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The Kids Need Sand

July 13, 2020 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

Following is a post written by Mark McCormick, a music educator teaching vocal music, music theory and composition at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA.

In the age of COVID-19, educators should remain focused on authentic learning with student self-discovery at its core.
______

The Kids Need Sand

As a kid growing up in the Midwest, I had a sandbox. It was in the shape of a turtle, and I can recall that I would spend sunny summer afternoons there with my sister creating imaginary worlds with whatever random toys we had at our disposal. It was a time of play, free of anxiety and filled with nothing but unburdened imagination.

Today, I am an adult, having chosen a teaching profession as my life’s passion. I have worked with students at the elementary through college levels, and I see the similarities that bind all learners. The desire for self-discovery, expression, and validation manifests itself in every grade level, and I recognize it as my job to make a connection and allow each student the opportunity to develop in a way that meets them authentically.

Since March 13, my classroom has been in a virtual space and I, like many of us, question my role as educator. How will COVID-19 impact our ability to connect with students as we move into the fall? As our hearts and minds become clouded by doubt and fear, I’m reminded of a very special evening I had a few years ago.

In 2015, two of my students were selected as the winners of the Los Angeles Spotlight Awards. A proud teacher watched two amazing young women knock the socks off a sold-out Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Both of them, having worked tirelessly through their high school years developing their craft as performers, shined brightly that night solidifying their future as bold young artists.

Bursting with pride, I witnessed two remarkable performances and I thought, “How did this happen?” Surely, I as an educator didn’t treat them differently than any other student. As I read my name in the program for being a teacher of these astounding students, I couldn’t help but realize that all we do as educators is provide a space for our students to grow. Of course, we provide them with the nourishment they need, daily lessons, praise, redirection, and more opportunity, but I see now that beyond our subject areas, our students need their teachers to provide nothing more than the safe sandbox I had when I was a kid.

It’s no surprise that the top performing schools across the world value recess and play time when educating their students. Playing is an important part of children’s learning how to interact with their environment and with their peers (Hernández, 1998). As students gain skills that allow them to self-discover, we as educators need to provide environments in which students can authentically interact and “play.”

Many of us spent the last three months conducting classes where our student interaction was limited to tiny boxes on a computer screen, and I know we’re anxious to meet in person. I know that even if my entire class cannot meet, my goal will be to prioritize human interaction. As best I can, I intend to front load information that will allow my students to have deeper, more meaningful interactions with each other when we can be together. In doing so, we can encourage our students to live in the moment. It’s an effort to recreate what it felt like in that sandbox so many years ago. Authentic play.

As a music teacher, I envision my class, for a time either meeting online, meeting in person as a small group of 6–10 musicians in a large outdoor space or perhaps even meeting as a full ensemble where we safely can. I see them having done guided preliminary work online with peers, knowing that when meeting in person does occur, extraordinary things can happen. Experience has taught me that even in small groups, lessons experienced can be huge and when meaningful things happen, they stick.

This was the lesson I learned as a kid. Just as my parents provided me with the sandbox, I, as an educator, provide my students with a safe space–the tools to excel and the inspiration to create. Moving into an uncertain fall where we may experience the gamut of instruction from distanced to in person, we can make every moment purposeful with a redefining of our time together.

I have long valued building community in my classroom, and it’s our shared experiences that allow us all to pick each other up when needed. During this uncertain time, we can look at the possibilities rather than the downfalls; and as we plan for the future, I remind us all to think of the sandbox and our authentic selves.

Notes

Hernández, Yojani. “Child’s Play,” IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, April 1998).

Filed Under: From Our Readers Tagged With: Classroom, Singing, Students, Teaching

Empowering Student Leadership Through Music

February 23, 2018 by Sundra Flansburg Leave a Comment

By Jonathan Babcock, DMA, Texas State University

Throughout my years as a student, I was always drawn to opportunities to lead and contribute to my musical community. As a high schooler, I was thrilled to be elected the president of the school marching band. The process of being elected by my peers, provided this lanky, somewhat-awkward teenager a new sense of confidence and self-esteem. I enjoyed the feeling of responsibility and found great pleasure in successfully organizing and managing the annual fruit sale delivery and the annual band banquet. I learned the importance of responsibility and community. For the first time I was in the position of regularly communicating with a large group of people. I also was required to speak as the representative of that same large group, in a professional manner. I found great pride when I was asked my opinion by a teacher, and my advice was taken!

Flash forward thirty years and I have now assumed the role of advisor. The student becomes the teacher. In 2010, shortly after I arrived, I founded the Texas State University student chapter of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association). At the time I had no idea what the organization would actually do, or what role they would play in the greater choral program. But, I was certain that offering students the opportunity to organize and take a stake in the department they love, could only be a benefit. It took some trial and error to find its purpose, but the chapter now plays an integral role in our choral program.

Since its founding our chapter has provided service to both the department and community. We started small with organizing the annual choral department picnic and created and organized a lab choir to give conducting students more opportunities. We then branched out to the larger community hosting an annual regional high school choral festival. It didn’t take long before our chapter began offering leadership and service at the national level, being invited to present at both their regional and national conferences.

At all levels of experience and maturity, there are opportunities to offer choristers opportunity for leadership. When a different kindergartener is given the responsibility of passing out and collecting the Orff mallets in music class, they are providing a service to the class and experiencing guided leadership. The position of section leader has many different definitions and can be assigned or elected for either musical or organizational intent. Leadership positions are not only valuable to students. Members of adult church or community choirs take great pride in contributing to or being elected to a position of merit. Choristers would be honored to assume positions of librarian, historian, or attendance assistant. Although these positions seem menial on the surface, they offer a choir member the opportunity to contribute in an extra-musical way that is gratifying to them. These “titles” are validating to the individual and reinforce the importance of contributing to the whole.

Both secondary level and higher education have several national organizations that encourage student participation and provide structured mission statements and instruction on starting and maintain a chapter. Journals, meetings, and conferences provide student members with tools for success, and establish a bridge to the greater educational and musical goals of the organization. Below is a list of some national music organizations that focus and support student leadership.

  • Tri-M Music Honor Society
  • American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Student Chapters
  • National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Student Chapters
  • Texas Music Education Association Texas Future Music Educators (many states have similar programs that can be accessed from their organization website

For further research in student leadership, I recommend the following sources:

  1. Lautzenheiser, T. (2002). The Selection and Development of Effective Student Leaders. Teaching Music through Performance in Band Volume 4 (pp. 97-108). Chicago, IL: GIA Publication Inc.
  2. Logue, C. T., Hutchens, T.A. & Hector, M. A. (2005). Student leadership: A phenomenological exploration of postsecondary experiences. Journal of College Student Development. (46)4. 393-408.
  3. Spillane, J. P. Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2001). Investigating school leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Educational Researcher. 30(3), 23-28.
  4. Conner, J. O. & Strobel, K. (2007). Leadership development: An examination of individual and programmatic growth. Journal of Adolescent Research. (22)3. 275-297.

Explore ways of facilitating student leadership in your program. Enabling student leadership today, will ensure musical leadership for generations to come!

There are over 150 active ACDA student chapters across the country. Chapters offer leadership development, educational programs, and service learning opportunities. For additional information, and to find out how to establish a chapter on your campus, contact Garrett Hammonds, ACDA membership & communications coordinator, at .

Filed Under: Others Tagged With: high school, Leadership, Students, Teaching

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