Teaching Observations
100A (Elementary Music)
[2014.10.08] Professor Chen-Hafteck
[2014.10.15] Jordan, Taylor, Matt Tong
[2014.10.22] Isaiah, Matt Visk, Ellyn
[2014.10.29] Joel, Virginia, Mack
[2014.11.05] Nina, Alec, Sal, Sam
[2014.11.12] Jordan, Mack, Joel
[2014.12.01] Matt Visk, Ellyn, Matt Tong
[2014.12.03] Sam, Taylor, Alec
[2014.12.08] Isaiah, Sal, Virginia
100B (Choral Music) (opens in new window)
[2015.02.03] Lincoln Middle School
[2015.02.05] Mira Costa High School
[2014.10.08] Professor Chen-Hafteck
[2014.10.15] Jordan, Taylor, Matt Tong
[2014.10.22] Isaiah, Matt Visk, Ellyn
[2014.10.29] Joel, Virginia, Mack
[2014.11.05] Nina, Alec, Sal, Sam
[2014.11.12] Jordan, Mack, Joel
[2014.12.01] Matt Visk, Ellyn, Matt Tong
[2014.12.03] Sam, Taylor, Alec
[2014.12.08] Isaiah, Sal, Virginia
100B (Choral Music) (opens in new window)
[2015.02.03] Lincoln Middle School
[2015.02.05] Mira Costa High School
[2014.10.08] Professor Chen-Hafteck
The kindergarten classroom setting is so filled with energy and genuine emotion that it was hard not to smile just watching how the kids interacted with the different lessons. One of the coolest things about teaching this age group is that it's pretty easy to tell exactly what the students were thinking, making it easy to get instant feedback for whatever you are doing as a teacher. At the same time, it was quite obvious which kids were less willing to interact, and it's really up to you to have the enthusiasm to get everyone involved.
Having the kids do both a greeting and an ending song is effective in helping them instantly realize that this class will be incorporating music, and it also helps in releasing a bit of whatever energy they have gathered up. Questioning the class about what they learned at the end of the lesson lets you identify how well the children grasped the concepts that you taught. Even though it is easy to see the kids' physical responses, it is pretty hard to know exactly what they are thinking without asking them.
Out of the three lessons that were taught, I found the second one to be intriguing. The core concept was to teach the kids to identify the mood of different musical pieces, which pushes the kids to delve more into the subjective side of music. Some of the children definitely just held up cards that the others also held up, but it was nice to see that not everyone held up the same mood cards at the same time. I think it's always important to help kids develop a musical aptitude that doesn't constrain, but frees them up to really be true to their expression and individuality. The only thing I would have changed about the activity would have been to try and figure out a way for the kids to all raise up their selected cards without looking at anyone else's, though that's probably incredibly difficult to do with hyper children.
The kindergarten classroom setting is so filled with energy and genuine emotion that it was hard not to smile just watching how the kids interacted with the different lessons. One of the coolest things about teaching this age group is that it's pretty easy to tell exactly what the students were thinking, making it easy to get instant feedback for whatever you are doing as a teacher. At the same time, it was quite obvious which kids were less willing to interact, and it's really up to you to have the enthusiasm to get everyone involved.
Having the kids do both a greeting and an ending song is effective in helping them instantly realize that this class will be incorporating music, and it also helps in releasing a bit of whatever energy they have gathered up. Questioning the class about what they learned at the end of the lesson lets you identify how well the children grasped the concepts that you taught. Even though it is easy to see the kids' physical responses, it is pretty hard to know exactly what they are thinking without asking them.
Out of the three lessons that were taught, I found the second one to be intriguing. The core concept was to teach the kids to identify the mood of different musical pieces, which pushes the kids to delve more into the subjective side of music. Some of the children definitely just held up cards that the others also held up, but it was nice to see that not everyone held up the same mood cards at the same time. I think it's always important to help kids develop a musical aptitude that doesn't constrain, but frees them up to really be true to their expression and individuality. The only thing I would have changed about the activity would have been to try and figure out a way for the kids to all raise up their selected cards without looking at anyone else's, though that's probably incredibly difficult to do with hyper children.
[2014.10.15] Jordan, Taylor, Matt Tong
Jordan:
I could really see your care and love for the children in the way you taught the lesson, and you are definitely very tender-hearted in how you spoke to the kindergarteners. I loved how you asked the children for a song that they wanted to sing, which showed your interest in them and also allowed the kids to actually provide something to the learning experience. I thought it was great that you introduced them to the concept of rhythm with the simplest rhythm possible, and then played a bunch of various songs that the children could tap along to. The variety of music kept the children engaged and active in thinking about how to adjust their playing/dancing to the different musical styles.
I did think that you could have gone a little more in-depth into the concept of rhythm, and provided a bit more complexity than just tapping along to the feel of the song. It would also be interesting to mix up the game as the class time went on, making it a bit more thought-provoking for the children's brains. A lot of the children began to be more mindless in their beating of the beat as time went on, and they would simply do what they did before or follow another student. The residing kindergarten teacher also encouraged using a symbol (like raising a finger or hand) to designate silence for the class, which is something else to consider to maintaining classroom orderliness.
I also agree with what others have said about the children enjoying the musical example in which you personally went over to the piano and played for them. They definitely reacted much more to that than to the recordings you had on your laptop. Live music is always a plus! Excited to see how you develop the musical minds of the kids in your next lesson!
Taylor:
I definitely thought your lesson plan was the most interesting, and really appreciate your ambition in teaching about Vivaldi's Four Seasons to a group of kindergartners. You started off with singing and also complimented the children on their voices, which was great in showing the kids that you were listening and actually paying attention to their voices. When you introduced acting and mimes, the kids got very excited and you did a great job in creating that anticipation for a fun game that would be both enjoyable and educating. I also loved how you would ask the kids to give out their answers all at once, which may have caused a bit of mayhem, but also allowed the class to respond collectively and encouraged participation from everyone.
Finding a way to reset the classroom to a orderly behavior would have been helpful. I do remember that you told the kids to take a step back at a certain point when they were bunching up a bit too closely to you, but there were other moments during the showing of pictures and acting phases in which you could have used a practical sign or instruction to bring the class back to attention.
I also noticed that you would say certain words like "cool" as a way to affirm the kids' understanding or response, and though it was great in the beginning as a sign of feedback to them, you used it many more times, and it began to sound a bit apathetic. Varying up the phrases or changing the tone of your voice can keep things fresh and prevent the danger of being too monotone.
I shall await your next creative lesson idea for the children!
Self-reflection:
Teaching the kindergarten class was quite the joyful experience. I entered into it being a little nerve-wracked, but when I actually began the lesson and started engaging myself with the class, I was fully captured by their expressions and didn't even notice when time was running out.
I ran into a bit of trouble trying to lead the class to singing loudly like a lion, and when they began to roar the song, I was definitely a bit helpless. I think the actual kindergartner teacher noticed that and helped me out a bit, which was very kind of her, and it also showed me that I really need to be planning a bit more ahead in regard to what to do when the initial plan does not work as planned.
Teaching the terms "crescendo" and "decrescendo" could also have been a bit better. I did provide a word that showed the letters getting larger and smaller depending on the term, but I don't think the kids really absorbed or understood what the two words meant. I agree that I could have incorporated a bit more action into the introduction of the terms and provided better examples instead of just telling them.
I am glad that I had the chance to use the concept of "forte" and "piano" in more than one activity, and I think it helped in reinforcing and cementing the idea of dynamics into the kids' minds. I forgot to question the class about what they learned, but I think the ending activity, in which they sang depending on which dynamic symbol I held up, was a fairly good gauge at what they gained from the lesson.
I definitely need to work with being able to control the classroom setting a bit, too. One of the little girls (Olivia) was especially enthusiastic in volunteering to talk, and I succumbed a bit too much in allowing her to say as much as she wanted, and I really did not know how to move the lesson along when she kept talking. I'm very happy that she was so willing to share about what she was thinking, and I was quite surprised at some of the comments she had in regard to the size of instruments versus the volume.
