wisconsin music educators association president
Educator Affectiveness: Mind, Body, Feeling Lynn Seidl, WMEA President
In Collaboration With Kati Seiter, WMEA President-Elect
comfortable sharing with their teacher in a non-judgmental, affective environment.
Editor Kevin Thays made his request for articles on January 26, just five days after a fall on my icy driveway, resulting in a broken shoulder. This broken shoulder is my right one, and of course, my dominant arm and hand. At the time of this writing, I am done with my surgery and am basically just resting, as I cannot start rehab for a month. For those of you who know me, you know I fill this time of the year with accompanying and judging for WSMA events. This is impossible to do with an arm immobilized to your chest. The situ- ation has afforded me much time to reflect on the theme of this magazine and in order to get an article together by the deadline, I called on Kati Seiter, WMEA president- elect, to help out. This collaborative effort demonstrates what WMEA does best, with the leadership team of board and council, staff at the Wisconsin Center for Music Education and our executive director, Tim Schaid, all working together for music education in Wisconsin.
How many times have you been working with a student who lacked effort, focus and drive and wondered if there was something else going on with them outside of the classroom? What do you do to learn about what is going on beyond the classroom in a student’s life? A first step might be to talk with the student one on one in an effort to open a line of conversation and develop a deeper relationship. The familiar atmosphere of a music classroom grows year after year and allows students to feel
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Students may be struggling with their parents arguing, separating, divorcing, or they may be housed in a homeless shelter or a domestic violence center (DVC). They could also be living in a single parent home, they could be bankrupt, or something as simple as an argument with another student at school (i.e., bullying, relationship issues, etc.) could be af- fecting their learning. These could all be reasons why a student does not focus in the classroom, but it could also be more concrete. Students who live in a home- less shelter or DVC may not be able to practice outside of the classroom and they may feel embarrassed to tell the teacher and therefore fall behind. There are also students who struggle financially who may not be able to purchase appropriate accessories like reeds, valve oil or rosin. Students may want to go on music trips but struggle due to finances and are not able to fundraise because they may not have a vehicle to transport items, their parents are not home very often, or they do not have a wide circle of people to sell to. This often makes students feel a lack of connection with the other students in the music classroom.
What does an affective music classroom feel like? Students feel like they are part of a family, connected, welcomed, accepted and accomplished. The music classroom is comforting to all students, creating a di- verse, inclusive and equitable environment with access for all. Music educators need to have the characteristic of being nurtur- ing as they are not only teaching the notes on the page but are also functioning as counselors, parents and good role models. Light-hearted moments full of learning, laughter and fun are all part of a highly affective music classroom as well.
What will students remember about their schooling in 20+ years? It is likely that they will not talk about their pre-calculus class or their English class, but rather, will talk about their music classroom experiences: the repertoire, skills learned, knowledge gained and connection to their lives. Music is a unique discipline when compared to other subjects in that it affects students’ mind, body and emotions.
In light of my recent physical disability, it is evermore apparent that empathy is needed in the classroom. Just because you cannot see it, does not mean it does not ex- ist. Even though I am retired (and Kati is typing for me), I feel like there is a lesson to be learned, even after the fact. Kati has learned through her own upbringing that students bring baggage to the classroom. She was a child of divorced and remarried parents who did not have much money. However, she had an extremely support- ive family who worked hard to fundraise for trips. It was important to her parents that she had all the same experiences as the other music students. Music was an intrinsic part of her life that shaped who she is today.
Kati and I are just two examples of thousands of Wisconsin music educators who make a difference in students’ lives. Seeing the work of music educators in seminars, conferences, workshops and other events is overwhelmingly gratifying. WMEA and WSMA provide the structure for these, but ultimately, it is the work of caring, dedicated and compassionate music teachers, providing “educator af- fectiveness.”
Lynn Seidl is the current WMEA president. Email:
lynn.a.seidl@
gmail.com
Kati Seiter teaches music at Washington Junior High School in Manitowoc and is WMEA president-elect. Email:
katiseiter11@gmail.com
April 2017
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