I recently was challenged in a Bible study when the leader brought up the issue of being oriented towards people versus programs. In the New Testament, Jesus talked about "program" when He taught about the kingdom of God, but we have many examples how that program was served by being concerned with individuals.
I know it might seem a bit funny to be thinking about teaching a person in the context of teaching Group class, but this is where I am challenged. Have we forgotten to tend the saplings while looking at the forest?
Notice that in our chapter, 4 out of the 5 main goals are personal: confidence, motivation, learning to listen and to adjust what one is doing to coordinate with a learning community. As we get to know our students this semester, how might we really help them to grow?
I loved reading this chapter about the group class. Growing up, group was my favorite part of the week. I could definitely relate with the different purposes of a group class (building confidence, reviewing skills from the private lesson, learning ensemble skills, motivation, and working in a group). Not only does the group class help the student become a better student and musician, but it also helps them grow in other areas of life (working together in a job).
ReplyDeleteI love the concept of "prepare-teach-foster." I definitely believe that it's the teacher's responsibility to determine how their student learns whether that's fast, medium, or slow and visually, audibly, or kinesthetically. It will determine the success and or failure of the student.
I also loved the add-on game that he did in the group class. I definitely think that this is such a great method of introducing a student to playing with another student!! Definitely going to use this in the future!!
I definitely agree!! The teacher has the responsibility to know how each of their students learn so they can appropriately challenge them and get them to the next level.
DeleteI like that you looked forward to group class each week. Making group class something that students look forward to could definitely improve students' motivation to practice in preparation for class. What were some of the things you looked forward to in each class?
DeleteKreitman gives many good thoughts and ideas concerning group class, and the one that stuck out to me the most was the benefit of motivation through group class. Students are motivated by their peers and the student himself can motivate other members to excel as well. I had never thought of it in that way before, but group class definitely provides a positive learning experience where students are motivated and pushed to become better musicians.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school, I had the opportunity to play in a string quartet. We met once a week with our coach. Each member of the group was very advanced, so our coach was able to pick challenging pieces for us to play. The ensemble skills and confidence I gained from this experience is truly invaluable. It was great to have the input of another teacher other than my private lesson teacher as well. This aided in more learning opportunities as well as the "pressure" of not letting the group down. I remember having a feeling of desperation knowing that if I didn't know my part well enough, I would cause the rehearsal to be less successful. This kind of pressure motivated me to practice more efficiently and strive to become a better musician.
My experience, just like Kreitman says, could not have been gained from private lessons. Students should definitely take the opportunity to take some sort of group lesson in conjuction with a private lesson.
I definitely agree with you Bethany!! I think its so beneficial for kids to be in a group class. It helps with motivation like you mentioned!! Its really funny to see the kids being motivated by each other!! I definitely believe that a student should be in a group class since it develops skills that cant necessarily be taught in a private lesson!!
DeleteThat's a good point about having another teacher's perspective. Often another pair of eyes can see problems (and/or a solution) that the primary teacher doesn't notice close up.
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteHello!
DeleteKreitman made many interesting points in this chapter. He focuses on young students in group-class. I was not a part of a group until Seventh grade, so I don’t have any anecdotes from a beginner’s perspective.
ReplyDeleteOne of the points Kreitman makes is that group-class can build a young player’s confidence. I think that the teachers are the ones who can make this happen—or can keep it from happening. When I was in youth orchestra, building confidence was our conductors’ goal. I can remember many rehearsals where students were ridiculed for their mistakes. I doubt this ridicule helped the students feel more confident about their playing. I suppose you could argue that successful performances can boost confidence, but it seems like a more sure way of encouraging students is for the teachers to foster a positive environment.
Another benefit of group class that Kreitman points out is motivation from learning new repertoire. I found a lot of motivation from this. After the first rehearsal of the season, I would spend hours digesting the new symphony (or whatever we were playing). New repertoire was great motivation for practice.
On page 120, what is a child’s hara?
I think that it is very important for the teacher to foster a positive environment for the student. I think that it is important because then you don't discourage the student from playing and you make them more confident for their next performance.
DeleteElijah!
ReplyDeleteYour anecdote highlights something all teachers should not lose sight of in reflective teaching practice: does my practice lead to my goals?!
"Hara" is a concept from Japanese martial arts and medicine. Generally speaking, it is energy, or what Suzuki called the "life force" in much of his writing. Kreitman clarifies his use of "hara" earlier in this book to mean intention + centered energy. He quotes someone named Brennan saying...
" Everything we do rests on the foundation of our intentionality in the moment we do it. For example, we can say that any particular set of words has a normal meaning, but the intention with which we deliver that set of words can change their meaning drastically. We fill our words with the energy of our feelings, and how we deliver those words conveys our intention in the moment we deliver them." (Teaching with an Open Heart, p.20)
I interpret Kreitman to mean that there can come a point in group class where nobody is distracted, and all energy, focus and intention directed toward performing the task at hand with the sights set on a particular musical/expressive goal. Kreitman utilizes specific strategies to encourage this state of mind/being.
Before getting possibly turned off by this focus on eastern philosophy,consider that the educational philisopher, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, talks about attention being the fuel of learning!
Experiencing my group class was challenging and fun playing my instrument. I would have to say the most challenging was site reading music, leading, and learning how to play together. It was particularly challenging to read the counting. I really enjoyed playing as an ensemble: getting to know the people, playing fun pieces and hearing the sound as a group. It also gave me more confidence playing as a group. I especially loved the traveling and seeing new places, ministering and blessing others with my violin. This helped me grow as a musician and a person.
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ReplyDeleteOne idea that I found compelling from the reading was that “motivation by the accomplishments of peers” is one of the purposes of group classes. I have personally seen this in my own group experiences. In all the groups that I played in, I always wanted to be like or better than the best player in the group. This motivation caused me to work very hard at my songs, increase my practice time, and become good friends with my peers. Therefore, I have personally seen the benefits of playing in group classes.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it can be very motivational to be surrounded by peers. It helps to push the student to play better and get to the next level! ��
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