It's not about me!

I recently read: ""No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: The Miseducation of Our Nation's Children" by Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D.  In short, this article talks about foundational ideas of some (I purposely write "some," as certainly this is not "all) charter schools, innovative schools, and programs like "Teach for America." Funding for said programs is highly dependent on test scores, and student behavior/decorum is of the utmost importance. Thomas continues by discussing the "Missionary Zeal"--teachers who enter the profession to "change the world" or to "save students." As he states it, the teacher becomes "bad ass," essentially fighting off the evils that are public education. The "bad ass" teacher authority is unquestioned and is THE MOST IMPORTANT factor in a child's education. For example, remember that movie "The Ron Clark Story," based on the Ron Clark's time in Harlem (albeit a short time)? There was a scene where he became ill....but he pushed ahead and went to school anyway. He later collapsed in front of his class...turns out he had pneumonia. Later the movie shows him recording lessons from his kitchen that a substitute could later play. The learning continues and it is dependent on one "agent of change."

Being the best teacher you can be is certainly an admirable thing and on the surface programs and schools, as those mentioned above, are providing good services to their communities. I'm not questioning that--but, I DO question the reliance the education system as a whole places on the "teacher"--particularly in music education (right--this blog IS about music education). How were many of us trained? We were trained as conductors. We spent hours upon hours practicing gestures that would effectively translate our ideas and emotions to our singers or instrumentalists. The buck stops with US. Additionally, there was this sense of getting every thing "perfect" and if it wasn't perfect--we failed. If we are to teach students to perform at the highest level possible, then we ourselves must perform at the highest level. I was trained to be, and became, a "bad ass" music conductor. Because I worked this hard....dammit I deserve respect--students should bow to me when I enter the room (this is sarcasm BTW).

Fast forward to teaching 4th and 5th grade children (of the 21st century), and BANG--they don't listen!  Why is it when I try to engage my older students in singing or dancing, they do so with mediocre effort at best? But, when I put them in small groups or pose an individual challenge, why do I observe high levels of enjoyment, engagement, and effort? I have a group of students that loves to dance. I tried to introduce "The Twist" to them in chorus (we're singing a popular dance tune arrangement that includes this song), and a few kids joined in--most did not. But, if I simply put on the music and stepped back--they'd probably all just groove to it naturally. My "bad ass" training must be faulty. I'm a popular teacher with the younger kids--does my "bad-ass-ness" simply wear off? Is there a store to purchase more? Or.....that's it--it needs to be renewed every 5-7 years. Seriously though...Is it me? Do my students not want to engage in "my" music or worse yet is it that my students do not like me? The answer is NO.

When reading the above article, I reflected on my teaching practice and gained insight into the above issues. The music education profession in general, and I specifically, tends to focus too much (or exclusively) on the "teacher" and the "teaching"--heavily grounded in classical/romantic era music and musical practices. Large group...ensemble based...conductor driven. Students essentially become puppets to the teacher, spitting out perfectly sung songs and pieces. But, where is the learning in that? A teacher, albeit "bad ass" can only go SO far. I must not rely on myself as a teacher to engage students (plus I run out of good jokes), I must shift my focus away from me and place it on designing truly engaging, authentic experiences. I must empower each student to make music education his or her own and to find personal meaning and engagement.

I don't want my students to dependent on me! It's not about me--it's about them. I have to step back and let them construct their own learning. I need to be the guide and provide scaffolding for their learning--but, they must do it for themselves.