I recently came across this post which ran in its original form at the beginning of the school year in 2008. I have made a few changes but in general I though it has held up well. Enjoy!
TEETH T=Take Charge
Your students are looking for guidance, they want direction; don't allow them to dictate the course of action, that's your job! Do not fall into the trap of teaching the way YOU were taught. As well as you did with whatever method your teacher used, it is probably boring and outdated by now.
E=Energy
Leave your problems at home. Your students (and colleagues) want you to be at your vibrant, upbeat best each day. If you're not happy or feeling 100%, then fake it. Help yourself to a cup of coffee and if you still need extra energy, see any one of your colleagues or administrators, they usually have plenty to go around.
E=Engage
Meet and get to know the families in your school - even if they do not belong to your students. Greet your students cheerfully, they want to know you are excited to see them. Engage your students in the learning process and ask about their 'day'.. Perform for them, play along with them, share what you know with them.
T=Teach
Your students are not going to show you how much they've practiced this week (and by the way, they haven't practiced very much if at all). They are in music because the like music and want to know more about it. They trust that you can help them learn.
If you thought the "T" might stand for 'talent', (as in the talent you display on your instrument) guess again. Because you have a degree in music doesn't mean you can be successful teaching it. And your success will most likely not be judged by how well your students play or perform, but whether they like you or not.
H=Have Fun!
Fun after all, is what students really want. If you can make the connection between 'fun' and 'teaching moments', then you will be successful. So smile, show some teeth, and inspire!
A wise music educator once said 'The greatest thing about music is the people you meet through it'. That educator was Al Frandsen and his legacy of touching lives through music is far reaching. Among his many students were Mrs. Illinois 2008, Michelle Beckwith and MusickEd.com's own Dr. Bob Lawrence who was so enamored by Al's influence that he named his newborn son Frandsen (yep, that's him pictured above)!
In my case, music was something I always enjoyed. I listened to Benny Goodman because my dad could hardly contain himself upon hearing the first few measures of Sing, Sing, Sing or Stealin' Apples. I wanted him to get just as big a kick out of hearing me play as he did Benny.
Like most of my colleagues, I was fortunate to have wonderful teachers who cared more about me as a person than they did the music. To this day, many of my fellow classmates from high school continue to make music a major part of their lives. Some went on to be professional musicians, many continue to play as a hobby and others are living vicariously through their children's musical adventures.
I believe the reason for this can be traced directly back to our teachers who knew how to communicate with and connect to their students. There was no need to convince parents (or a school board) that music made test scores better, their programs were always large and brimming with eager learners.
We've all read the research on the positive affects of music education but maybe it's time we just get back to basics. And Al Frandsen's simple and personal observation is perhaps the best testament imaginable for both teaching and studying music.
The Dallas School of Music, Inc. is expecting one of its biggest Fall Semesters in the 16 year history of the school. This is a testament to the entire DSM team and a great community of music enthusiasts in the North Dallas area. The school is welcoming several new faculty members to handle the increased demand. We'll do a blog feature on some of our awesome staff members in the upcoming months... so stay tuned.
Our other 'passion', MusickEd.com is also experiencing rapid growth and exciting times lie ahead as we are in negotiations on a deal with a major retailer. We'll keep you posted! This will be a 'first of its kind', groundbreaking partnership between music retail and music education enterprises.
The MusickEd software itself is undergoing a massive overhaul in both layout and design. Because our product is internet (html) based, we are able to work 'behind the scenes' and make any and all updates instantly available to our users as they are completed. Current work includes re-formatting the content and layout of the worksheets, editing all quizzes and changing the interface so that each section of the software can be accessed from a single 'page'. Our users spoke and we listened!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of playing through one of the original tunes from our forthcoming Jazz Series. Mike Finkel has put together a terrific Ellington-esque medium tempo ballad stressing the concepts of major and minor 7th chords. Be sure to keep checking back for an exact release date of the Jazz Series due sometime in early '09.
I hope our readers will visit the articles below from the latest Music Education Carnival of Blogs list. Be sure to read Owen Bradley's post about his feelings toward 'non-traditional' students after seeing the film August Rush. Travis J. Weller also has an interesting take on the Grammy's and Leo Park has suggests creating a Musically Inclined Dictionaryto help studentsbuild a vocabulary that will allow for 'mature, well thought out, articulate, and eloquent written and oral communication of music commentary'. This Edition’s Posts (In alphabetical order of blogger):