Overall, I did think that the kids enjoyed the lesson, and they seemed very happy to be able to use instruments and also sing with my instructions of being loud or soft. I think they also enjoyed getting the chance to see a violin and cello be played in a live classroom setting.
My first time teaching a kindergarten lesson was a fun, but also humbling experience. There is so much more to learn, and I am looking forward to how the other teacher-students engage the kindergartners!
Jordan:
I could really see your care and love for the children in the way you taught the lesson, and you are definitely very tender-hearted in how you spoke to the kindergarteners. I loved how you asked the children for a song that they wanted to sing, which showed your interest in them and also allowed the kids to actually provide something to the learning experience. I thought it was great that you introduced them to the concept of rhythm with the simplest rhythm possible, and then played a bunch of various songs that the children could tap along to. The variety of music kept the children engaged and active in thinking about how to adjust their playing/dancing to the different musical styles.
I did think that you could have gone a little more in-depth into the concept of rhythm, and provided a bit more complexity than just tapping along to the feel of the song. It would also be interesting to mix up the game as the class time went on, making it a bit more thought-provoking for the children's brains. A lot of the children began to be more mindless in their beating of the beat as time went on, and they would simply do what they did before or follow another student. The residing kindergarten teacher also encouraged using a symbol (like raising a finger or hand) to designate silence for the class, which is something else to consider to maintaining classroom orderliness.
I also agree with what others have said about the children enjoying the musical example in which you personally went over to the piano and played for them. They definitely reacted much more to that than to the recordings you had on your laptop. Live music is always a plus! Excited to see how you develop the musical minds of the kids in your next lesson!
Taylor:
I definitely thought your lesson plan was the most interesting, and really appreciate your ambition in teaching about Vivaldi's Four Seasons to a group of kindergartners. You started off with singing and also complimented the children on their voices, which was great in showing the kids that you were listening and actually paying attention to their voices. When you introduced acting and mimes, the kids got very excited and you did a great job in creating that anticipation for a fun game that would be both enjoyable and educating. I also loved how you would ask the kids to give out their answers all at once, which may have caused a bit of mayhem, but also allowed the class to respond collectively and encouraged participation from everyone.
Finding a way to reset the classroom to a orderly behavior would have been helpful. I do remember that you told the kids to take a step back at a certain point when they were bunching up a bit too closely to you, but there were other moments during the showing of pictures and acting phases in which you could have used a practical sign or instruction to bring the class back to attention.
I also noticed that you would say certain words like "cool" as a way to affirm the kids' understanding or response, and though it was great in the beginning as a sign of feedback to them, you used it many more times, and it began to sound a bit apathetic. Varying up the phrases or changing the tone of your voice can keep things fresh and prevent the danger of being too monotone.
I shall await your next creative lesson idea for the children!
Self-reflection:
Teaching the kindergarten class was quite the joyful experience. I entered into it being a little nerve-wracked, but when I actually began the lesson and started engaging myself with the class, I was fully captured by their expressions and didn't even notice when time was running out.
I ran into a bit of trouble trying to lead the class to singing loudly like a lion, and when they began to roar the song, I was definitely a bit helpless. I think the actual kindergartner teacher noticed that and helped me out a bit, which was very kind of her, and it also showed me that I really need to be planning a bit more ahead in regard to what to do when the initial plan does not work as planned.
Teaching the terms "crescendo" and "decrescendo" could also have been a bit better. I did provide a word that showed the letters getting larger and smaller depending on the term, but I don't think the kids really absorbed or understood what the two words meant. I agree that I could have incorporated a bit more action into the introduction of the terms and provided better examples instead of just telling them.
I am glad that I had the chance to use the concept of "forte" and "piano" in more than one activity, and I think it helped in reinforcing and cementing the idea of dynamics into the kids' minds. I forgot to question the class about what they learned, but I think the ending activity, in which they sang depending on which dynamic symbol I held up, was a fairly good gauge at what they gained from the lesson.
I definitely need to work with being able to control the classroom setting a bit, too. One of the little girls (Olivia) was especially enthusiastic in volunteering to talk, and I succumbed a bit too much in allowing her to say as much as she wanted, and I really did not know how to move the lesson along when she kept talking. I'm very happy that she was so willing to share about what she was thinking, and I was quite surprised at some of the comments she had in regard to the size of instruments versus the volume.
Overall, I did think that the kids enjoyed the lesson, and they seemed very happy to be able to use instruments and also sing with my instructions of being loud or soft. I think they also enjoyed getting the chance to see a violin and cello be played in a live classroom setting.
My first time teaching a kindergarten lesson was a fun, but also humbling experience. There is so much more to learn, and I am looking forward to how the other teacher-students engage the kindergartners!
[2014.10.22] Isaiah, Matt Visk, Ellyn
Isaiah:
I loved how you place yourself into the circle with the children and physically held their hands as you conducted the activities of your lesson. It made the children really comfortable with you and showed them that you truly cared about being a part of their class! You were excellent in using the "shh" sign, and made sure to always use it to reset the classroom situation when things began to head towards an undesired level of rowdiness. It was really great how you asked questions to the children with a very child-like tone, and it elicited a great response from the class. I'm glad you encouraged the students to play the card game with the mentality that there was no wrong answer, which is really a key aspect of analyzing musical mood.
I did think that it was a little hard to hear when you were talking over the music as it was being played, but the class seemed to respond well to your comments, so maybe it was just because I was a bit far away from you. I also noticed that you really rushed the end of the lesson when you noticed that you were running out of time, and I think that instead of talking faster, you could have just made the decision not to go over certain things and maintained the steady pace that you had throughout the entire lesson.
Matt Visk:
I have to say that I really appreciated the time and effort you placed into creating those giant signs for the children to hold. The signs were well constructed and very clear, and you used them very effectively in your lesson. You did a great job maintaining the classroom's composure, and your method of having them hold their hands up in the air, fold, and place in lap was great in getting their attention off the instrument and keeping them quiet. The way you allotted the signs out to the various students was fantastic in encouraging student participation. It was also great that you really encouraged them to use their big and strong singing voices in the beginning of the lesson. They way you switched up the signs during the activity was a great way to check and reinforce what the children were learning about the different meters.
I did feel a bit worried that the children who were holding the sign did not get much a chance to clap along with the activity you had. They were definitely more than happy to hold the signs up, but I do think that some of them may have felt a bit left out after being unable to play the clapping game for a pretty extensive period of time.
Ellyn:
It was really great how you introduced the children to an entirely foreign area of music, and I think you did a great job of easing them into the culture, while still keeping their attention and making them think. I loved the airplane activity you had, as it allowed the children to release a bit of their pent-up energy and also helped them really play along with the whole traveling to India and seeing a live concert. I liked how you had them compare the Indian style of music to the more Western style, and that you actually introduced certain Indian instruments to the class. Great job at the end as well, providing the children with the passport memento and also asking them about what they learned to reinforce the ideas that were taught.
I think you could have had a bit better of a classroom management during the lesson, especially as they began to crowd up towards you in certain areas of the lesson. You definitely seemed like you noticed, but seemed to just let it slide and continue speaking. I think it's important to maintain a sense of organization in the classroom, as it does help the kids remain more focused on you.
Isaiah:
I loved how you place yourself into the circle with the children and physically held their hands as you conducted the activities of your lesson. It made the children really comfortable with you and showed them that you truly cared about being a part of their class! You were excellent in using the "shh" sign, and made sure to always use it to reset the classroom situation when things began to head towards an undesired level of rowdiness. It was really great how you asked questions to the children with a very child-like tone, and it elicited a great response from the class. I'm glad you encouraged the students to play the card game with the mentality that there was no wrong answer, which is really a key aspect of analyzing musical mood.
