Monday, April 28, 2014

Crossing the first semester break (Term 1 Wrap)

Term two commences this week, and what a term that is set out before us. With so many different musical performances happening in the local area, it's going to be a challenge to keep up with everything.

However, last term was a case of preparing to deal with the upcoming deluge of performances. Not only that, but it was also an opportunity to try out some different approaches to teaching and technique for clarinet and saxophone. I couldn't have been anymore pleased with the results.

As teachers, we tend to fall into a trap of teaching and adhering to a syllabus or format of some kind. The reality is we need to determine what should be taught to the students, and how much we should encourage (and to a certain degree, enforce) what is being taught and not purely depend on a book to dictate what needs to be achieved. In fact, last term really encouraged students to over-achieve.

The first positive sign was seeing, and hearing, the lift in the quality of playing by students.

The second, the willingness to eventually embrace the harder work ethic. At times, this can be viewed as a dangerous aspect of teaching; push a student too far and they'll turn away, but encourage and support them enough and they will embrace and understand the value. The value of Richard Gill's speech, back in 2003, strikes again. Fun, and enjoyment, results from putting in the applied work ethic to achieve. These words still reign supreme in so many areas, and students are understanding this not only through their music studies but their other interests as well (including various sports, hobbies, video games, and other creative avenues to name several).

The third, my body absolutely crashed in the first week of the holidays. This, unusually, isn't a bad thing (this is normally an occurance after intensive work, or AMEB examinations). After a meeting with other music staff late last year, and taking on board some of past-student feedback, the holidays were an opportunity for me to sit down and really plan out what needed to be achieved in pushing the standard further. It was great being challenged to think further, and to see the response from the students as well as the outcomes. The downside was I felt absolutely lethargic for one day in the first week of the holidays, but it only meant I needed to rest. It probably doesn't help that my work schedule comes to a complete stop during the downtime.

This blog has been on the back burner during last term, a regret for me since I had various ideas and posts that I wanted to share. Two posts are currently in draft (near completion), as well as several other ideas to share. I am looking to rectify this over the course of this term, especially after putting into motion the different teaching approach (probably something further for me to share in depth).

May you have an enjoyable Term 2, and if you're in the Coffs Coast area make sure to get to one of the many musical performances occurring throughout the region. I hear there's plenty on!