Back to School: Do It First

Though I think it should be a federal crime to start school before Labor Day, as usual, no one listens to me. I’m seeing the Facebook posts of music teacher’s classes set up to go. On August 12th!!!! 

 

At any rate, if indeed we’re taking kids away from the delicious freedom of summer, we better make school worthwhile. Which means mostly not teaching as we have been taught, refusing the test-obsessed culture, deeply considering how children learn and keeping their curiosity and sense of wonder awake and alive. I’ve written of this extensively in at least two of my books: Teach Like It’s Music and The ABC’s of Education, but recently found this Cliff Note’s summary of some (though not close to all) of the ideas that teachers, administrators and parents might consider.

 

Knowing teachers are busier than ever at the beginning of the year, I’ll offer one short idea per blogpost to consider. If it resonates, print it out and post it around your room. If not, create your own. Off we go!

 

Do it first: Some teachers in the U.S. are required to begin class by telling the children the learning objectives of the class. Telling the kids what they’re going to learn might be a useful beginning occasionally, but takes away intrigue, mystery, surprise. It’s more of an adult notion not always friendly to kids’ mindset. Without an enticing beginning. an artful introduction and intriguing invitation, you will lose the most important key to success—  the interested student. Once you’ve captured their attention, you’ve sparked their curiosity and lit their motivation.

 

Adults love to talk and explain and answer questions that no kid has asked. But kids love to do things, to explore with their bodies, their hands, their senses, their intellect and imagination.  By beginning a class immediately doing something— setting up a riddle or a problem to be solved or an activity that invites physical mastery or a game that involves social contact and teamwork— you are laying the foundation for the vibrant discussion to follow. What did we do? What did you notice? What did you learn? What new questions came up? You’ve set the whole year in motion, with both you and the kids eager for the next class that moves you both further down the path. 

 

3D teaching —do it first, discuss it next, do it again— indeed creates the kind of three-dimensional learning environment in which kids thrive. Once they understand that you understand how they both love to and need to play their way into discovery, you have them. You meet them where they are and take them to where they haven’t yet been. The game is on! 

 

A word of advice to teachers young and old. Changing how you teach from the two-dimensional “turn to p. 34” or “click on this website” business-as-usual to artfully crafting a lesson that gets to the essence of your corner of the curriculum in an active, surprising and artistic way takes work. But here’s the payback. The more preparatory work like this you do, the better the feedback from the kids and the less burn-out you will feel. Energy begets energy and I can testify that in 45 years of teaching music to kids, I was as engaged and excited in my last (live) classes as my first and though retired two years, am still eager and ready for more. Try it!