Matthew Pedregón (Friday, 17 November 2017 11:58)

Patrick, I absolutely agree with avoiding the "us vs. them," cliquish drama that can pop up. To piggy-back off your comment, I feel building relationships across the building is important not just because it creates a more supportive working environment for us as adults which, in effect, positively impacts our students, but also because it models positive relationship building for our students. If we're to expect our students to work together collaboratively and develop positive, if not at least amiable, working relationships with one another, we absolutely need to model this ourselves as adults.

Patrick Ware (Wednesday, 15 November 2017 12:07)

This may seem a little counter intuitive, but, have plan. The wonderful thing about the Schulwerk is the ability to take an idea and run in 20 different directions with it. But, if you don't have some kind of end in mind the ideas can start to spin out of control or even worse you can come in one day and have the whole thing peter out because the kids are done with it....and now what.

That being said, don't be afraid to experiment. Find out what your kids know before you start trying to teach them what you think (or what your district says) they should know. You may have just seen a cool thing at a workshop, but if the students don't have the foundation in place it's not going to look like the picture you had in your head.

I agree with building relationships at school; custodians, office staff, and your team. But I will say with the benefit of hindsight, those relationships are absolutely important but don't neglect the others in the building. Avoid the trap of the "us vs. them" drama. Administration does it's thing, classroom teachers do their thing and specialists, we do our thing. We all want what's best for the students.

Matthew Pedregón (Wednesday, 15 November 2017 07:21)

I remember the transition from being a college student to my first years of teaching being one of the most jarring experiences of my life. In college we are immersed in music and surrounded by musicians. Then when hired for our first teaching positions, we are pretty much the only musician in the building. This can be an extremely isolating experience. Seeking out and joining a local chapter or getting involved with district teams or professional development that are elementary music specific can be a great way to meet other music teachers and build a sense of community.

Also, like Lisa said, we haven't figured it out either! You have embarked on a beautiful life long journey full of many challenges and even more rewards. And even though during those first few years, the challenges can seem to vastly outnumber the rewards, remember to be patient with yourself. Take the time to reflect on what's working and what's not, and understand that the majority of what you try the first time probably won't work the way you imagined. This is OK and normal. Seek out help and support when you need. Find a mentor and build a support system. No teacher has made it through alone.

Finally, remember to always continue to learn and grow. We not only have to be excellent musicians but also excellent educators. This encompasses such a vast amount of skill and knowledge that what we learn in college is just barely enough to get us started. We need to continue learning to really hone our craft. Chapter workshops, AOSA Conferences, and Levels courses are really where you learn to become and Orff-Schulwerk teacher.

And now for some more practical advice: Become best friends with your janitor, always be on good terms with your team (P.E., Art, Librarian, etc.), eat in the lounge, and take the cleaning rods out of your recorders before handing them out to students.

Sarah Joncas (Monday, 13 November 2017 15:33)

Lisa, I think your advice about incorporating what you can of the Schulwerk is so important! It certainly would have helped me in my first year. I think when pre-service teachers get an overview of Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, and Gordon it is easy for them to over simplify and see Orff as "the one with the xylophones" but Orff Schulwerk is so much more than that, and some elements of it can be brought into any musical context.

Lisa Leach (Monday, 13 November 2017 13:12)

Dear Less Experienced Educator,
Item 1: We haven't figured it out yet either. We try new things every day that may or may not work and recycle formerly successful things at each lesson.
Item 2: It's ok to start slowly with play, improvisation, student choice and student options. You are just getting used to directing 20-30 inquisitive little minds. Slowly integrate small group work or improvisation in your more scripted lessons and reflect upon the student growth. Very shortly, you will become more comfortable with not knowing exactly where the lesson will wind up because you know where you are going.
Item 3 It's ok to incorporate what you can of the Schulwerk. If you don't have xylophones, what do you have? Where can students explore, find their voice and their musicianship? Can you use poems or un-pitched percussion, found percussion or beatboxing?