Susan Bush
EDUC 205
Due: 9/27/05
Analytical Reflection #1
Mr. Z clearly demonstrated good classroom management skills. These skills are of
utmost importance to music classrooms, where students displaying irresponsible,
negative, or disruptive behaviors can damage instruments, equipment, and each other.
For example, some music teachers say it is dangerous to put the more energetic students
in the percussion section, because they are armed with drumsticks and mallets and placed
in the back of the classroom, far from teacher supervision. Also, noise caused by
instruments can get in the way the students’ ability to hear the teacher. In music
classrooms, proper management influences the safety of students, an effective learning
experience and process, and the equipment used in learning.
Mr. Z took advantage of the allocated time, or time set aside for learning
(Woolfolk 397) and attempted to involve the students in as much engaged and academic
learning time during this period. Time was not wasted in setting up equipment and
getting ready for class. Instead, the rehearsal was entirely rehearsal based, with a
consistent time-based structure. This was facilitated through the use of a participation
structure. A participation structure is a set of rules that define how to participate in
different activities (Woolfolk 398.) In this case, students knew that they were expected to
get their instruments out of the cases and sit at chairs in the instrument sections. For
example, all the clarinets were on the ground level on the left of the conductor, while the
trombones were on the first riser in a straight line. Students knew that they should have
their music on a music stand directly in front of their chair when the class started. At this
point, students who had did not have or had forgotten their music went to the student
appointed music librarian. This student kept all the extra and original copies of music,
and was responsible for copying music and supplying (knowing where in the school to
find) auxiliary equipment, like speakers or tape. This system worked well for the teacher
because he did not need to spend group rehearsal time finding and giving out music and
for the students because they avoided discipline from the teacher. In a sense, this is an
extended form of self-management, with the class as a community representing the self.
Normally, self-management refers to the management of your own behaviors and
acceptance of responsibility for your own actions (Woolfolk 399.) Mr. Z encouraged
students to use behaviors that promoted self-management. When a student gave a long
excuse for his extreme tardiness (taking up a few precious minutes of rehearsal time,) Mr.
Z simply told him that there was “no excuse” and no one to blame for his lateness.
Although in some cases there may be legitimate excuses for tardiness, this reaction
encouraged the student to take a more proactive role in getting to school on time.
The amount of engaged time and academic learning time was also brought above
by encouraging procedures as part of daily behavior. Procedures are prescribed steps for
an activity, though in the classroom context they cover transitions, administration, lesson
routines- basically how the classroom is run, aside from the actual material covered
(Woolfolk 401.) The use of a student music librarian (as mentioned above) is also a clear
example of a classroom procedure as are the preparation behaviors of students (getting
instruments, music, and seating ready.) Procedures, however, also permeated every part
of the lessons. First students started with scales. They were aware that they would not
need their music, so they just got their instruments ready. Each day, Mr. Z would ask
students to give the name and number of sharps or flats in a given scale. Students knew
that this information would be asked of them eventually, so they had more impetus to
take an active role in learning it (and were given opportunities to learn it every day.)
There were also examples of scaffolding. Although scaffolding is a form of assisted
learning, or guiding student participation through providing prompts and questions
(Woolfolk 51,) it is here a part of the classroom procedure. Mr. Z provided questions and
encouraged students each morning to follow the examples of previous students (“if she
said G major has one sharp, how many does D major have?”) In this way scaffolding
became a part of the classroom procedure. After scales, the students knew that they
would tune. This meant that each individual in the section would play a concert B flat
when the teacher pointed to him. Students were ready for this process, so it went
remarkably smoothly. The teacher would instruct the students on their tuning issues
(“you’re too flat, push in (the tuning slide)”) and then listen again to the individual. This
process not only ensures good tuning, but also gives the teacher a chance to hear tone
production and problems progressively in each student. This kind of alternative
assessment can be very helpful when students primarily play in a large group setting.