I did think that it was a little hard to hear when you were talking over the music as it was being played, but the class seemed to respond well to your comments, so maybe it was just because I was a bit far away from you. I also noticed that you really rushed the end of the lesson when you noticed that you were running out of time, and I think that instead of talking faster, you could have just made the decision not to go over certain things and maintained the steady pace that you had throughout the entire lesson.
Matt Visk:
I have to say that I really appreciated the time and effort you placed into creating those giant signs for the children to hold. The signs were well constructed and very clear, and you used them very effectively in your lesson. You did a great job maintaining the classroom's composure, and your method of having them hold their hands up in the air, fold, and place in lap was great in getting their attention off the instrument and keeping them quiet. The way you allotted the signs out to the various students was fantastic in encouraging student participation. It was also great that you really encouraged them to use their big and strong singing voices in the beginning of the lesson. They way you switched up the signs during the activity was a great way to check and reinforce what the children were learning about the different meters.
I did feel a bit worried that the children who were holding the sign did not get much a chance to clap along with the activity you had. They were definitely more than happy to hold the signs up, but I do think that some of them may have felt a bit left out after being unable to play the clapping game for a pretty extensive period of time.
Ellyn:
It was really great how you introduced the children to an entirely foreign area of music, and I think you did a great job of easing them into the culture, while still keeping their attention and making them think. I loved the airplane activity you had, as it allowed the children to release a bit of their pent-up energy and also helped them really play along with the whole traveling to India and seeing a live concert. I liked how you had them compare the Indian style of music to the more Western style, and that you actually introduced certain Indian instruments to the class. Great job at the end as well, providing the children with the passport memento and also asking them about what they learned to reinforce the ideas that were taught.
I think you could have had a bit better of a classroom management during the lesson, especially as they began to crowd up towards you in certain areas of the lesson. You definitely seemed like you noticed, but seemed to just let it slide and continue speaking. I think it's important to maintain a sense of organization in the classroom, as it does help the kids remain more focused on you.
[2014.10.29] Joel, Virginia, Mack
Joel:
I thought your lesson on teaching the children the African circle song was very cool. The activity incorporated culture, song, and rhythm all into one, and it was definitely a good activity that the children enjoyed. It was also great that you used the piano as a way to help the children identify the pitch of the song better, since you chose not to sing in falsetto voice. The egg shaker passing aspect of the circle song was also very interesting, as it definitely kept the children on their toes and also allowed each of them to have a turn to participate.
The game had a good concept, but I also thought it wasn't explained too clearly how the children were to go about passing the egg shaker around, and it resulted in a very repetitive and long singing period in order to complete the full cycle. It was definitely fun for the students when they got to hold the actual shaker, but I'm sure some of the children were starting to approach a level of tediousness in the singing. It did feel like you only had one activity in your lesson, and I think it would have been good to include some other activities to keep things more varied. I also noticed that when things started to go a bit off, your face really showed it, and I could tell that you were starting to worry or get frustrated, and I'm sure the kids could see it too. Remember to keep smiling and just go with the flow of the plan, no matter what happens! I think classroom control could have been a bit better as well, specifically when you passed out the instruments and they began playing on them and creating a bit of a hectic environment.
Virginia:
I really appreciated how you asked the students to form a good circle, as it showed what you expected out of them and also helped them get organized fairly well. Nice job on establishing a system to quiet down the students. I felt that it was a little bit too complicated for them, but the kids definitely caught on after a couple practice tries. I loved that you introduced the concept with pictures before explaining the identification of high and low pitches, and it was really great that you made use of the glockenspiel blocks to introduce the solfege notes. The solfege introduction did feel a bit rushed, and I think you could have tried having them sing the solfege notes a bit more.
I also thought that the musical selections that you used for the children to identify high and low notes were a bit confusing, as it was easy to hear both high and low notes within the excerpt. Maybe it would have been a better idea to select excerpts that were a bit more obvious in the pitch. Since they were orchestral excerpts, it was also not too clear what you wanted the students to be listening to.
Mack:
Nice work on introducing the concept of the lesson by having them sing Twinkle, Twinkle slowly and quickly. You also did a great job in making sure you did not tower over the children, which was great in keeping you connected with the class as you explained things to them. The use of scarves was also a great idea, and the children really enjoyed getting to wave the scarves around to the different tempos. I also thought it was great that you told them that no sound should be coming out of their mouths as they waved the scarves around, which was helpful in letting them listen to the music. Your examples were also very clear with the speed of the music, and I was super happy that you used the Holst. Nice job on explaining the accelerando and ritardando, too! I do think you could have had the class act out the two concepts a bit more, as that would have helped reinforce it a bit better.
When you class began getting a bit rowdy, I did think you had a bit of difficulty quieting them down, and ended up telling them to place their hands on the ground, which was effective, but it also caused some of them to make more noise by hitting the ground. It would have been better to have them do an action that did not result in more sound or more potential for rowdiness. Also, I do think you could have varied your voice level and facial expression more, but you were able to do a good job in keeping the class engaged and interested!
Joel:
I thought your lesson on teaching the children the African circle song was very cool. The activity incorporated culture, song, and rhythm all into one, and it was definitely a good activity that the children enjoyed. It was also great that you used the piano as a way to help the children identify the pitch of the song better, since you chose not to sing in falsetto voice. The egg shaker passing aspect of the circle song was also very interesting, as it definitely kept the children on their toes and also allowed each of them to have a turn to participate.
The game had a good concept, but I also thought it wasn't explained too clearly how the children were to go about passing the egg shaker around, and it resulted in a very repetitive and long singing period in order to complete the full cycle. It was definitely fun for the students when they got to hold the actual shaker, but I'm sure some of the children were starting to approach a level of tediousness in the singing. It did feel like you only had one activity in your lesson, and I think it would have been good to include some other activities to keep things more varied. I also noticed that when things started to go a bit off, your face really showed it, and I could tell that you were starting to worry or get frustrated, and I'm sure the kids could see it too. Remember to keep smiling and just go with the flow of the plan, no matter what happens! I think classroom control could have been a bit better as well, specifically when you passed out the instruments and they began playing on them and creating a bit of a hectic environment.
Virginia:
I really appreciated how you asked the students to form a good circle, as it showed what you expected out of them and also helped them get organized fairly well. Nice job on establishing a system to quiet down the students. I felt that it was a little bit too complicated for them, but the kids definitely caught on after a couple practice tries. I loved that you introduced the concept with pictures before explaining the identification of high and low pitches, and it was really great that you made use of the glockenspiel blocks to introduce the solfege notes. The solfege introduction did feel a bit rushed, and I think you could have tried having them sing the solfege notes a bit more.
I also thought that the musical selections that you used for the children to identify high and low notes were a bit confusing, as it was easy to hear both high and low notes within the excerpt. Maybe it would have been a better idea to select excerpts that were a bit more obvious in the pitch. Since they were orchestral excerpts, it was also not too clear what you wanted the students to be listening to.
Mack:
Nice work on introducing the concept of the lesson by having them sing Twinkle, Twinkle slowly and quickly. You also did a great job in making sure you did not tower over the children, which was great in keeping you connected with the class as you explained things to them. The use of scarves was also a great idea, and the children really enjoyed getting to wave the scarves around to the different tempos. I also thought it was great that you told them that no sound should be coming out of their mouths as they waved the scarves around, which was helpful in letting them listen to the music. Your examples were also very clear with the speed of the music, and I was super happy that you used the Holst. Nice job on explaining the accelerando and ritardando, too! I do think you could have had the class act out the two concepts a bit more, as that would have helped reinforce it a bit better.
When you class began getting a bit rowdy, I did think you had a bit of difficulty quieting them down, and ended up telling them to place their hands on the ground, which was effective, but it also caused some of them to make more noise by hitting the ground. It would have been better to have them do an action that did not result in more sound or more potential for rowdiness. Also, I do think you could have varied your voice level and facial expression more, but you were able to do a good job in keeping the class engaged and interested!
