Educational Philosophy

My educational philosophy is split into four main sections:

Rehearsal Strategies -

Talk loud: Orchestras are usually between 30 and 100 players. An effective rehearsal can only happen if everyone can hear you clearly. It may be worthwhile to purchase a voice amplifier you wear around your neck for your classroom. That way, you don't have to strain your voice as much. Never assume that your class can hear you, always ask the students in the back if they can hear you clearly.

One thing at a time: As string players, we have many things to think about while playing and need to execute them at the same time to ensure the sound we want. There's bow speed, bow weight, bow placement on the string, bow placement in each part of the bow, left hand shape, shifting, double stops, string crossings, posture, and many more. If you stop your ensemble and give them four things to change, they're probably not going to actually change any of them. As orchestra directors for musicians learning new instruments, it is important that we only give them one task at a time. Additionally, only giving the students one thing to work on at a time will help the teacher avoid nitpicking and avoid making the students feel as if they are very far behind or incapable of change.

Do NOT say:

"Orchestra, please observe the forte in measure 3, 17, and 29. It will make it easier if you use more bow weight, speed, and play near the frog and the bridge. Also, don't forget to decrescendo after each of the fortes."

Rather, say:

"Orchestra, please look at measure three, what dynamic is it?"

Students: "Forte!"

"Yes, forte, how can we use our bows to play forte"

Students: "Play near the frog" "Use faster bow" "Use heavier bow"

"All great suggestions, pick one and let's play measure three." *Students play measure three* 

"Good, let's try again, watch the people around you and try to match what they are doing with their bows." *Students play measure three again*

"Great! Much better, now, can we decrescendo right at measure 4?" *Play it again*

"Remember what we said about pianissimo? Barely louder than silence. Let's try that again and get even quieter at the end." *Play it again*

"Great, good job friends. Where else in this piece do we have a forte passage with a decrescendo right after it?" *Go on to play each of those passages*

"Thank you for your good work today! Will you please take out your pencils and write something in your music in each of these forte decrescendo sections to remind you of something you learned today that you want to do again next time?"

Always assume it is your fault: When students fail to follow instruction, the teacher should always assume that it is their fault. There is always more than one correct way to explain something. If an explanation doesn't work, offer an example. You can always play a recording for them and ask them to observe what the players are doing with their bows. You need to inspire confidence in your musicians and you should never make them feel bad for their mistakes

Sometimes, they just need to try again: Is it Monday? Is it the last class of the day on Friday? Is it right after lunch? Are the kids tired? Sometimes, you just need to play something a few times to get it right without teacher instruction. Often, a simple "Take thirty seconds and pick something you want to do differently next time" will solve a lot of issues. Also, a "look at what you have written in your music and remind yourself of what we did last time" will go a long way in rehearsal.

Only stop them if you have something to say: A teacher should never stop an orchestra and then have to think about what they are going to say to the group. You should only stop your ensemble if you know exactly what you are going to rehearse next, otherwise, let them keep playing. This does NOT mean that you should stop them every time you have something to say. Playing through pieces is important, it gives the teacher a whole bunch of information to work with. The teacher should note what went wrong in their score as they go along and then work through those sections one at a time after they are done playing through the piece. After working on one section, put it into context with the sections around it to make sure that the kids will still remember to apply what you have taught them in that section.

Create a culture of mistake making: If students didn't make mistakes, we would be out of a job. The whole purpose of being a teacher is to help your students learn THROUGH their mistakes. You should never make them feel bad for playing something wrong. Students who aren't afraid to make mistakes try again more, have more motivation to learn, and are excited to see what they can create. As a teacher, creating this culture has less to do with the things you say and more to do with the way you act. Try laughing and smiling when mistakes happen, show the class that they are not things to be sad or mad about. Verbally celebrate mistakes! Instead of "Wow... that was something..." Say, "That was awesome!"


My Personal Thoughts on String Pedagogy -

I grew up being taught with multiple pedagogical ideals. In private lessons, I was taught by the Suzuki method. At school, I was taught from a variety of methods and a variety of teachers. Richard Allen and Robert Gillespie were technically the first pedagogues I was exposed to as I learned how to play violin based off their book "Essential Elements 2000." This book combines basic techniques with reading music. Suzuki comes from the "sound before sight" school of thought. Teaching kids to learn by ear is important, but teaching kids to learn to read music is also important.

When I get a new student, I provide them with instruction from both schools of thought. We learn by ear, and we learn by reading music. I observe which the student has a tendency to be better at, and we stick with that one as the main source of instruction. Throughout instruction, I will always include instruction from the other school of thought. It is important for kids to learn by ear AND to be able to read by music. I am very glad that I was instructed by both methods when I was learning violin, and I hope I can give that experience to my students.

