three: Review Non-Negotiables
Another reminder of the school-wide Non-Negotiables

Day Two, Step Four: Band Participation Self-Assessment
This step is not completed by the 6th grade students, since their class was half the length of the 7th & 8th grade classes. Based on a document I found on Teachers-Pay-Teachers, I give the students a Band Participation Self-Assessment. As a point of clarification, the students are able to mark multiple answers for one question. After the students complete the assessment and complete the tally, we share answers in a general sense: I read each question aloud and ask the students the raise their hand (if they feel comfortable) as I read the answer they selected. Once finished reading the questions, I ask them to raise hands based on their final tally. Only at this point do I share with them how the tally relates to their probable success in class. Then we discuss ideas for changing their habits to increase success in class.

The students seemed to really enjoy their first two band classes. Although I went through a lot of candy, it was worth it to have them actively and positively reading the policies. The 7th & 8th grade bands began performing on instruments for the third class, while the 6th grade classes began rhythm and melody reviews prior to performing on instruments (and as a way to buy some time while they rent instruments and purchase method books).

I hope your first few days go as smoothly as mine. I try to rotate "First Day" activities, so that the returning band students do not repeat an activity (although the Scavenger Hunt is a yearly favorite!).

End-of-the-Year Packets

The annual question: what to do in band class following the spring concert?

Each year I have experimented with different activities to do with the days (or weeks) that follow the band spring concert, from sight-reading music for the next year to making recordings of music for future students to composing music. The students and I enjoyed the set of activities that were completed last year, so I decided to improve upon it this year and create a packet.

Cover page to a packet

Each class received a slightly different packet, each including activities they were required to complete and additional optional activities.

OPINION SURVEY: Each student was required to complete an opinion survey. For 7th grade students it including questions regarding activities and music from this school year, as well as questions about next year. For 8th grade students, I did not include the questions about next year. I asked the students NOT to put their name on this survey; I hope to receive honest opinions through anonymity. This was the back page of the packet; once the survey was complete, the student pulled off the page and handed it to me. I marked on my grade-sheet that the student completed the task.

COMPOSE A MELODY: Each student was required to compose an 8-measure melody for their instrument. I gave them guidelines: it must be in a key (use a scale as a guide), it must use all 7 pitches of the key, the key must be accurately noted, and it can be composed using the rhythm given or with an original rhythm. Percussion students had the option of creating the entire 8-measures for bells, or splitting it 4 for bells (with all guidelines followed) and 4 for snare (rhythm entirely original). The student had the option of performing the composition for me as bonus. I graded based on adherence to the guidelines.

SELECT A PLAYING QUIZ: Each student was required to perform a final playing quiz. Each class was given a choice between 2 exercises at the current playing level, except for the advanced 8th grade class: these students could select any exercise (not including warm-ups or scale) to perform. Percussion were asked to complete half the quiz on bells and half on snare. This is standard in my classroom; this way I can check both skill sets (note-reading on bells and technique on snare) without asking them to perform more measures than the rest of the band. I included the grading rubric for the quiz on the back of the front page to the packet. When the student was ready to play, I used their rubric to grade and give feedback and wrote the grade on my grade sheet. The student kept the rubric and were able to practice and perform again if they wanted to improve.

PAY YOUR BAND DEBT: This only applied to students who owed fees for books or rentals, or needed to check-in a school-owned instrument.

WHAT DO YOU MEME?: This optional activity asked students to look at band-related photos (2 were of our actual students) and create memes that will be postures for our classroom next year.

Meme Bulletin Board

There are 3 complete meme examples at the top and then 9 photos to use for new memes. The two photos directly below the green sign are of band students. I have not read all of their ideas, however the ones shown to me are really funny!! I'm debating using my judgement to select the best/funniest, or allow them to vote in the fall and then have the posters created.

TOP 3 TIPS FOR BAND SUCCESS: Last year, an optional activity was for students to write a short letter to a future band student. This year I adjust the optional activity to have the students list their top 3 tips for being successful in class, which I will then use to create a Top Ten list to give to incoming band students. I encouraged them to phrase them using kid-friendly words, being funny or serious or whatever works for them. I have only glanced at a few, but there as some goodies: "Don't eat and then play; your instrument will smell gross."

MY LIFE IN SONG: This optional activity asked students to list songs and events that are forever tied in their memories. For example, whenever they hear a particular song, a specific event is brought to mind. The students found this one to be the most challenging; some could only think of one or two and others did not even bother with this activity since it was optional and they were stuck on ideas.