[2014.11.05] Nina, Alec, Sal, Sam
Nina:
Though I was unable to view your entire lesson, for the portion that I did see, you did an awesome job with your interaction with the students and really encouraged them to respond to you! I really enjoyed how you emphasized the importance of sitting with correct posture, and your example of suspending the head like a puppet really made sense to the children. I also enjoyed the way you would start the song off, but would let the children sing on their own and listen to each other, and then you would jump back in whenever the kids needed assistance. That is a great way to really gauge what level of singing the children are doing, and it helps give the students a sense of independence as they perform on their own.
Alec:
Well done with the introduction of legato and staccato to the class through the "good afternoon" song. I do think the children understood the difference between the two ways you sang it, but you could also have done a bit of a bigger contrast, and maybe even moved your body in a certain way as you sang in order to point out the difference. I did like the analogy you used of the robot and wood chopping for the staccato, as that really seemed to solidify the concept of separation in the kids' minds. For some reason, the concept of smoothness didn't seem to come across as well, and this was seen especially when you asked them to sing staccato, and they did, but when you asked them to sing legato, they simply sang staccato again. Once again, I think incorporating more physical actions would have been helpful.
There were also some interesting classroom situations that came up. Some of the kids were playing around with a certain object while you were talking, and though you seemed to notice, you didn't do anything about, and I think you should've been a bit more strict with them to make sure that they were paying attention to you. Some students also began singing the "good afternoon" song when you talked about legato, and you didn't do much to quiet them either, and it did slightly cause an interruption in the pacing of your lesson. Your calm demeanor was definitely helpful in soothing the kids, but I do think you could have enforced a bit more strictness during the lesson time.
The final part of your lesson during which you had the children dance along to your saxophone playing was pretty interesting as well. I could see that you didn't want to move around as you played in order to give the children a chance to figure out their own way of dancing, but I think standing completely still and straight made them unsure as to what to do. They did begin to stomp rapidly during the staccato passage you played, and then when you went back to legato, they seemed a bit more willing to move around. I think starting on the staccato would have been the better choice, as it allowed the class to release their energy a bit and free up their bodies to be more flowing with the legato passages.
Sal:
Awesome way of starting the class of by asking how there weeks were. I think so many of us are so into just jumping straight into a song that we lose a bit of the personal touch that comes with actually seeing how the children are doing. The only downside to asking that questions was that some children wanted to share their stories no matter what, and it can be a bit difficult to a stop a story once it starts going. Also, it was great that you had the children warm up with a loud and clear "ahh" before actually singing the song. It seemed a bit confusing to the class though, and I think it would have been helpful if you had explained why you were having them say the "ahh" before singing.
Your activity of introducing steady beat and silent beats was definitely a cool one, though it looked like a real challenge to pull off. As for the steady beat part, the children were able to grasp on the difference between a steady and unsteady beat, and the children even voiced out that the unsteady beat sounded "bad" and "weird." I loved that you had one volunteer pick a song and then lead the group with it. When you began introducing the silence/no clapping for beats, that's when the lesson seemed to take a bit of a rough turn, and I'm not sure whether the activity with the solo tone bell sections was effective in teaching the students a steady beat. When you played the tone bells during the silence, the beat was able to remain steady, but when the kids had the chance to play, I think all sense of beat was lost. It probably would have been good to have them all keep counting the 4 or 8-count even during the solo sections, so the children could maintain the steady flow of beat.
Sam:
Nice job in creating a lesson that provoked the class to think about the story behind the music rather than just the objective sounds. It's always great to introduce concepts of art to young kids, as it really helps in blossoming their growing minds and individual personalities. You were also one of the first teachers to have the students listen to you sing before singing the "good afternoon" song, and I thought that was a great way to train the students to internalize the melody in their minds before singing it out of their own voices.
Your drawing activity and repertoire selection were great in bringing out the creative minds of the children, and I loved how you would go around and see what each of the children were drawing on their pages, encouraging them to draw whatever they thought the music sounded like to them. You also did a nice job in remembering to fade out the music before giving the class more instructions. However, once you began to pass out the instruments, that's when the classroom became a bit too hectic, and I think it would have been good to have a bit more control over the organization and noise level of the situation. At a certain point, the children definitely were not even listening to the music at all, and would simply play their instrument whenever you pointed or gave an instruction to them. Introducing the more unique instruments was great, but it also caused a pretty big sense of discontentment for the students that only had egg shakers. I noticed that a lot of them were in a pretty grumpy mood, and I think you noticed as well, since you began switching out the instruments and giving the other kids a chance. It would have probably been best to try to prevent the dissatisfaction before it even happened by really reminding the class that they would all get a turn.
In the end, you provided the class with a specific story for the song to follow, so even though you invited the children to be creative, you did end up having them play along with a certain plot line, so it may have been a bit confusing for the class. It would also have been better to give a bit less freedom to the class, as I think the lack of instruction and control at certain points were a bit detrimental to the overall learning experience that was being offered to the children.
Nina:
Though I was unable to view your entire lesson, for the portion that I did see, you did an awesome job with your interaction with the students and really encouraged them to respond to you! I really enjoyed how you emphasized the importance of sitting with correct posture, and your example of suspending the head like a puppet really made sense to the children. I also enjoyed the way you would start the song off, but would let the children sing on their own and listen to each other, and then you would jump back in whenever the kids needed assistance. That is a great way to really gauge what level of singing the children are doing, and it helps give the students a sense of independence as they perform on their own.
Alec:
Well done with the introduction of legato and staccato to the class through the "good afternoon" song. I do think the children understood the difference between the two ways you sang it, but you could also have done a bit of a bigger contrast, and maybe even moved your body in a certain way as you sang in order to point out the difference. I did like the analogy you used of the robot and wood chopping for the staccato, as that really seemed to solidify the concept of separation in the kids' minds. For some reason, the concept of smoothness didn't seem to come across as well, and this was seen especially when you asked them to sing staccato, and they did, but when you asked them to sing legato, they simply sang staccato again. Once again, I think incorporating more physical actions would have been helpful.
There were also some interesting classroom situations that came up. Some of the kids were playing around with a certain object while you were talking, and though you seemed to notice, you didn't do anything about, and I think you should've been a bit more strict with them to make sure that they were paying attention to you. Some students also began singing the "good afternoon" song when you talked about legato, and you didn't do much to quiet them either, and it did slightly cause an interruption in the pacing of your lesson. Your calm demeanor was definitely helpful in soothing the kids, but I do think you could have enforced a bit more strictness during the lesson time.
The final part of your lesson during which you had the children dance along to your saxophone playing was pretty interesting as well. I could see that you didn't want to move around as you played in order to give the children a chance to figure out their own way of dancing, but I think standing completely still and straight made them unsure as to what to do. They did begin to stomp rapidly during the staccato passage you played, and then when you went back to legato, they seemed a bit more willing to move around. I think starting on the staccato would have been the better choice, as it allowed the class to release their energy a bit and free up their bodies to be more flowing with the legato passages.
Sal:
Awesome way of starting the class of by asking how there weeks were. I think so many of us are so into just jumping straight into a song that we lose a bit of the personal touch that comes with actually seeing how the children are doing. The only downside to asking that questions was that some children wanted to share their stories no matter what, and it can be a bit difficult to a stop a story once it starts going. Also, it was great that you had the children warm up with a loud and clear "ahh" before actually singing the song. It seemed a bit confusing to the class though, and I think it would have been helpful if you had explained why you were having them say the "ahh" before singing.
Your activity of introducing steady beat and silent beats was definitely a cool one, though it looked like a real challenge to pull off. As for the steady beat part, the children were able to grasp on the difference between a steady and unsteady beat, and the children even voiced out that the unsteady beat sounded "bad" and "weird." I loved that you had one volunteer pick a song and then lead the group with it. When you began introducing the silence/no clapping for beats, that's when the lesson seemed to take a bit of a rough turn, and I'm not sure whether the activity with the solo tone bell sections was effective in teaching the students a steady beat. When you played the tone bells during the silence, the beat was able to remain steady, but when the kids had the chance to play, I think all sense of beat was lost. It probably would have been good to have them all keep counting the 4 or 8-count even during the solo sections, so the children could maintain the steady flow of beat.
