1. Everything I mentioned in my first post about an environment that keeps anxiety at a low level (not condemning mistakes, encouraging chamber group participation, etc).
2. Making the top goal the progress of my students - individually and as a group. I'm helping them become the best musicians and people they can be. The top priority is NOT to get the music down as perfectly as possible. (See goal #8)
3. Routine
- Start every rehearsal the same way. Not sure how exactly... I want to walk in like Professor Maiello demonstrated in his rehearsal lab. He showed us three examples. One was a very casual slouch up to the podium and an almost bored preparation for the warmup. The second was an almost conceited entrance, nose held high on the way to the podium and a very serious (and quite snooty), "Let's begin." The THIRD demonstration was recommended. He walked in with his head held high, but not so high that his nose was in the air. He stepped onto the podium and said "Good afternoon. Let's begin."
- Warming Up. I want something that is the same EVERY rehearsal and something that is new EVERY rehearsal. The new warm up will hopefully be focusing in on an area we need the most improvement on or - even better - relevant to something we will be addressing later on in that rehearsal. (A conductor at a music camp I worked at was very into using warmups to address specific problems in the music. I loved it when the students figured it out. "Oh THAT'S why we spent so much time on that rhythm!")
- Lesson plan every day. I believe that any growth that happens when a director is "winging it" would be greater with a lesson plan. People who disagree are like those music majors who say "I always do better when I don't practice."
- End every rehearsal the same way. I will hopefully be able to plan and time the best closure possible for each rehearsal, but - even if I fail miserably at that - I want to always end my rehearsals and classes by saying "thank you."
4. Notice the individual needs of my students and meet them.
5. Treat all of my students equally. At the music camp I worked at, I had 44 campers over the summer. I am not lying when I say I did not have favorites. (I don't know why people always assume it's impossible.) My goal is to never have favorites, but - even if I do - I will always be aware of how I handle it and will make sure to treat them equal to my other students. My job will be to give as much to each one of my students as they'll allow me to. I don't have any desire to pick 10 or 15 students to cater to. Jane is the most responsible student in the school. John is (currently) the best player. Tom's parents are always friendly to me. I will treat those three exactly the same as Justin, who is late to every rehearsal, and William, who showed up for the concert in jeans. Granted, I will have discipline in my program, but the point is that they will all be my students and I will care about each of them equally because I truly believe all students have the same potential - even though some of them will be further along than others while they are in my classroom. (I'll probably post a blog about my theory on potential later... I've put a lot of thought into it. It's pretty much the center of my philosophy).
... I apologize for the length of that last paragraph. I can safely identify that as a "touchy subject."...
6. Positive and Negative Reinforcement
In general, I like the idea of positive reinforcement. I think it accomplishes more. However, I will have to react to each individual situation as it comes to me. Before I give negative reinforcement, however, I will always ask myself this question: "Is this going to help fix the problem?" Or am I punishing a student simply because I'm angry? Am I doing it just to make them feel bad, or do I think it will actually make them do better? (I want to be extra careful with my students' feelings. As far as consequences are concerned, I will be as fair as possible. This means, the students will know the consequences and I will follow through with them. But I will ALWAYS give the student the benefit of the doubt. Because I'm there for them after all and NOT me.
I will cross these bridges when I come to them (I still have a few years before that happens.)
7. Be spontaneous and creative
- Have silent rehearsals... or at least 20 minutes of silent rehearsal time.
- Have them play without a conductor some times.
- Mix up the seating arrangement
- Always ask more of them. To "recognize the limits of your students" is to undermine the meaning of the title "educator." As much as I'd like to believe they don't, limits DO exist. But they only stay put when you refuse to push them.
8. De-emphasize the competition element
Goal number 2: My number one goal will be the progress of my students. I will try to make them understand that we only go to competitions to: a.) Play for other people, b.) Receive outside feedback, c.) To hear other groups, and - the oh-so-famous "to have fun!" ...... But it doesn't matter so much what THEY think. I have to make sure I keep my priorities straight. I can't spend entire rehearsals perfecting music for competition. There's more to accomplish. The music is there to assist in the growth and the learning.
9. Create a comfortable environment in which they are treated with respect from me and from each other. I want all the petty high school (or middle school) behaviors left outside the classroom. I guess what I'm looking for is that magical "To Sir With Love" kind of classroom. I understand how incredibly difficult (or impossible) this may be, but I’m dead set on it, anyway.
10. Find the happy balance between the extremely funny teacher and the “let’s get down to business” teacher.
I don’t want to be the band director that is all business. I don’t want to be the band director that lowers to the social level of his/her students and accomplishes nothing. I don’t want to be the band director that scares everyone and I don’t want to be my students’ best friend.
I want to be enthusiastic and passionate. I want them to be comfortable with me, but still respect me. I want to take rehearsal seriously, but I also want to recognize when it’s time to make them laugh. It can’t all be intense learning. They have to have fun, too. They aren’t old enough to think that intense rehearsing is fun. It takes at least a year of college education (or brainwashing) to understand that.
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