PERFORM SCALE FOR BAND REWARDS POINTS: The final optional activity was the opportunity to earn more points for the Band Rewards program. There were many students who were 1-2 activities away from earning the next level, so this option gave them class time to memorize and perform scales to earn points.

Overall, this packet was successful. The students could complete the activities in any order, and jump around to difference activities if they felt "stuck" on something. They were also able to work together and assist each other. The atmosphere in the room was "controlled chaos." I see my students for 80 minutes every other day, so most were completed the requirements and the optional activities of their choice within 3 classes (240 minutes). Of course I had a few stragglers that struggled with time-management, but perhaps that was a lesson they needed to learn :)

48 Festival Judges?!?

If the band director or music teacher world had political parties, I would probably be placed in the ultra-liberal, radical party. I have ideas, and views, and ways of doing things that are not always traditional. I do them in search of additional avenues of teaching my students and guiding them to be musicians, not to make waves in the music education community. But it seems as if the waves are a natural side-effect of my choices.

My latest wave-making idea is the "Comments-Only" festival attendance. For the first time, my band participated in our county festival for comments-only, no rating given by the panel of judges.

I believe my students do need the ears and eyes of other music professionals to help them progress and improve. I absolutely LOVE band clinics, where the "clinicians" listen to the band perform then work with them to make the performance even better. I am no so in love with the festival which keeps the "judges" and the band separate. I do not feel the comments have as great of an effect when they are written and recorded as when they are personally delivered and immediately performed.

I explained to the students about the "comments-only"status and we discussed as a group how that can be beneficial to us: instead of having just 3 judges, we will have 48 - each student in our band will be a judge, plus we will have the comments from the 3 official judges.

While performing at the festival, I made a "clean" recording of our performance using a digital recording device on the conductor's podium. Not the greatest placement for getting a good sound, but at least I had something to immediately share with the students. I then received the recorded comments on CD and written comment sheets from each judge following our performance.

The next class, the students received a "Compliments & Critiques" sheet to use while listening to the clean recording. As they heard great aspects of our playing, they would jot down these thoughts under Compliments. As they heard aspects of our playing that were not so great, they would write them under Critiques. I have worked with them all year learning how to write specific thoughts: "we played good" is not a compliment, instead we write "the trumpets entered at the right time with good volume."

After listening to the entire clean recording, the students turned to the back of the Compliments & Critiques page where they found a ratings chart. It is the same concept as what the judges complete, however simplified for a middle school student to complete. The students places a mark (check, star, shade-it-in) for the letter grade (A, B, C, F) they would give the band for each category (intonation, tone quality, etc.). Then they completed some quick math (add, multiply, & add some more) to find our overall rating.

It was amazing to find that 95% of the group had the same result, with 3% rating slightly higher and 2% rating slightly lower. The students believed this rating had more weight and meaning than when it comes from a judge they don't even know or have not met.

During the next class, we listened to parts of the judges recordings (not the entire performance from each judge due to time constraints) and I shared all of the comments from the recordings and comment sheets. The students placed a mark (star, check, underline) on their Compliment & Critique sheet if a judge mentioned the same thing they had written. Every students had multiple items with these additional marks. Definitely an eye-opening experience for many of them.

The students kept these sheets in their folders to refer to whenever we play these selections in preparation for our spring concert. Although my method breaks with tradition, it seems that my students gained musicianship skills from this experience: better listening skills, a more discerning ear, better use of performance-based vocabulary, and improved problem-solving skills (how to fix what they critiqued).

The Reflective Musician: My MdMEA Session

I presented (for the first time!) at the Maryland Music Educators Association Conference. For those who were not able to attend my session (since you were busy or live in another state) and for those who wanted a chance to review the info, here is my presentation in a nutshell (but not literally "in a nutshell", although that would be an interesting delivery system):

THE REFLECTIVE MUSICIAN

This session will provide methods and resources in teaching student reflection techniques to gauge personal learning and progress in instrumental music classes. Methods range from instant reflections using only a few seconds of class time, to complete projects involving multiple class sessions and methods of reflecting. Session attendees will leave with a packet containing worksheets & prompts that can be used immediately, and concepts & examples of how to implement reflection methods daily. 

(Confession of dishonesty: I did not create packets since I could hear the trees screaming. Instead I provided my contact information so those who wanted electronic documents could request them... as can you.)

Why Teach Reflection?

• Reflection is an inherent task in the Arts. An artist must evaluate what they produce in order to learn and grow from the experience.
• Growth is achieved through mistakes and successes. Students often focus on success or mistake, but not both; we must teach them to look at both.
• The more we practice Reflection, the more comfortable the process becomes. Have you ever watched a video of yourself teaching? My first experience was one of the most uncomfortable moment of my life; now I find the practice invaluable!

