One of the first things we learned in ed classes was that younger students learn best when they can be moving as opposed to just sitting and reading/writing. Trying to be a good teacher, I have come up with a number of games that get students moving and reinforces our current unit: rhythm. What's funny is that every time I go "I have a new game for us today!", half the class moans as if I told them fries would be permanently removed from the cafeteria menu. About 5 seconds into the game, however, they all think it's the greatest thing ever. Good thing I know they're not as cool as they think they are.
We have only 22 days of school left this year...I find myself being caught between hoping these 22 days fly by and wanting to ask students to stay after school and come in on saturdays to make sure they get all the instruction they need before summer break. Next thursday is the last day for students to pass off scales (1 student has passed off all 8 scales already!), the next thursday is our spring concert and May 20th we start auditions for next year. So really, I have 13 days left to teach as much as possible. Now I understand why my teachers were freaking out while my dumb middle school brain was already on vacation.
My goal for these students is that they will know how to find pitches on the staff, count like pros and flawlessly use a fingering chart. I realize I may be naive in hoping that with these tools the students will practice what we have done this year and teach themselves some new songs/scales over the summer, but I'm going to reach for the stars anyway.
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