Engaging students in classroom activities and keeping their interest throughout the lesson are both necessities and difficult. While many elements contribute to motivating students to stay on task and be productive in class, two important ones are pacing and energy. Pacing is the rate or speed at which you teach. Pacing that is too fast … Continue reading Pacing and Energy are Not The Same
classroom management
Three Ingredients for Good Classroom Management
For whatever reason, I have noticed over the years that art and music teachers seem to get more than their fair share of misbehavior in their classes. I suppose the children regard these classes as a time to let down and blow off steam after sitting immobile in a classroom writing, reading and generally keeping … Continue reading Three Ingredients for Good Classroom Management
Planning Instruction, Part 1
Today I am starting a series of articles on planning instruction. These articles will include lesson planning, unit planning, classroom management, assessment, and student engagement. Each of these areas is critical to student success. Making classroom management and strategies for student engagement part of lesson and unit plans is particularly important, and sometimes overlooked. Unit planning … Continue reading Planning Instruction, Part 1
March Madness in Education
In many ways, teaching from March to June is the most challenging time of the year. It is the period in which students are overwhelmed with state mandated testing in the wake of NCLB, the period in which students and teachers tend to be burdened with colds and flu, and the period in which teachers … Continue reading March Madness in Education
The Nuts & Bolts of Running a Classroom
A school classroom is a complex environment. There are many students in a room together and within that group of students their are varying interests, abilities, attitudes, and life circumstances, all of which impact what and how students learn. Imposed on these classrooms of students are expectations that every student can succeed, and every student … Continue reading The Nuts & Bolts of Running a Classroom
Classroom Management in the Music Classroom
Classroom management is part of good teaching in any discipline. Because of the more active nature of music activities, it is especially important in the music classroom. In general, students who know what they are expected to do, how they are expected to do it, and why they are expected to do it, will be … Continue reading Classroom Management in the Music Classroom
Creating A Successful Classroom Culture
With all of the emphasis on testing in schools today, teachers are often forced to give too much attention to what is taught, which is what will be tested, and not enough attention to how to teach, and where to teach. By where to teach, I am referring to the learning environment that teachers and students establish in a classroom. … Continue reading Creating A Successful Classroom Culture
Components of Exemplary Teaching for Music Teachers
Exemplary teaching in today’s educational climate can be broken down into three areas each of which dictates to some extent what teachers do and what students do. While these nine areas apply to teachers in all disciplines, they can be discussed at the application level within a single discipline such as music. Today I will … Continue reading Components of Exemplary Teaching for Music Teachers
Teaching Students to Manage Their Emotions
As much as we might want it to be otherwise, teaching music does not just involve teaching music. Because we are teaching children and teens, we must sometimes or even often teach our students non-music specific life skills so that they will be equipped to learn music. One of the most challenging areas for many … Continue reading Teaching Students to Manage Their Emotions
What Approach is Best to Handle Defiant or Whiny Students?
During the course of my teaching day, I have many opportunities to prevent or respond to undesired behavior. Though no two children are identical, I have noticed that undesired behavior often can be placed into one of two categories: defiance or whining. Children who dig in and refuse to do what they are asked frequently … Continue reading What Approach is Best to Handle Defiant or Whiny Students?
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