doesn’t always work for his student teachers. Obviously, Earl’s quiet command is backed by the power of students’ past experience with him. They read his intent as easily as he dissects their motives.
Personality
Earl spoke of a visit with a mentor at the beginning of his ca- reer who felt that personality was a key factor in determining future success in education – that the most effective teachers were born with a talent or instinct that they hone, producing an effective leadership style and engaging persona or cha- risma. Earl has noticed teachers with vast amounts of musi- cal skill and knowledge that don’t do well in the classroom because students don’t respond well to them on a personal level.
“We’ve all had kids that don’t respond,” Earl said. There are some students who make up their mind in the first 5 minutes, barely giving him or their instrument a chance. This makes change next to impossible. Successful teachers need an arsenal of methods and tactics to head-off students’ initial adverse reactions during their musical experience. Earl tries to find something that will help him connect with a student. He gave the example of one struggling student who liked superheroes, so he was able to make a positive connection with the individual on that level.
Opportunities to Grow
Daily rehearsals begin with a set routine of warm-up activi- ties, including scale patterns, allowing him the freedom to multitask. The warm-up develops in complexity and length as skills increase. He instills the idea that they must rehearse the same way they intend to perform in concert, some- times saying, “Are we going to do that on stage? – Then we shouldn’t do it in class.”
All students, including beginning band students, have the opportunity to challenge students in their section for a higher chair position. He feels this type of competition motivates many students. Time is reserved in beginning band for stu- dents to “take a rain check” – an opportunity to replace a poor playing test score with a better mark. This, he finds, motivates some students but not all. He constantly tries to find activities and challenges that can reach everyone. Daily participation and concert attendance accounts for about 20% of the overall grade. He concedes that participa- tion marks are subjective but feels they are a crucial part of students’ experience. Those who don’t or can’t attend a concert realize that they shouldn’t expect a higher grade than B+, and this expectation is clearly noted in his class disclo- sure document.
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Earl’s school has instituted a type of advisory period when students can go to any teacher for help. (The math teach- ers are usually swamped.) Many find their way to the band room, so Earl divides them into instrument groups, including 7th, 8th and 9th graders. The older, more experienced stu- dents act as mentors to the younger students. He feels like he has turned a less than desirable school program into another reason for his students to enjoy playing their instruments and feeling good about being in band.
Pacing
A visitor to Earl’s classroom may have a difficult time find- ing him at first. He is often roaming around the room, listen- ing to and helping individuals. He notices fewer discipline problems with closer proximity to students. He also models concepts for students, playing any of a number of instru- ments that are strategically placed within easy reach, trying to keep an interrupted momentum.
“I don’t think pacing can solve discipline, but poor pacing can contribute to bad discipline,” Earl said. But with the quickened pace, he worries about students “slipping through the cracks.” However, he feels it is just as bad – maybe worse – for boredom to set-in with the rest of the students. He doesn’t want kids to say anything negative about band to their parents around the dinner table, so he tries to keep things light and positive. When he sees a student struggling, he makes a note to review the material the next day or helps the individual one-on-one.
Matters of Consequence
Earl says the most important lesson he has learned from his teaching experience is that students don’t care what you know. They only care about how you treat them and if you care about them. He used to think kids were interested in how impressively he could conduct and the wealth of knowl- edge he brought to the table. He believes this conviction has made him more successful – closer to “the complete pack- age” as a teacher. But he also noted another truism, “You can’t teach them if they’re not there.”
It is clear to the observer that his ability to attract and retain students is enhanced because of his reputation of being car- ing and fair with students. After all, a teacher’s reputation has a way of filtering throughout a community.
It also becomes apparent to those who become familiar with Earl’s music program that something special is happening. The most palpable feeling coming from students is that they enjoy what they are doing and take pride in musical accom- plishment. They may not have a clear vision of their relative skills compared to other band programs, but they enjoy a
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