PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING, EXPECTATIONS, ASSESSMENT, AND PACING

BY PHILLIP RIGGS

Students have selected to be in your beginning band class, now what?

Before they walk into your room for the first time it is important that expectations have been determined. A great way to do this is with a band handbook. Instead of creating a handbook from scratch, reach out to successful directors within your local system, in your region of the state, and look for examples online. Once you have created the handbook be sure to share it with your administration to confirm that they can support the expectations and consequences you include. Try to anticipate every scenario. By doing so you are not having to make a decision at the moment. You simply follow the procedures in your handbook. Obviously, you will miss something. If you find yourself not sure of how to handle a situation, it may be best to delay a decision (if possible) instead of making the wrong decision in the moment. Once you have determined the best course of action, add it to your handbook for the future. It is important to take the time at the beginning of the year to go over all information in the handbook with each class. Many directors also include an agreement page that they ask students and parents to sign to confirm they understand the expectations. Be sure to include any meetings, concerts, etc that will occur outside the normal class period. Take time to check the school and athletic calendars before you schedule your concerts/activities. Also, include expectations of what to wear. Take care that the clothing expectations are inclusive of all members of the ensemble.

It is important to establish good habits and routines from the beginning. Don’t assume the students will know. If you are a new teacher or a teacher that is moving to a new school you will need to cover this with all grade levels.

Questions to consider include:

• How should students enter the classroom?

• Where should they put their bookbags?

• Where should their phones be during class? (What is the school policy?) to assume they all know. These can vary from school to school and community to community. Is winning at all costs important? Is playing the most difficult music technically a sign of success? Is making the ensemble inviting to all important? Is experiencing a musical moment each day valuable? another class, attend sporting events/ academic competitions/dances to show your support for the students. We are one of the few teachers that will have students in our classes for multiple years. Supporting their basic needs will help keep them making music year after year.

Putting it All Together ..., Phillip Riggs, cont.

• How do they enter/exit the storage room?

• Should they take their instruments out of the case as they enter or wait for instructions to put instruments together?

• Are they allowed to “warm-up” on their own or should they wait for instruction?

Assembling instruments and warming-up may change as the students progress. As important as these questions are, what happens if a student does not do what they are supposed to do is also important.

• What is the expectation if a student does not have their instrument or needed materials for class?

• How does this affect their grade? (Check with your administration.)

• Can this affect their grade?

• What if they miss a concert?

• Is there a deadline to let you know in writing?

• Is there an alternate assignment? You need to determine this ahead of time and be sure to be fair and consistent. Discipline does not have to be negative. The word actually comes from a root word meaning to guide or to teach. Students actually want routine.

Be sure that your actions agree with your words. Including the program philosophy in the handbook and even posting it on the classroom wall (and maybe your office wall) will help you and the students remember your values throughout the year. Fostering the band culture with non-musical gatherings is important. Examples include ice cream parties, pool parties, skating parties, video game tournaments, etc. Even planning after-school hangouts in the bandhall by section will help build culture within a section.

Another consideration is pacing. How far should your beginners be by the December break, by the end of the year? Answer: it depends. It depends on lots of factors. Do they meet every day? Is each class like-instruments only or heterogeneous? Do you have assistance from other directors, high school interns, student teachers, or professional musicians during the classes? Ultimately, the pacing needs to be determined by student mastery. This year will be different from last year and next year will also be different. We must constantly assess and alter plans based on the students’ progress.

It is also important to convey the program philosophy and values with students and parents. It is easy

Another consideration is hierarchy of needs for each student. Sometimes our job as a teacher is to be sure a student’s basic needs are met and that they feel comfortable and secure in our classroom. Once this occurs, they can begin to be successful as a musician. Discipline issues often happen because fundamental issues (non-musical) are not being addressed. As President, Theodore Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Offer to help a student with their homework from

In the beginning, spend appropriate time with “small instruments” (flute head joint, clarinet mouthpiece and barrel, saxophone mouthpiece and neck, brass mouthpiece only). Know the pitches that the small woodwind instruments should produce. Continue to revisit these often even after students are playing on full instruments. This is a great way to check embouchures and articulation in sections that are not clean.

Think “two steps forward, one step back”. We must continue to reinforce previous concepts while introducing new ones. We must always be listening/watching for basics such as embouchure, hand position, etc. In the short term moving ahead before students have mastered a concept may keep them engaged but will not ensure success. If they do not feel successful, they will not continue in the program. Our challenge is keeping the students engaged and motivated until they have mastered each concept.

Other considerations for pacing include: Perform soon and often. More of less is more. Mr. Rogers from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood said, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” Kids join the band to perform. We all enjoy the feeling of saying something musically to one another and the audience as we perform. We all love hearing applause. For beginners consider informal concerts/open rehearsals. This gives you an opportunity to educate parents, administration, community as well as the students.

At my last middle school program we offered a two week summer camp for the middle schoolers. They came three hours each morning. The beginners met in sections with instructors for the first and third hour while the second and third year students met in full band. During the middle hour the beginners met as a full group to work on rhythm reading, posture, etc., while the older students worked with the individual instrument instructors. We gave a concert during lunch on Thursday of the second week. Yes, the beginners had only played nine days. Their performance was a few lines from the book by section and several lines as a full ensemble. The second and third year students performed four or five pieces that usually had a theme. None of the music was very difficult but appropriate for the amount of time we had to rehearse. On the last Friday of camp we went to a local water park for the day. (Did I mention earlier the importance of non-musical events?)

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. The band equivalent is “Teach music, not tunes.” Teaching students to read music takes a little longer but allows them to become independent musicians. It will save time in the long run.

Assessment is also important to determine before the year begins. What will be graded and the percentage for each must be shared with students and parents in the handbook. Just like other items mentioned above, be sure to get administrative approval from the beginning. There are many varieties of pass-off systems that can be successful. Many now require students to submit video recordings via classroom management software. This is a great way to get students playing their instruments outside of class and allows you to give students individual feedback. Hearing students individually, whether in person or recorded also allows for individualized pacing. The advanced students can move ahead while the students struggling to master a concept don’t feel overwhelmed. Explore ways to establish a culture that enables students to feel successful even when they are not as far along as other students. Be sure to consider internet access for your students. You can create an alternate plan if a few do not have internet. If a significant number do not have internet access at home, you will need to use a more traditional approach. Many directors also include a weekly rehearsal technique grade. This grade can include many things including good posture, having music/ method book, having reeds and oil, and having a pencil. This may also allow you to alter a student's grade if they do not have their instrument. Worksheets and written tests are essential in band classes especially if the classes are heterogeneous. Example; You can have the woodwinds working on a written assignment while the brass are working on buzzing techniques. Much like handbook ideas, use local, regional, and online resources to determine your assessment plan.

Expectations, Pacing, and Assessment in a given program may