Without boring you by reporting all my strategies about bow hold, tone production, posture, shifting, double stops, or any of the other skills we must learn as stringed musicians, I want to provide my foundational ideas on playing a stringed instrument. Students are all different shapes, sizes, and ages. Everyone will play their instrument slightly different because we are all slightly different. My job, as a teacher, is to provide the fundamental foundation of string playing and then help my students adapt that information to their bodies. Playing any stringed instrument should look and feel natural, ergonomic, and easy. There should be no tension or pain that the student feels when they play. Good tone happens as we work with the way our bodies work to play our instruments.


Classroom Management -

Love them: You have most definitely heard the quote: "Students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care (about them)." Need I say any more? There are SO MANY things we can do as orchestra teachers to show our students that we care about them. Many students in orchestra love being in orchestra because they aren't very good at the rest of the subjects in school. Orchestra has such a high potential to be an important safe haven in the school where kids who are normally the "weird ones" go to feel like they belong. Ideas for connecting with your orchestra students include:

What does this look like in orchestra?: Classroom management is probably more important in an orchestra classroom than it is in any other classroom. Orchestras can number up to 100 kids to one teacher. Additionally, each of these kids has a very fragile but loud noisemaker in their hands. Kids are playing a new instrument while reading a new language and trying to follow the conductor all at the same time. Yes, there is always time to goof off occasionally, but most of the rehearsal should be very disciplined. Students should listen with their ears right when the conductor cuts them off. They should also write down what the teacher says in their music.

Classroom expectations: Classroom expectations should be set the moment kids enter the classroom. These expectations should be stated positively, be few in number, and be easy to understand. Classroom expectations should be reviewed frequently, especially at the beginning of the school year. Your classroom expectations should be reviewed by you and your students. Do your classroom expectations help your students learn their best?

Practice classroom expectations: Students and teachers can have a load of fun practicing classroom expectations. Take for example, the expectation of stopping playing when the conductor puts their hands down. You could turn it into a game. The section in the orchestra that is in rest position first the most consistently could get a prize. Additionally, you could practice "doing it wrong" a few times. The kids LOVE this. Say something like, "Okay, now we're going to practice what we WON'T do when the conductor puts his arms down." The students will go crazy and get it out of their system.

Teacher behavior and addressing misbehavior: Most of the time, when a student is misbehaving, there is something deeper going on. Rarely will a student act out simply because they want to cause trouble. Power struggles between teachers and students happen when the teacher says something like "Billy, get your cello out, we are starting rehearsal." We as teachers need to be compassionate and understanding when dealing with behavioral issues. Nine times out of ten, the student is dealing with a real problem and needs your help. Teachers should be respectful of their students and keep their distance physically. A teacher should never "force" a student to do anything in any form. A teacher should never touch a student.


Teacher Instruction -

Tell them, show them, give examples: There are always multiple ways to teach something. You can simply tell your students how you would like something played. You can borrow one of their instruments and give them an example of how you would like them to play. You can even have one of the student leaders work with their section and help them know how to play a specific section of music. There is a time for direct instruction, a time for guided learning, and a time for student-led learning. It is up to the teacher to decide when and how they want to instruct their students, but the method should be varied.

Provide checkpoints: Students should not be "expected" to get something right without being given the steps to achieve success. It is one of the most frustrating things as a student to think you've learned something and then realize that you've learned it all wrong. You should give your students outlines of what "success" looks like. What are you looking for as a teacher? Provide constant correct examples for your students so they can have the picture of success readily available.

Be clear and specific: Don't ramble, speak loud, try not to use filler words. Say what you mean but say it in a positive way. Confusing teachers lead to frustrated students. Teachers should always be monitoring for student comprehension. Do the students look like they understand? Do they sound like they understand when they play? Are the students engaged in the lesson? It never hurts to ask your class "does that make sense?" Student feedback is sometimes the best feedback a teacher can get. If students aren't doing what you had in mind, you probably weren't specific enough in your instructions. Students work well if they have structure to work with.

NEVER purposely mess up your students: This one may seem obvious, however, I see this in education too often. This usually happens in subtle ways like changing one word on a multiple choice question to make it wrong. The only reason teachers exist, is to help their students be successful and learn and love their content. "Tricking" our students will not prepare them for the real world.

Late work: In the real world, if you don't play well during the concert, you don't get hired for the next concert. Every student learns at a different speed, hence the reason for differentiated instruction. Students need time to learn and digest your content. As an orchestra teacher, if a student wants to re-do an assignment, they are more than welcome to do so as long as it is before the concert. I want to help my students be as successful as they can be, and that means doing everything I can for them before the concert.