Despite the efforts of those who would seek to androgenize the species, no amount of PC babble is going to change certain things. Face it: we boys can be a little squirrely (and some of us never quite outgrow that). Rather than try to try to force classroom discipline, some educators have learned to minimize a gender’s perceived weakness by capitalizing on the strengths.
In her article, “Where the Wild Things Are: Teaching Middle School Boys’ Choirs” (Texas Sings), Mary Jane Phillips seems to take the advice of President Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can with what you have, where you are” when dealing with the boys.
Ask anyone who has taught middle school choir for a while, and they can tell you hilariousstories about the day discipline fell apart in the non-varsity boys’ class. It happens to all of us, whether we’ve been teaching for two years or 20. It helps you cope if you accept the fact that boys simply learn louder than girls. The other thing you must accept is how much boys need to physically move during a rehearsal.
Take their nervous energy and put it to good use by having different standing formations. In my classes, we warm up in one or two places, and then move to another to sight read. When we rehearse literature, we have one location for two-part music and another for three-part singing. Moving to a different place four to five times during each class period will make a big difference.
(To access the full article, simply click the highlighted title. For additional articles on a dazzling array of choral topics, visit ChorTeach.)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.