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Beginners

Posted by Dies Irae on 10/8/2024, 3:48 pm

I am becoming increasingly concerned with how far behind my beginner students are this year. My 6th graders have very little to no problem-solving skills, lack self-control, and show almost no retention of information. It feels like for the past 9 weeks, I’ve been reteaching the same material over and over. I know this likely stems from the social development disruptions during their formative years due to COVID, but it’s frustrating.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Old teacher on 10/13/2024, 10:18 am, in reply to "Beginners "

Teach the students in front of you. Do not teach the way you taught kids in the past. Yes, there are skills missing still from Covid. Teach those skills. You may only cover half or 3/4 of the music you taught in 2019 but you will feel more success if you meet them where they are at and move them forward. Visit with elementary teachers on how they teach skills your students are lacking.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Same here on 10/9/2024, 2:21 pm, in reply to "Beginners "

You are not alone. I have never been more challenged by beginning band than I am this year.

Hardly any self-control on the part of the kids, and very poor pattern recognition. They struggle to dictate quarter notes and quarter rests when we clap rhythms together. I repeat instructions constantly, make them repeat what I've said back to me, and I am still missing 10% of the class on each rep.

We are really struggling to scaffold/sequence ideas and concepts together. It's like every activity we do is on an island, and they don't make connections as we go. Or they don't apply the skills we've been learning to the new concepts.

I have been brainstorming some musical games that will force them to get into some higher level thinking. Haven't done any of them though. That will probably be next week. If you have any ideas, let me know.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Hmm on 10/8/2024, 7:48 pm, in reply to "Beginners "

I also end up reteaching a lot, but I feel it's pretty normal for eleven and twelve year olds.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Dies Irae on 10/9/2024, 2:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

There is a difference between reinforcing fundamental concepts and reteaching.

9 weeks should be enough time for students to be able to count simple (line 2 and 4) rhythms without having to talk about the value of a Q note and ! rest.

Re: Beginners

Posted by BDSO on 10/8/2024, 5:49 pm, in reply to "Beginners "

First, stop blaming COVID. These kids have been in school long enough to learn/re-learn social skills. This is an excuse. It's the same excuse teachers give when test results are low. We've had plenty of time to catch up.

Second, you are not alone. This generation of kids are just like this. They are worse than the millennials/gen-z where everyone get a trophy. This generation doesn't just expect the trophy, they expect everyone else to do the work for them. They not only lack any sort of self-control but they also lack any sort of personal responsibility (or as much as previous generations at the age did previously). My beginners have been playing since early September and they "know" three notes and only whole notes and half notes. Tone is horrible and brass pitch is all over the place. Now, I say the we've also had several days off in September due to BOY testing (school wide shut down in the morning and all beginners in the AM) and inservice days. It's hard to gain traction and retain information when you have a whole month of 3-4 day weeks. But, we have a winter concert to prepare for in early December and even more days off for inservice and interim testing (again in the AM during beginner classes). We just need to keep plugging away. It isn't going to get any better so we need to adapt.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Watch out... on 10/10/2024, 8:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

I would venture to say we are not done yet.

Sorry but the entire COVID situation had/has lasting repercussions with learning, social, emotional, parenting, etc.

I am currently teaching in elementary and the secondary schools don't know what is about to hit.

Yes, the "COVID 9th graders" and "COVID beginners" have begun to trickle through, but there is more to come.

This year's 5th graders missed the end of Kinder and the beginning of 1st (HUGE developmental stages educationally, emotionally, and socially). I find them harder to handle than this year's 6th graders.

That is not it though - "COVID babies" are now in Pre-K. These are the babies that are raised with lots of screen time and parents frustrated/troubled/stressed out about parenting.

COVID is an excuse in my humble opinion. The issue is adapting as best as we can as educators (in an unideal situation).

Elementaries will be the first ones truly done with COVID kids and hopefully some answers/ideas/plans for addressing these students/parents accordingly.

Re: Beginners

Posted by fabricator on 10/9/2024, 2:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

The excuse for my generation was we grew up in the shadow of The Bomb. Since our elders hadn’t had to contend with that at our age they figured they should cut us some slack. Good while it lasted.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Dies Irae on 10/9/2024, 2:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

First, stop blaming COVID. These kids have been in school long enough to learn/re-learn social skills. This is an excuse. It's the same excuse teachers give when test results are low. We've had plenty of time to catch up.

I agree 100%. Please don't mistake that.

We just need to keep plugging away. It isn't going to get any better so we need to adapt.

I agree with this 100% as well.

I'm just tired this year. Really really tired.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Respectfully on 10/9/2024, 1:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

Kids have more than social skills to fix. Their behaviors are a trauma response and it's a permanent part of their psyche. Furthermore, given the amount of absentee parenting going on right now, they don't have anyone showing them the "right" way to do things aside from teachers - that they see all their friends consistently disrespecting.

Stop assuming kids are as rational as adults. They can't just "get over it" the way you or I can. They won't just "get it" in a few weeks, months, or even years.

The good news is, though, that after this year's crop of middle school kids, it starts getting better. The kids in grades 2-5 are overall better adjusted and better able to deal appropriately with real life than the kids in 6-8.

For the record: this, right here, is why I said at the time that Covid would set band programs back a full decade.

Re: Beginners

Posted by LOL on 10/9/2024, 9:54 am, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

You are foolish if you think COVID is not affecting kids anymore. They missed almost 2 years of normal instruction. Studies show that students are still behind ACROSS THE BOARD in all subjects, not sure why band would be different.

It's not an excuse. It's a fact.

Re: Beginners

Posted by drumguy on 10/9/2024, 9:21 am, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

One would think that yes, they've been in school long enough, but I think that COVID is still making a difference.

I teach 4th/5th grade music and am in my 9th year at this school. So, I've got my lesson plans down. I have taught this year's 5th grade (last year's 4th grade), for over a year now and there is a noticable difference in their learning and maturity compared to any of my previous classes. Keep in mind that these are the kids who lost the last chunk of Kindergarten to COVID.

I can't prove that it's COVID, I just know that these kids have had more trouble with concepts and lesson than ANY of my previous classes with basically the same lessons. Lessons that all of my previous classes had no trouble with, took extra time and energy because these kids didn't get it.

And for what it's worth, all of the 4th grade teachers last year were noting the same problems. So perhaps there is some lasting COVID effect?

Re: Beginners

Posted by Dummy on 10/10/2024, 10:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

Dumb down your instruction for these little brainless undisciplined brats. We just say downs for quarters, down up for 8ths and “Rest” for quarter rests. Pulse the downs for longer notes. Drill the 7 positions by number positions for brass. Make flutes and clarinets fill in blank fingering charts to learn fingerings. Learn easy (6 note max) songs. Minimum 3 notes songs. Hot cross buns. Don’t do full band pieces until spring. Keep working chromatic daily. All I’m gonna say is if the kids act dumber, do the dumb and dumber approach.

Re: Beginners

Posted by Respectfully on 10/11/2024, 8:47 am, in reply to "Re: Beginners "

If you truly believe your kids are "brainless undisciplined brats" I hope you find another profession as soon as possible.

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