Sam:
Nice job in creating a lesson that provoked the class to think about the story behind the music rather than just the objective sounds. It's always great to introduce concepts of art to young kids, as it really helps in blossoming their growing minds and individual personalities. You were also one of the first teachers to have the students listen to you sing before singing the "good afternoon" song, and I thought that was a great way to train the students to internalize the melody in their minds before singing it out of their own voices.
Your drawing activity and repertoire selection were great in bringing out the creative minds of the children, and I loved how you would go around and see what each of the children were drawing on their pages, encouraging them to draw whatever they thought the music sounded like to them. You also did a nice job in remembering to fade out the music before giving the class more instructions. However, once you began to pass out the instruments, that's when the classroom became a bit too hectic, and I think it would have been good to have a bit more control over the organization and noise level of the situation. At a certain point, the children definitely were not even listening to the music at all, and would simply play their instrument whenever you pointed or gave an instruction to them. Introducing the more unique instruments was great, but it also caused a pretty big sense of discontentment for the students that only had egg shakers. I noticed that a lot of them were in a pretty grumpy mood, and I think you noticed as well, since you began switching out the instruments and giving the other kids a chance. It would have probably been best to try to prevent the dissatisfaction before it even happened by really reminding the class that they would all get a turn.
In the end, you provided the class with a specific story for the song to follow, so even though you invited the children to be creative, you did end up having them play along with a certain plot line, so it may have been a bit confusing for the class. It would also have been better to give a bit less freedom to the class, as I think the lack of instruction and control at certain points were a bit detrimental to the overall learning experience that was being offered to the children.
[2014.11.12] Jordan, Mack, Joel
Jordan:
I really liked that you asked the students to pick a song that they wanted to sing, and that you made the effort to try and learn their song as they sang it to you. Also, great job on bringing up the breath and posture issues! I liked how you actually went up to one of the girls and said you noticed that she wasn't singing, as this showed that you were actually paying attention to what was (and wasn't) coming out of their mouths. I also enjoyed when you told to have "eyes up" in order to make sure that they had their focus on you.
When you asked the children to sing quietly, they followed your instructions accordingly, but ended up being unable to hear each other and did not sing together at all. I think you could have pushed them to continue listening carefully to one another, or you could have established a steady beat for them to follow along with. During your activity with the shaker, I did like how you tried to point out how one of the students was shaking well, but I don't think you made enough of a push for all the students to look at her, and I think part of it was in the overall tone of your voice throughout the lesson. I think the way you speak was very calm and gentle, and there were definitely times were you could have injected a bit more of enthusiasm into it to capture the students' attention. Make sure you keep your eyes on the time as well; when Professor Chen gave you an "almost times up" signal, you should definitely have started to wrap things up instead of trying to move on to a new activity. Also, when you began the example of shaking on beats 2 and 4, the piece you picked was drastically quicker than the way you were practicing with the students, which was basically impossible for the children to follow.
Mack:
I really enjoyed your introduction to the class as they came in and sat down. Asking them how they were doing and they saying they looked a bit tired was a great segue into the "good afternoon" song. I think you started the song off a bit suddenly, and it would have been helpful to provide them with a pitch and then counted them off. Great job in introducing and explaining the different instruments within a wind ensemble. I really love how you responded to different children's reactions and outbursts, and you were very good in keeping the lesson flowing. Your tone of voice was very engaging and definitely kept the students in check throughout the lesson.
The activity involving identifying whether a piece was being played by a wind ensemble or an orchestra was fun, but I'm not sure how many of the children were actively listening, especially when they were running and stomping around. It would have been a good idea to encourage them to be quietly walking from the start, which would also have prevented them from getting too rowdy and would keep them attentive to the music. Another thing I noticed during your lesson is that you never really called on people for answers to questions, and would encourage them to just speak up when they had an answer. The class was definitely well-trained, and many were raising their hands; you could really have taken advantage of the class' behavior.
Joel:
It was very cool that you taught the students a new song from the very start, and then even taught it in a completely different language! Nice job in introducing the culture of Brazil, and it was definitely very cool that you had pictures up to help the students really imagine and see what the culture was like. The samba line activity at the end of the lesson, would definitely be memorable in the minds of the children, and allowing the children to use so many different instruments added to the enjoyment as well.
I did notice that you would make random comments whenever something seemed to not go as expected, like forgetting the Portuguese for the rest of the song or when the video didn't seem to be working properly. I would say that you could definitely keep some of those to yourself in order to keep the flow of the lesson going, and to not let it distract you from properly teaching the class with confidence and joy! I noticed that you did seem to have a nervous and frantic expression at times, which does show that you really cared about making sure the class was getting good teaching, but don't get too set back about any one problem; it could definitely start branching out and leading to other problems in other things.
Jordan:
I really liked that you asked the students to pick a song that they wanted to sing, and that you made the effort to try and learn their song as they sang it to you. Also, great job on bringing up the breath and posture issues! I liked how you actually went up to one of the girls and said you noticed that she wasn't singing, as this showed that you were actually paying attention to what was (and wasn't) coming out of their mouths. I also enjoyed when you told to have "eyes up" in order to make sure that they had their focus on you.
When you asked the children to sing quietly, they followed your instructions accordingly, but ended up being unable to hear each other and did not sing together at all. I think you could have pushed them to continue listening carefully to one another, or you could have established a steady beat for them to follow along with. During your activity with the shaker, I did like how you tried to point out how one of the students was shaking well, but I don't think you made enough of a push for all the students to look at her, and I think part of it was in the overall tone of your voice throughout the lesson. I think the way you speak was very calm and gentle, and there were definitely times were you could have injected a bit more of enthusiasm into it to capture the students' attention. Make sure you keep your eyes on the time as well; when Professor Chen gave you an "almost times up" signal, you should definitely have started to wrap things up instead of trying to move on to a new activity. Also, when you began the example of shaking on beats 2 and 4, the piece you picked was drastically quicker than the way you were practicing with the students, which was basically impossible for the children to follow.
Mack:
I really enjoyed your introduction to the class as they came in and sat down. Asking them how they were doing and they saying they looked a bit tired was a great segue into the "good afternoon" song. I think you started the song off a bit suddenly, and it would have been helpful to provide them with a pitch and then counted them off. Great job in introducing and explaining the different instruments within a wind ensemble. I really love how you responded to different children's reactions and outbursts, and you were very good in keeping the lesson flowing. Your tone of voice was very engaging and definitely kept the students in check throughout the lesson.
The activity involving identifying whether a piece was being played by a wind ensemble or an orchestra was fun, but I'm not sure how many of the children were actively listening, especially when they were running and stomping around. It would have been a good idea to encourage them to be quietly walking from the start, which would also have prevented them from getting too rowdy and would keep them attentive to the music. Another thing I noticed during your lesson is that you never really called on people for answers to questions, and would encourage them to just speak up when they had an answer. The class was definitely well-trained, and many were raising their hands; you could really have taken advantage of the class' behavior.
Joel:
It was very cool that you taught the students a new song from the very start, and then even taught it in a completely different language! Nice job in introducing the culture of Brazil, and it was definitely very cool that you had pictures up to help the students really imagine and see what the culture was like. The samba line activity at the end of the lesson, would definitely be memorable in the minds of the children, and allowing the children to use so many different instruments added to the enjoyment as well.
I did notice that you would make random comments whenever something seemed to not go as expected, like forgetting the Portuguese for the rest of the song or when the video didn't seem to be working properly. I would say that you could definitely keep some of those to yourself in order to keep the flow of the lesson going, and to not let it distract you from properly teaching the class with confidence and joy! I noticed that you did seem to have a nervous and frantic expression at times, which does show that you really cared about making sure the class was getting good teaching, but don't get too set back about any one problem; it could definitely start branching out and leading to other problems in other things.