 Reflection is in the Standards

• National Standards for Music Education #6 & #7
• Maryland Standards for Arts Education 1.0 & 4.0
• Common Core State Standards Math1, Math2, LiteracySL1, & LiteracySL2

         (This list is a quick touch on the standards; there are methods of linking reflection to practically every standard.)

Reflection is in Teacher Evaluation

Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching

• Components 2a, 2b, 3b, 3c, & 3d

How Much Time?

• Minimal Time & Preparation: Thumb Checks and Rating Scales
• Medium Time & Preparation: Recordings and Performance Reflections
• Extensive Time & Preparation: Portfolios and Projects
  

Minimal Time & Preparation

These practices do not need any preparation time or equipment and take minimal class time. These are "instant" reflections.

Thumb Check & Rating Scale: to quickly gauge student understanding or opinions

"Thumbs up if you completely understand Allegro, thumb middle if you kind-of understand, or thumbs down if you have no clue about the term."

"Thumbs up, clarinets, if you successfully shifted from A to C; thumb middle if you need more practice; thumb down if it did not work at all."

"Show me fingers of how well we followed dynamics when we performed this piece: 1 is we performed all the dynamics, 3 we performed some, and 5 we performed none."

Always incorporate follow-up questions. As the teacher, you can select any student and ask "Why did you give us that rating?" or "Why was your thumb in the middle?" You can also ask that student to then ask another student to share their reasoning and so on.

Medium Time & Preparation

These practices need preparation time and/or equipment and take some class time. These are reusable reflections once you create them the first time.

Recordings: of a professional group or of the student group. I keep a digital recorder handy at all times to record my group and do instant playback.

"Listen to this recording of Over the Waves; compare and contrast it to how you just sang it."

"I just recorded you as you played the chorale. What do you think of our balance?" 

Concert or Festival Reflection: listening to or watching a performance and completing reflection questions on a worksheet.

"List two things the band did well at the performance."

"List one thing the band needs to improve."

"List one critique from the festival judges." 

"What is one suggestion from the judges that you can implement immediately. Why did you select this suggestion?"

Depending on the experience level with reflection practices of your group, you may also keep the worksheet open-ended:

Using this form, the student lists the compliments (+) and critiques (-) for each piece of music, circling the one that can be fixed at the next rehearsal.

Practice Reflection: with an emphasis on goal-setting and reflection, instead of total time spent practicing.

The student sets two goals for the week and marks progress towards achievement at each practice session. Additional reflection questions are answered at the end of the week.

Extensive Time & Preparation

These practices need preparation time & equipment and will take class time, often spread over multiple days.

Portfolios: this method is primarily for goal-setting and performance preparation. Depending on the needs of your students, the goals can be performance-based (intonation, musicality, etc.) or behavior-based (bringing class supplies, talking when appropriate, etc.). Portfolios can be combined with a project, as shown below.

Projects: this method is used to achieve a task while setting and progressing toward goals. The task can be solo performance, small ensemble performance, or composition.

In the examples below, my students formed small ensembles and selected music to prepare & perform for the class. This process was spread over 15 class meetings, using only 15-30 minutes at a time.

This is the first task which occurred over 2 class sessions. The students were encouraged to write honest and thoughtful answers, not answers they believed I wanted.

The students then set individual goals to give them a focus during the project. I insisted on complete sentences for every item in the portfolio.

Open-ended question allowed them voice their opinion, while encouraging them to practice good writing skills.

Two of the items in the portfolio asked them to reflect on goal progress.

Prior to performing for the class, the groups had to record and assess their performance. I encouraged them to be honest in their evaluation, since the grade at the bottom of the chart would not be the grade at the top of the sheet; that grade is based on completion instead of performance.

As with all teaching practices, I continually tweak my methods as well as gather new methods. I attended a session the day before I presented my session and discovered additional reflection practices that I plan to use this year.

Keep your eyes and ears open, listen to and address the needs of your students, and remember to share, share, share!!! The more the students reflect, the more they will reflect without your guidance, which is something they can use in every facet of their life.

Posture Pictures

Every couple of years, I do a project with my band class I call "Posture Pictures." Not only do I find out what concept of "good" playing posture the student's have, we have fun and laughter is always involved.

