BlackBoard Readings #2

MUSIC 23241: MUSIC TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, Assistant Professor

Kent State University School of Music

Fall, 2011

CRN:  200910 – Section number: 001 – Class Days: TR 7:45a – 8:35 am - Classroom: SOM E202

Office: Band Office - 330.672.2965 - Telephone: 330.672.2965 (Kent Campus) - E-mail: mneiman@kent.edu

Office Hours: TR 9:00 – 9:55 am (Additional hours available by appointment)

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BlackBoard and Text Readings

Submitted by:  Max Michael

Submitted for: Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, lecturer

Date: 9/15/11

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Kantarski, Vincent J.  (2005).  Characteristics of excellent teachers.

TRIAD, 73, (1), 40-43.

Summary of the Article: This article deals with some qualities that make an excellent teacher. Kantarski opens up with results from a survey among 70 teacher of the year recipients. Among a long list of traits that make an excellent teacher, he found that having a com­passionate personality, great enthusiasm, meticulous organization, a sense of humor, and love of children were some of the most important. He then goes into detail about each trait and why it is important. Also, he gives some ways to execute these traits in a school appropriate manner. Also, he talks about encouraging higher learning skills by asking students questions that may not be necessary to the current topic, but still facilitate learning.

 

Personal statements: I find this article to be very informative and insightful. Like the article says in the opening sentences, I feel as if I obviously know who my good teachers were, though if I had to write down a list of why they were, I wouldn't know what to write. This is insightful for me for the future. Having taught Brush High School's show choir band for one year in 2009-2010, I know that being personable with students and having a sense of humor is definitely an effective way of reaching students. However, being more organized definitely would have helped me help them.

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Eisner, Elliot W.  (2004).  Preparing for today and tomorrow.

Educational Leadership, 61, (4), 6-10

Summary of the Article: This article focuses on how to prepare students for a future that nobody can truly plan for. It is a challenging topic and Eisner has a great grasp and awareness in it. He states that since it is impossible to truly prepare someone for a future that nobody knows, it is best to help them how to better understand the present. Instead of having a cookie cutter curriculum prescribed to America, teachers need to have their own set of plans for each individual class to meet those students needs. In those sets of plans, he suggets ways to facilitate these things. He says schools should teach judgment, critical thinking, meaningful literacy, collaboration, and service (service being helping the community). In closing he discusses that schools needn't focus on test scores as being a hurdle to be jumped, but rather how to promote intelligent, competent individuals.

Personal statements: This article was interesting. It tackles a difficult concept, which is, how can you prepare students for the future, when they know as much about it as you do? He has some very good points that he makes. One that rang true to me was near the beginning of the article where he states that telling children "you'll need this in the future" really doesn't do anything. It makes them tune out, and I know this to be true because whenever a teacher would say that in my past, it just sounded like so much fluff that every teacher always said. A good read, and may someday come in handy.

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Leonard, Mark. (2004). The qualities that make some directors outstanding.

The Instrumentalist, 59, (1), 12-15

Summary of the Article: In this article, as the title may suggest, it discusses positive qualities in directors that make them excellent educators. He tells about how he was flustered in his first years of teaching, and how he thought to overcome his limitations by speaking with a number of accomplished directors. He says to set limits, because otherwise students will behave as out of control as the director will let them, and this will lead to a bad classroom environment obviously. Setting limits helps students feel like they are a part of something bigger than them. That in order to succeed they have to go by a certain code, or they will be failing not only themselves, but others around them in lowering the quality of their organization, whatever it may be. Getting to know students can also be beneficial  because that is how you can connect with them. This especially rings true for music educators, because often they will be with students for many, many years and can create a bond with them and comfort zone that other teachers can't. He lists many other things such as how to delegate authority, deal with parents, create a plan, how to be prepared, and discribes other characteristics of a leader.

Personal statements: As we discussed in class today, this article is crucial to future teachers. I know that in the future these things will be beneficial. I have found that in my past teaching experiences, I am not good at disciplining. I feel that it will kill my connection with the students, but this article tells good ways of dealing with this in an effective way. I will probably refer to this article in my immediate future of student teaching.