[2014.12.01] Matt Visk, Ellyn, Matt Tong
Matt Visk:
An awesome and well-organized lesson! I loved that you had the UCLA students help out with getting the children in a circle and then also singing with them, which definitely helped them be more confident. I did think that this prevented you from hearing the children as clearly, and could also make them just a bit too dependent on the college students. Nice job having the UCLA students pass out the materials, too, as this saved a lot of time for you and also made sure that each child got the materials.
Your usage of the whiteboard was also very well done. It seemed to really be helpful to give the visuals to the kindergarteners, and they all seem absorbed into the images that you presented to them. When you began presenting the different note lengths, I stated to think that it would be quite hard to show the length of a whole note and half note with just a single clap, but then you brought on your trumpet and demonstrated, which definitely cleared it up for the students. Your game involving holding up the different note card based on what you were playing was really great as well; it reinforced reiterated the ideas of different notes and helped the students begin to learn to identify them by ear.
The only slight bit of trouble I noticed your lesson run into was when you first started the call-and-response clapping. Many of the children began clapping immediately after you started, and even though you told a lot of them to listen first, only a handful actually paid attention. I noticed that some students were also just clapping to clap, and weren't even following you. I did like what you told them about using their ears and actually having them hold their ears, as that definitely prevented them from clapping with their hands. I'm not sure if you did this, but also emphasizing exactly how many beats you would clap out could have been helpful, too. Also, maybe the number of beats you used was just a bit too long, and was outside the attention span of the kindergarten students.
Ellyn:
Really great job with introducing an entirely new style of music to the class of kindergarteners! The lesson was a wonderful idea, and I thought you also presented it in a very good way. The quiet coyote was a great signal to use with the children! It was definitely one of the more creative signs that I've seen; I'll definitely keep it in my stash of quiet signs to use for kids.
I loved that you used a new introduction song! Call and response is always enjoyable to do, and the children definitely showed interest in learning a new song along with a new style of song. It was also great that you enlisted the help of Nina and Virginia for the Appalachian song you taught. However, I do think that some of the ways that you gave instructions were a bit confusing to the students, and I saw that some of them were quite lost in what to do. I think you did an excellent job in presenting the different songs, though, and nice job playing with the guitar! Questioning them about the different lyrics was definitely a great way to reinforce what they had just sung. One thing that you could also have done was add different movements along to the song, though that would have been a bit difficult while holding the guitar. The different actions would have gotten the children a bit more engaged and also help in remembering the words a bit better.
I also would like to compliment you on noticing that one of the children was sitting in a chair, and for giving him an activity to do while the other children were walking around in a circle. He didn't end up doing it in the end, but I think that was due to either his shyness or just his overall mood during that. I'm glad you were very aware of his situation and took steps to give every student an opportunity to participate!
I'm glad you got the chance to teach a lesson for the full length of time! You were great at keeping the classroom in control and in keeping the children engaged in learning a somewhat foreign style of music.
Self-reflection:
This was definitely a tough lesson for me, and I really saw just how important it is to have a well-prepared lesson plan before teaching.
I made an attempt to warm up the children a bit before having them sing the introductory song, but I don't think I did too well of a job in explaining the reason for it, and I think I could also have a chosen a more kindergarten-appropriate that is a bit more fun and engaging for them. I also found that I was definitely having trouble articulating certain things to the children, and could have been much more enthusiastic in the way I spoke. In certain parts of the lesson, I definitely sounded like a lecturer speaking to a class of non-kindergarteners, which probably bored the students out a little bit.
The main concept I wanted to present was improvisation, and I had planned to separate it into different aspects of music, and I think I somewhat presented it in that manner, but it did not involve very many engaging activities, and I could have explained each section of improvisation better. When I asked the children to pick a number from one to eight, I should have explained that these news were related to notes, so that the children would know that they were choosing actual notes. I think the most successful section of the lesson was the activity involving the "forte" and "piano" cards from my previous lesson with the class, and I think it shows how important visual elements are to producing a healthy learning environment.
I also chose to move the piano to the center of the room so that I did not have to move the students over to the piano, and I do think that it was helpful and allowed me to make use of the piano without being disconnected from the class. There were certain moments when the class began to become a bit rowdy and crowded, and one reason was because I forgot to have them sit back down after standing up. I need to be a bit more aware of what position is the best for the students to allow them to learn the most effectively.
I definitely have work to do in being more engaging of a teacher and in explaining instructions and concepts in a age-appropriate manner. Nevertheless, it was an awesome opportunity and a joy to be able to work with the same class twice, and both of the lessons I taught helped teach me so much about being a teacher of elementary education.
Matt Visk:
An awesome and well-organized lesson! I loved that you had the UCLA students help out with getting the children in a circle and then also singing with them, which definitely helped them be more confident. I did think that this prevented you from hearing the children as clearly, and could also make them just a bit too dependent on the college students. Nice job having the UCLA students pass out the materials, too, as this saved a lot of time for you and also made sure that each child got the materials.
Your usage of the whiteboard was also very well done. It seemed to really be helpful to give the visuals to the kindergarteners, and they all seem absorbed into the images that you presented to them. When you began presenting the different note lengths, I stated to think that it would be quite hard to show the length of a whole note and half note with just a single clap, but then you brought on your trumpet and demonstrated, which definitely cleared it up for the students. Your game involving holding up the different note card based on what you were playing was really great as well; it reinforced reiterated the ideas of different notes and helped the students begin to learn to identify them by ear.
The only slight bit of trouble I noticed your lesson run into was when you first started the call-and-response clapping. Many of the children began clapping immediately after you started, and even though you told a lot of them to listen first, only a handful actually paid attention. I noticed that some students were also just clapping to clap, and weren't even following you. I did like what you told them about using their ears and actually having them hold their ears, as that definitely prevented them from clapping with their hands. I'm not sure if you did this, but also emphasizing exactly how many beats you would clap out could have been helpful, too. Also, maybe the number of beats you used was just a bit too long, and was outside the attention span of the kindergarten students.
Ellyn:
Really great job with introducing an entirely new style of music to the class of kindergarteners! The lesson was a wonderful idea, and I thought you also presented it in a very good way. The quiet coyote was a great signal to use with the children! It was definitely one of the more creative signs that I've seen; I'll definitely keep it in my stash of quiet signs to use for kids.
I loved that you used a new introduction song! Call and response is always enjoyable to do, and the children definitely showed interest in learning a new song along with a new style of song. It was also great that you enlisted the help of Nina and Virginia for the Appalachian song you taught. However, I do think that some of the ways that you gave instructions were a bit confusing to the students, and I saw that some of them were quite lost in what to do. I think you did an excellent job in presenting the different songs, though, and nice job playing with the guitar! Questioning them about the different lyrics was definitely a great way to reinforce what they had just sung. One thing that you could also have done was add different movements along to the song, though that would have been a bit difficult while holding the guitar. The different actions would have gotten the children a bit more engaged and also help in remembering the words a bit better.
I also would like to compliment you on noticing that one of the children was sitting in a chair, and for giving him an activity to do while the other children were walking around in a circle. He didn't end up doing it in the end, but I think that was due to either his shyness or just his overall mood during that. I'm glad you were very aware of his situation and took steps to give every student an opportunity to participate!
I'm glad you got the chance to teach a lesson for the full length of time! You were great at keeping the classroom in control and in keeping the children engaged in learning a somewhat foreign style of music.
Self-reflection:
This was definitely a tough lesson for me, and I really saw just how important it is to have a well-prepared lesson plan before teaching.
I made an attempt to warm up the children a bit before having them sing the introductory song, but I don't think I did too well of a job in explaining the reason for it, and I think I could also have a chosen a more kindergarten-appropriate that is a bit more fun and engaging for them. I also found that I was definitely having trouble articulating certain things to the children, and could have been much more enthusiastic in the way I spoke. In certain parts of the lesson, I definitely sounded like a lecturer speaking to a class of non-kindergarteners, which probably bored the students out a little bit.