The students were ready for warm-up exercises, then work on the piece in the classroom,
then out to the field to practice marching and playing. Rules (Woolfolk 402) were not
clearly apparent in the classroom, but it seemed that procedures replaced them. Students
knew how to do things correctly (keep your instrument in proper rest position while we
move around), instead of just remembering a “don’t” rule (don’t step on your
instrument.) Unfortunately, I was not present for the first week of class, but I would
assume that these procedures and behaviors were clearly laid out for the students and
practiced, as in the description of Woolfolk’s ‘effective manager for secondary students’
(Woolfolk 407.) I knew one music teacher who actually asked his students to practice
coming into the classroom quietly five times on the first day of school! It might seem
tedious, but his procedures were very clear to the students. It seems that students are
more receptive to this kind of respectful, organized classroom.
On the subject of classroom management, I did feel that Mr. Z sometimes
presented a hostile disciplinary image (Woolfolk 418.) He used “you” when addressing
negative concerns with (condemning) students. The teacher did use questions sometimes,
as though he was using a passive style. In one case, student A had forgotten her flute at
home, so she used another student’s instrument from the instrument cabinets. When Mr.
Z realized this, he asked, “Is that your flute? Why are you using someone else’s flute?
You need to bring yours from home.” Initially, this response starts with asking the
student if she is doing what he thinks she is. This is essentially passive, because he is
asking the student if she has done wrong (Woolfolk 418.) The next part is an assertive
response because the students were clearly aware that they were expected to bring their
own instruments. These written words do not convey the sense of mild hostility in the
exchange. The student was clearly being threatened (though that is a very strong word)
with punishment. The teacher was sometimes shouting at the students for irresponsible or
thoughtless behaviors. Students did not seem to react well to this kind of discipline.
They looked hostile and angry after being singled out and shouted out. Proper discipline
should not create a negative learning environment. After all, the point is to teach the
students, not punish them.
In some cases, Mr. Z used unorthodox and highly successful disciplinary
techniques.
When one student was resting his saxophone and arm on his chair and slouching during
rehearsal, the teacher first reprimanded him. Next he asked the student to remove his
chair and stand for the remainder of the lesson. This method worked amazingly well
because the student was too proud to be caught trying to sit down by his peers. At one
point he tried to lean on his chair and his classmate teased him about being lazy.
Immediately he stood up straight. This kind of discipline is, in my opinion, the most
effective. Students react well to logical consequences to their actions, rather than
arbitrary punishments. It seems quite counteractive to give students punishments that
require them to be less active, still, or to do some worthless activity. At the same time,
we should not demean activities like homework, practicing, or picking up trash by
treating them as punishment. Consequences should be logical and should support the
proper standards for behavior. At a music camp where I worked, the boys were awake at
five am and began engaging in noisy, unsupervised, and destructive behaviors. As a
consequence, they were taken on a mandatory hike and dodge-ball game during
recreation to help them get rid of their energy and sleep more soundly. Although this
kind of consequence does not relate directly to schools, students can be given closelyrelated logical consequences like the one observed in Mr. Z’s classroom. Another
interesting situation arose when Mr. Z made a mistake and reprimanded the class for an
action that was his fault. When the students pointed out that he was shouting at them for
no reason, he shouted back “don’t you know you’re supposed to be reading my mind not
listening to what I say?” The students froze and took a minute to see that he was kidding.
This way of making fun of his own inappropriate discipline lightened up the mood
without an awkward moment with the teacher admitting his mistake. He acknowledged it
without stopping the flow of the class. It was particularly funny because one student
decided to jump on the opportunity and teased Mr. Z about his hair being so copious that
it obscured his extra-sensory perception. The student and teacher exchanged banter,
which lightened the mood but did not pull the class off topic and was not disrespectful.
Mr. Z’s classroom management effectively involved him in less disciplinary
behaviors and more engaged learning time. The classroom procedures in particular set up
the classroom and students to self-manage. Combined with the teacher’s withitness, or
awareness of everything happening in the classroom, and the use of group focus (keeping
all students involved in the activities), students were kept on task (Woolfolk 409.) The
small size of the class and the early morning schedule also contributed to an easily
manageable class. It is, however, of utmost importance that procedures are laid out early
in the school year to ensure a sense of mutual respect, organization, and efficiency.