Let’s talk about more education tricks, with a focus on The Music Educator. Successful teachers are able to live without immediate feedback: There is nothing worse than sweating over a lesson plan only to have your students walk out of class without so much as a smile or a, “Great job teach!” It’s hard to give 100% and not see immediate results. Teachers who rely on that instant gratification will get burned out and disillusioned. Learning, relationships, and education are a messy endeavor, much like nurturing a garden. It takes time, and some dirt, to grow. Successful teachers know when to listen to students and when to ignore them: Right on the heels of the above tip is the concept of discernment with student feedback. A teacher who never listens to his/her students will ultimately fail. A teacher who always listens to his/her students will ultimately fail. It is no simple endeavor to know when to listen and adapt, and when to say, “No- we’re going this way because I am the teacher and I see the long term picture.”
Model expectations for your students. Interactively model how to complete an activity or task. We often offer multiple, repeated opportunities when teaching “academic” skills (e.g., letter sounds, math computations), but typically neglect to offer multiple, repeated opportunities for practicing behavioral routines (e.g., lining up at the door, pushing in their chairs). Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you make a request of a student, follow through with that request. If you cannot follow through, avoid placing the demand or providing the instruction. Know yourself and adjust expectations (for yourself and your students) accordingly. Read extra info at Teacher Advices.
Learning is not only for young people. Technology is used in every facet of life because it can provide the speed, connectivity, and efficiency to make tasks easier. We all want things to be easier and faster and as an older adult, it’s important not to underestimate how technology can help you in your golden years. This is the information age where questions can be answered in an instant, and when we take advantage of being informed and connected then we can gain the knowledge and know-how necessary to helping ourselves and improving our lives. Getting digital literacy training can give older adults the skills and confidence to access information and services online.
Games are a great way to get them engaged with technology. Maybe they love crossword puzzles, scrabble, or Sudoku. Download an app or give them a website and show them how to play from their device. This will help them get comfortable with using the buttons and touching the screen. A good website for senior learning is Tech learning for seniors.
Music education is hot this days, many people try to learn music, for various reasons. There are a few podcasts that focuses on teaching people about music and one of them is The Music Educator by Bill Stevens. Today’s kids are digital natives, and today’s tech is a great resource for education, like this article you are probably reading on a screen right now. Music is the perfect subject for using new technology in the classroom, and clever use of tech can make your teaching far more effective. Use apps and YouTube or other video sites. Sometimes watching a video can make a lesson more memorable than listening to the same piece of music without a video. Showing videos of live performances is a great way to teach your students about how instruments are played. It is also a good way to see famous artists performing.
Tip of the day for music teachers : Use a Seating Chart (At Least at First!): While some teachers may not be interested in the idea of having a seating chart, they are extremely helpful for learning students’ names. Seating charts are also great for gaining insight to classroom dynamics, as well as helping students interact with new people. Document! Young teachers will be trying a variety of different teaching styles and activities, so it’ll be essential for teachers to document their efforts so they can know what works and what doesn’t. Feel free to think of this documenting process as a personal teaching journal. When documenting, be sure to clearly note why something does or doesn’t work, as well as ideas on how you would do things different in the future.
You can listen to the The Music Educator podcast by using the app from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themusiceducatorpodcast.android.music. You can learn more about Bill Steven by checking his website at https://www.4themusiceducator.com/.