The main concept I wanted to present was improvisation, and I had planned to separate it into different aspects of music, and I think I somewhat presented it in that manner, but it did not involve very many engaging activities, and I could have explained each section of improvisation better. When I asked the children to pick a number from one to eight, I should have explained that these news were related to notes, so that the children would know that they were choosing actual notes. I think the most successful section of the lesson was the activity involving the "forte" and "piano" cards from my previous lesson with the class, and I think it shows how important visual elements are to producing a healthy learning environment.
I also chose to move the piano to the center of the room so that I did not have to move the students over to the piano, and I do think that it was helpful and allowed me to make use of the piano without being disconnected from the class. There were certain moments when the class began to become a bit rowdy and crowded, and one reason was because I forgot to have them sit back down after standing up. I need to be a bit more aware of what position is the best for the students to allow them to learn the most effectively.
I definitely have work to do in being more engaging of a teacher and in explaining instructions and concepts in a age-appropriate manner. Nevertheless, it was an awesome opportunity and a joy to be able to work with the same class twice, and both of the lessons I taught helped teach me so much about being a teacher of elementary education.
[2014.12.03] Sam, Taylor, Alec
Sam:
Loved the lesson on movie music. It was definitely much more controlled and effective than your last lesson, and you did a very great job in handling the classroom! They were still active in making sounds, but it was a much more controlled manner, and you really helped facilitate the learning.
I loved that you asked the class about their favorite movie, though it somewhat sparked discontent in the students that didn't get a chance to share. Still, a very great and smooth way to go into the topic of film music. Nice job with the Santa joke when you presented John Williams; it made the children laugh and showed a bit of your personality as an individual. I also really liked how you paid attention to the different students when you asked them to act out the behaviors of the dinosaurs, and you really encouraged those that were engaging with the activity; it helped the surrounding students also do the same.
When the students started singing random Christmas songs, you did a great job in handling that situation and prevented it from overturning your lesson. It also was really cool when you gave them a very stern and wide-eyed look as you waited for them to quiet down before playing the music.
The one thing you could still work on is providing a starting pitch for singing, which Professor Chen did remind you to do during the lesson. Sometimes, just giving the pitch once isn't enough either, and it could be helpful to sing a phrase or sentence in that one pitch so that the students can really grasp what that pitch is.
Taylor:
Awesome lesson on body percussion, and you did an excellent job at introducing the element to them. The children definitely had surprised looks on their faces when they realized that they already had this instrument, and will hopefully remember the concept for a good amount of time. Good job in introducing the addition of a body percussive element to the introduction song! However, a majority of the class did not follow your rhythm correctly, and completely clapped past the rest that you had. It would have been helpful to explain the rest a bit and have the students notice it before you had them clap along to the song.
I loved all the music examples you used! They were all very rhythmical and definitely good for making percussion sounds to. You also did a great job in giving the pitch by singing it during your count off to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and it definitely helped the children identify the starting note better. I also really liked that you kept the class in control when one of the children wanted to sing her own song. Your final activity that had the class split up and perform somewhat different elements was great in helping the class learn to listen and perform with others, though it was a bit hard because the tempo was so quick.
I think the toughest part of your lesson was introducing the different stomps and claps and how they matched the song. It may have been helpful to do some more rhythms at slightly slower tempos so that the children had a bit of time to practice and get used to the different body percussive elements. Many of them were quite confused at where the place the claps and taps.
Alec:
Great job in teaching a lesson and maintaining a composure despite the rebellious kid that was acting out. I'm glad you brought out your saxophone again and incorporated it into the lesson. You still could have spent a bit of time explaining about the different parts of the instrument and exactly how it even makes sound; I think you rushed a bit into simply taking it out and playing it.
During your good afternoon song, I thought that your count off could have been a bit better, and you also could definitely have smiled a lot more during the song! You had a very stern look during the entire activity, which you may or may not have noticed. When you produced the different note lengths and had the poster, I also think you went through them a little bit too quickly. It was great that you had a visual, and you could have taken advantage of it in many more ways than just showing it quickly to them.
I really liked that you used body percussion elements and had the children march around to a beat! It was an activity that had the children moving while also learning about using rhythmic elements. I also liked that you introduced the concept of swung eighth notes; you could have taken a bit more time to explain them, and also talk a bit about the reason musical styles like jazz use these types of notes. Also, it was great that you demonstrated on your saxophone, but playing an actual song with a full jazz band would have been helpful to providing a bit more context into what it really means to swing the notes.
Sam:
Loved the lesson on movie music. It was definitely much more controlled and effective than your last lesson, and you did a very great job in handling the classroom! They were still active in making sounds, but it was a much more controlled manner, and you really helped facilitate the learning.
I loved that you asked the class about their favorite movie, though it somewhat sparked discontent in the students that didn't get a chance to share. Still, a very great and smooth way to go into the topic of film music. Nice job with the Santa joke when you presented John Williams; it made the children laugh and showed a bit of your personality as an individual. I also really liked how you paid attention to the different students when you asked them to act out the behaviors of the dinosaurs, and you really encouraged those that were engaging with the activity; it helped the surrounding students also do the same.
When the students started singing random Christmas songs, you did a great job in handling that situation and prevented it from overturning your lesson. It also was really cool when you gave them a very stern and wide-eyed look as you waited for them to quiet down before playing the music.
The one thing you could still work on is providing a starting pitch for singing, which Professor Chen did remind you to do during the lesson. Sometimes, just giving the pitch once isn't enough either, and it could be helpful to sing a phrase or sentence in that one pitch so that the students can really grasp what that pitch is.
Taylor:
Awesome lesson on body percussion, and you did an excellent job at introducing the element to them. The children definitely had surprised looks on their faces when they realized that they already had this instrument, and will hopefully remember the concept for a good amount of time. Good job in introducing the addition of a body percussive element to the introduction song! However, a majority of the class did not follow your rhythm correctly, and completely clapped past the rest that you had. It would have been helpful to explain the rest a bit and have the students notice it before you had them clap along to the song.
I loved all the music examples you used! They were all very rhythmical and definitely good for making percussion sounds to. You also did a great job in giving the pitch by singing it during your count off to "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and it definitely helped the children identify the starting note better. I also really liked that you kept the class in control when one of the children wanted to sing her own song. Your final activity that had the class split up and perform somewhat different elements was great in helping the class learn to listen and perform with others, though it was a bit hard because the tempo was so quick.
I think the toughest part of your lesson was introducing the different stomps and claps and how they matched the song. It may have been helpful to do some more rhythms at slightly slower tempos so that the children had a bit of time to practice and get used to the different body percussive elements. Many of them were quite confused at where the place the claps and taps.
Alec:
Great job in teaching a lesson and maintaining a composure despite the rebellious kid that was acting out. I'm glad you brought out your saxophone again and incorporated it into the lesson. You still could have spent a bit of time explaining about the different parts of the instrument and exactly how it even makes sound; I think you rushed a bit into simply taking it out and playing it.
During your good afternoon song, I thought that your count off could have been a bit better, and you also could definitely have smiled a lot more during the song! You had a very stern look during the entire activity, which you may or may not have noticed. When you produced the different note lengths and had the poster, I also think you went through them a little bit too quickly. It was great that you had a visual, and you could have taken advantage of it in many more ways than just showing it quickly to them.
I really liked that you used body percussion elements and had the children march around to a beat! It was an activity that had the children moving while also learning about using rhythmic elements. I also liked that you introduced the concept of swung eighth notes; you could have taken a bit more time to explain them, and also talk a bit about the reason musical styles like jazz use these types of notes. Also, it was great that you demonstrated on your saxophone, but playing an actual song with a full jazz band would have been helpful to providing a bit more context into what it really means to swing the notes.