Supplies:
A Band Class (or Orchestra or Chorus or Jazz)
Various Instruments (or none if the students sing)
Chairs & Music Stands (or none if not used in the ensemble)
Picture-taking apparatuses (camera, iPod, iPad, etc.)
15-20 Minutes of Class Time (or more or less depending on class size and number of apparatuses)

Process:
1. Inform the class that they will be posing 3 pictures: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
2. The students may select the groups or it can be done by section; I put a max of 3 students in a group to ensure they are all participating.
3. The "model" in the pictures may be the same student in each, the students may take turns, and/or multiple students may be in the pictures.
4. If the class is an instrumental group, the instruments must be included in the pictures.
5. The "Good" picture must demonstrate the preferred playing/singing posture for the instrument.
6. The "Bad" picture must demonstrate the typical posture issues seen during class (slouching, leaning, arms on legs/chair, feet on case, etc.)
7. The "Ugly" picture can be any creative idea that is school appropriate; it may be impossible to play the instrument while in the posture.
8. Each group must plan and "practice" each pose before asking to use an apparatus.

After:
I download the pictures to my computer and organize them by class and by type (good/bad/ugly) for my purposes only. I create a slideshow for each class that has the poses mixed and not categorized. For each pose, the class votes on whether it is Good, Bad, or Ugly, and I select students to explain why the pose fits that category. The "Ugly" pictures get some great laughs, and the "Bad" pictures often get comments such as, "You sit that way every day!" Of course, the "good" pictures are excellent representations of the preferred playing postures.

For your pleasure, here are some examples from a class a few years ago. No worries: the models are college-age at this point and have fond memories of this project. I will not label the category; I'm sure you know to which category each examples belongs. Enjoy!

2013 - Looking Ahead

In the essence of the new calendar year, I present my blog and teaching resolutions... and you will help to keep me on track.

1. I will post to the blog twice per calendar month. My original intent back in August was to post once per week. If you look back through the posts, you know exactly how well that worked. So I'm adjusting my goal. My new goal is still a challenge, but not to the point of failure.

2. I will work on my Patience in the classroom. Some days, the well is limitless. Other days, I only have a few drops. So using a mixture of breathing techniques, meditation techniques, and mantras ("be calm"), I will be more in control of my personal response to the occasional crazy in the classroom.

3. I will actually upload something to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I opened one. There's nothing in it so far. I will share the address once there is something in the store. Although I happily offer many of my ideas for free to whomever needs them, I have complete lessons and units that have teaching & monetary value.

Three is a good number: for keeping track of progress, for making real progress, and for not spreading myself any more thin than I already am.

Happy New Year! May your year be an enjoyable roller coaster ride: full of ups and downs but ultimately leaving a smile on your face and the want to do it again!

Traditions in the Band Class

I can't say the word "Tradition" without hearing Topol in my head.

"Fiddler on the Roof" aside, I am contemplating the role of Traditions in the band classroom. I am the type of person that completely supports traditions as long as the tradition benefits the program.

This year, I found that one tradition regarding band in my district would not be beneficial to my students. In fact, I have struggled mentally with this tradition for the past few years. I met with my principal and with my supervisor over the summer to discuss my concerns and ask them for advice. Both people agreed that it would be in the best interest of the musical education of the students to not follow the tradition this year.

So, I planned the beginning of this year minus the tradition. I did not make a big deal of it; I just didn't mention it. If a parent or student asked about the tradition, I was careful to answer the exact question that was asked and not to offer more information than was needed (this was the advice from my principal). It has been a constant source of low-level anxiety for me since the first day of school.

Yes, there have been questions asked. No, I have not had anyone seriously upset about the change. I still have 2-3 more weeks until we are past the "tradition" and there could still be more conversations; I look forward to no longer feeling this anxiety. Yes, my principal and supervisor have been extremely supportive and helpful. Yes, I have missed participating in the tradition. I still firmly believe that my students will be better musicians based on the path that I have set before them... minus the tradition.

Has anyone else made changes to traditions in their band program, even knowing that the community expected participation in that tradition?

Icebreakers

I love using Icebreaker activities for the first few class periods to help the students get back in to the school groove and for us all to get to know each other better. The challenge for doing this with band classes is not using the exact same activity each year since I have the students for multiple years. Sometimes they really like the activities and constantly ask throughout the year, "Can we play that game again?" However I do like to keep things fresh and exciting for myself as well as them.

So this year I mixed and matched activities I have done in the past to create 2 activities that aren't necessarily new: they just have a new spin.

NOTECARDS
I purchased 4 types of patterned card stock at the dollar store to use as note cards. I could very well have used plain note cards, however the patterns are used as part of the next activity. I chopped the card stock into note card size and then mixed them all together to get an equal amount of each pattern for each class.

