What an incredible, exciting, stressful, exhausting, exhilarating week! I have seen over 400 students this week, ranging in ages from five years old to thirteen years old and I am so thrilled to be a part of their learning and growing. My associate teacher is generous and patient and his enthusiasm is contagious. I enjoy all my moments in his class and appreciate all his suggestions and ideas.
My associate teacher marvels at how all children love music, but most children don't like music class. His goal is to make a connection between his students and the pop culture of today. Music must be relevant. With Junior and Senior Glee clubs starting this week, as well as Rock Band, he strives to make music as fun, accessible and exciting as possible. In Junior Choir (grades 4 through 6), he made sure to have the students vote on which songs to sing. Having students feel their choices and opinions matter is important, thus we are performing the songs they like: the music of Lady GaGa and Bruno Mars.
Class management is foremost on my mind. As the students come to music class only twice a week, many see it as an opportunity to have fun, socialize and feel relaxed. It is often hard to get them to focus. Many times students are busy talking and I find it difficult to truly reel in their attention. I try to make interesting and authentic connections with them in my teaching but until I have spent more hours in the classroom, I simply don't have that rapport with them yet. That rapport is essential in building mutual respect. I am convinced that the longer I am in the classroom, the more the children will come to know me, trust me and value me.
I am tired but happy. I find myself at an amazing school with great kids and a fabulous associate teacher. I'm trying my hands at new technology, musical instruments outside my element and dealing with energetic grade ones who act like little jumping beans. I cherish the challenge and am already sad at the thought of all this ending in just three short weeks. In the mean time, my goals are simple: develop that rapport with the students, experiment with classroom management techniques and always create a classroom environment conducive to critical thinking.
Bye for now world!
Ahh classroom management. I have a feeling that this will be the primary issue for us rotary teachers! My classroom is set up so that they all sit on risers, so the result is that they are clustered together. How can they not talk to each other? I would talk to my friends if I were in their position.
ReplyDeleteI think your comment about building rapport is important. That was my thought as well and my style is such that I let a little bit of talking slide. I also have let my personality come through. Both apparently are wrong. My AT wants me to create a much more authoritative teaching persona with the 7's and 8's because they need the firmness to counter their boundary pushing. I take his point, as my first full lessons with the 7's got away from me. I guess that I didn't expect them to to listen to me right away, that it would come with building rapport. However, even though I am a student teacher I am their teacher, and I should have their respect and their silence right off the bat. Perhaps that will come more naturally for them once we have established rapport, but for now I suppose I have to demand it. That is the tricky part. I felt so upset with the 7s and frustrated that while they liked my lesson I couldn't get them to fully pay attention. I know that I should be looking forward to our next lesson as an opportunity to keep working and to improve but for now I feel a bit defeated.
Looking forward to hearing what works and what doesn't for you and hopefully we will soon have well managed classes!
Hello Catharine!! I'm so glad that you enjoyed (and survived haha) the first week! As I read your blog, I just kept nodding my head at the similar situations I find myself dealing with. When the kids come to phys-ed, they are so full of energy! And 38 grade 8 students in a gymnasium can be chaotic to say the least, so classroom (or should I say gym) management is still something I'm working on as well. I tend to let a little bit of talking slide to keep the flow of the class going but it is a fine line I'm still learning to walk on. On a better note, the junior and senior glee clubs sound great too! My AT is involved in lots of extra-curricular organizations as well, its amazing all the cool things you can do if you're willing. And don't worry, you will develop rapport with the kids in no time! You're so nice and I'm sure the kids will be begging you not to leave at the end of November! Hope you got some good rest this weekend and good luck the rest of the way, you'll be great!
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