[2014.12.08] Isaiah, Sal, Virginia
Isaiah:
Beautiful lesson teaching rhythm! You really have a way with the children, and I can tell that they respect and look to you as a role model. There are a bunch of small things that you do that really helped your lesson run very smoothly. The way you led the children by hand into the room and helped them form a circle started off the class in a very organized fashion. I also love that you have them hold hands before expanding the circle, which helps prevent them from breaking too far apart. Having the children put their hands behind their ears to listen is also a lovely way to keep them more attentive and less active during a listening session. When you passed out the various signs to the children, you also made sure to arrange the children in a way so that the other children could see the signs, and I thought that was very thoughtful of you; you were definitely taking the children's learning experience into consideration.
Awesome job with the falsetto! You really helped the children match your pitch, and you also did it with a confidence that did not make it seem weird at all to the students.
One thing you could have adjusted was bringing the individual tracks of the guitar and cajon closer to the beginning of the lesson, as it was a bit confusing showing tracks that contained both instruments playing simultaneously. Having them isolated right from the start would help the kids isolate the sounds as well. There was also one instance where the children began to crowd up; it's important to make sure the children are seated in order to prevent them from slowly bunching up, which they will naturally do. During your teaching of the new dance (which was very well done), some students also began to get distracted by objects in the classroom, and it would have been good to perhaps get their attention and prevent them from distracting other students from the main activity.
I also noticed that you were telling them about measure when you presented the signs to them, but I'm not sure many of them were aware of what this "measure" thing was.
Sal:
Awesome lesson that really took the children to musical cultures around the world! I really liked the way you began with a breathing exercise and explained that moving air was very important in the process of singing. The children enjoyed the activity and it definitely relaxed their bodies. Good singing for the "good afternoon" song, but don't forget to provide a starting pitch before starting! I'm glad you asked them to sing "stronger" instead of simply "louder," but maybe an even better word to use could have been "fuller" or something similar. Your introduction into the power of music was also very well presented. You pushed the fact that music helped made friends, and even presented an instant example when you connected with the child who loved the death star song.
I thought it was an awesome idea that you had the children shake off movements before having them begin to move, as it eased the tension and helped them warm up a bit into the actual activity. You also did a great job providing exaggerated movement examples, and it encouraged the kids to do the same. The use of the blue and red cards was also a great idea, and having the children close their eyes when listening was also helpful in preventing distractions. In addition to the colored cards, though, it would have been great to add a symbol that represented the sad and happy moods, as this would give them an extra connection to make within the cards.
Great job having so many different countries, though it may have been a bit too much, and I'm glad you decided to skip to America instead of rushing through Egypt and making the lesson more frantic than it needed to be.
Virginia:
You presented an amazing concept of music, and I loved the different examples you used to do so! First off, great work on having the children imagine a tree for good posture. Imagery always helps with kids of this age, and they all immediately understood what you meant. Nice work giving the starting pitch for the introductory song, too! The next step would be to incorporate it even better into the count off, so that the children can really internalize it within their minds before producing the sound. You also did a really great job with responses to some of the children's protests and remarks about the different activities. You handled each moment extremely calmly and quite quickly, which is helpful in reestablishing order in the room and allowing the lesson flow to be uninterrupted.
Your examples of musical theatre were great for the children, but I think it would have been even better if you provided more explanations as to what you were about to show them before you did so. You also began talking over the music at certain points, which made it nearly impossible for the children to pay attention to both you and the music. Perhaps you could have explained a bit about the differences between musical theatre works and other types of musical works, and even could have done something involving having the children act or sing in a very short and child-friendly musical.
There was one point during which the circle collapsed into the half-eaten cookie, as one of the students called it, and you fixed it to an extent, but I thought you could have spent a little more time or done something differently in order to establish a good circle again. Also, the song you picked from Annie was just a little bit too difficult for their age, as it had rhythmic figures that were quite hard to hear. You did a good job with presenting it with ukelele accompaniment, and I do think the children were beginning to get a hang of it! Still, an easier song could have allowed the children to pick it up quicker and enjoy it more, and another song from Annie that may have worked better is "Tomorrow".
Isaiah:
Beautiful lesson teaching rhythm! You really have a way with the children, and I can tell that they respect and look to you as a role model. There are a bunch of small things that you do that really helped your lesson run very smoothly. The way you led the children by hand into the room and helped them form a circle started off the class in a very organized fashion. I also love that you have them hold hands before expanding the circle, which helps prevent them from breaking too far apart. Having the children put their hands behind their ears to listen is also a lovely way to keep them more attentive and less active during a listening session. When you passed out the various signs to the children, you also made sure to arrange the children in a way so that the other children could see the signs, and I thought that was very thoughtful of you; you were definitely taking the children's learning experience into consideration.
Awesome job with the falsetto! You really helped the children match your pitch, and you also did it with a confidence that did not make it seem weird at all to the students.
One thing you could have adjusted was bringing the individual tracks of the guitar and cajon closer to the beginning of the lesson, as it was a bit confusing showing tracks that contained both instruments playing simultaneously. Having them isolated right from the start would help the kids isolate the sounds as well. There was also one instance where the children began to crowd up; it's important to make sure the children are seated in order to prevent them from slowly bunching up, which they will naturally do. During your teaching of the new dance (which was very well done), some students also began to get distracted by objects in the classroom, and it would have been good to perhaps get their attention and prevent them from distracting other students from the main activity.
I also noticed that you were telling them about measure when you presented the signs to them, but I'm not sure many of them were aware of what this "measure" thing was.
Sal:
Awesome lesson that really took the children to musical cultures around the world! I really liked the way you began with a breathing exercise and explained that moving air was very important in the process of singing. The children enjoyed the activity and it definitely relaxed their bodies. Good singing for the "good afternoon" song, but don't forget to provide a starting pitch before starting! I'm glad you asked them to sing "stronger" instead of simply "louder," but maybe an even better word to use could have been "fuller" or something similar. Your introduction into the power of music was also very well presented. You pushed the fact that music helped made friends, and even presented an instant example when you connected with the child who loved the death star song.
I thought it was an awesome idea that you had the children shake off movements before having them begin to move, as it eased the tension and helped them warm up a bit into the actual activity. You also did a great job providing exaggerated movement examples, and it encouraged the kids to do the same. The use of the blue and red cards was also a great idea, and having the children close their eyes when listening was also helpful in preventing distractions. In addition to the colored cards, though, it would have been great to add a symbol that represented the sad and happy moods, as this would give them an extra connection to make within the cards.
Great job having so many different countries, though it may have been a bit too much, and I'm glad you decided to skip to America instead of rushing through Egypt and making the lesson more frantic than it needed to be.
Virginia:
You presented an amazing concept of music, and I loved the different examples you used to do so! First off, great work on having the children imagine a tree for good posture. Imagery always helps with kids of this age, and they all immediately understood what you meant. Nice work giving the starting pitch for the introductory song, too! The next step would be to incorporate it even better into the count off, so that the children can really internalize it within their minds before producing the sound. You also did a really great job with responses to some of the children's protests and remarks about the different activities. You handled each moment extremely calmly and quite quickly, which is helpful in reestablishing order in the room and allowing the lesson flow to be uninterrupted.
Your examples of musical theatre were great for the children, but I think it would have been even better if you provided more explanations as to what you were about to show them before you did so. You also began talking over the music at certain points, which made it nearly impossible for the children to pay attention to both you and the music. Perhaps you could have explained a bit about the differences between musical theatre works and other types of musical works, and even could have done something involving having the children act or sing in a very short and child-friendly musical.
There was one point during which the circle collapsed into the half-eaten cookie, as one of the students called it, and you fixed it to an extent, but I thought you could have spent a little more time or done something differently in order to establish a good circle again. Also, the song you picked from Annie was just a little bit too difficult for their age, as it had rhythmic figures that were quite hard to hear. You did a good job with presenting it with ukelele accompaniment, and I do think the children were beginning to get a hang of it! Still, an easier song could have allowed the children to pick it up quicker and enjoy it more, and another song from Annie that may have worked better is "Tomorrow".