As the students arrived at the door, I handed them a note card and invited them to select a seat in the classroom. This is one of the few times that band students get to choose their seat instead of sitting in sections... they love it! Once everyone arrives, I verify that they all have a card and then give them 5 seconds if they want to trade patterns ("Pink is for girls!" "I want the stars!"). The next instruction is to have a writing utensil in their hand.

On one side of the card, they write: instrument played, favorite food, and favorite color. Yes, they can do multiple answers if they play many instruments, love all sorts of food (one student wrote: "anything edible"), and have a set of favorite colors. On the other side of the card they are to write one interesting detail that makes them unique. I give them a list of suggestions to get the mental wheels turning: sports, vacations, awards, activities, and "special" talents (aka Stupid Human Tricks, like wiggling ears). THEY DO NOT PUT THEIR NAME ON THE CARD.

I collect the cards and then randomly distribute them to everyone. While I am distributing, the instruction is to silently read the card they are handed and begin using "deductive reasoning" skills to narrow down who the card possibly describes. When I say GO they have 60 seconds to locate the owner of the card and return to their seat still holding the same card.

The final step is to go down the row and have each student share one detail from the card ("Evan's favorite food is Sushi") and then hand the card back to the owner. Even when I've known the student for multiple years, I still learn something new about them from this type of activity.


BALL PATTERNS
Using the same note cards, the student form teams of 4 based on the patterns of the note cards (cannot have 2 pink polka-dot cards on the same team). We clear the chairs to the perimeter of the room and the teams sit or stand in a circle. Each team receives a tennis ball. The goal of the game: create a pattern of movements using the tennis ball that progressively gets more challenging.

EXAMPLE: Student A gently tosses the ball up and catches it. A passes to B. Student B does A's motion and adds to pass around the back. B passes to C. Student C does A's and B's motions and adds switch hands. C passes to D. Student D does the entire pattern (toss, around, switch) and adds under the leg. D passes to A... and the game continues until someone completely gets lost in the pattern.

I leave them to work in the small groups for a few minutes, wandering around to check out the creativity and see how "long" they can get the pattern (such as 9 different motions). I add a little competition by calling out updates: "This group is up to 13!"

When they seem to have a pretty good grasp on the game, then I call "FREEZE" and ask the teams to combine with one other team to form groups of 8. We repeat the same process, now having to work with more people. Again, I leave them to work for a few minutes, calling out updates as I wander.

If time allows, we form one circle with all members and try to get a pattern all the way around the circle. Usually, it only makes it to about the 10th or 12th person before it's totally confusing or someone refuses to play. I don't make a big deal about it; I ask the students to grab a chair and sit approximately where they were before we cleared the chairs.

Now we discuss the game. What was easy about the game? What was most challenging? And the best question of all: Why did we play this game? I LOVE the connections they make between the game and playing an instrument in band: progressively gets more challenging, following directions, memorizing patterns, working together, helping each other, small versus big groups, doing the same motion over and over is easy but boring, and how the actions of one person can affect the whole group (remember the kid who refused to play?)

I took pictures of this activity, however I still need to verify the "permission status" of the students in the photos before I can post any. I will update when I have some I can use :)

Getting Students to Reflect

Every year, I have insisted on having my students reflect on their musicianship. In my first year of teaching, I started with Post-Concert Reflections: having them write what went well, what can be improved, and their overall feelings in regards to the recent performance. After 10 years of teaching, it now has many layers.

DAILY REFLECTION
At any moment during class, I can teach students to reflect. We play an exercise out of the method book. I ask the students to think of one compliment and one critique for themselves, their section, or the entire group. Depending on time, I ask for them to share ("I would like 4 compliments and 4 critiques"). Then we play the exercise again with them applying what they just shared. Sometimes the results are amazing!

PROGRESS REFLECTION
I have also create Progress Portfolios where the students set goals and then monitor their progress over multiple classes and/or weeks. Depending on the age and level of the group, these can be simple goals ("I will use proper posture every time I play") to more complex ("I will improve my intonation by adjusting breath support and embouchure").

PERFORMANCE REFLECTION
After every performance, every student completes a reflection. We reflect on individual accomplishment and group accomplishment. If judging and comments were involved with the performance, I ask the students to reflect on which comment "stuck" with them the most and which suggestion they could immediately implement.

I sent a proposal to the State Conference planning committee and I hope to be selected to present a session on Student Reflection in the Performance-based classroom. I just have to wait and see :)