This week I had the opportunity to teach an in-depth lesson in Jazz 1 at Basha High with Mr. Nathan Johnston. Originally planned to have taken place last week, we decided that it would be best for me to teach it on a block day (Wednesday) that way I would have more time for a solid lesson instead of rushing to complete it. I was (and still am) super excited about the lesson as a whole, but looking back after completion, there are definitely a few things I would change and include. Take a good look at my lengthy lesson plan: (Keep in mind that my homework assignment is included on the very last page with a few minor notes I made to myself while creating it).
Shockingly, I wasn’t that nervous about teaching it up until lunch time came around and the clock started ticking. Once class start right after lunch and Nathan was running through some pieces with the group beforehand, I made it a point to sit in front of the group and loosen up. Luckily, it actually helped! As soon as Nathan mentioned that it was time to turn gears and focus on my lesson, without thinking, I just stood up and started. As soon as I began, nothing else mattered. My nerves settled instantly and it felt like I was just interacting on a causal level with all the students. Guess you could say an adrenaline rush kicked in! Some of the things I did in my lesson (which are probably very visible in my video) were a spur-of-the-moment, let’s-do-this kind of thing. For example, having multiple students write out different rhythms and choosing a different key after a while was completely unplanned. I did it with the intention of gathering the groups focus more, since I noticed some wondering off here and there. One thing I would definitely do more of is ask more open-ended questions. As I was asking questions, I could see many of the students processing everything and could slowly see the wheels in their heads turning. Coming up with more questions was a lot tougher than I thought it would’ve been! This is the moment I look back at Tobias’ practicuum class and try to remember how to dive into that mind frame. What else could I have asked? How could I have pushed those students (who we’re grasping the idea at a slower pace than usual) to speak up and voice what they were thinking of instead of hearing the same few students answer all the questions I was asking? When teaching a lesson like this, the teacher needs to keep an open mind as to what the options are to do differently, what worked well and what didn’t, and what portions of the lesson could be more focused on to better the students success. For me, generally, I tend to struggle with all of those aspects. Who doesn’t? I am constantly, on a daily basis, forcing myself beyond my limit to extend my knowledge in any way, shape, or form. This lesson provided (and still provides) great opportunity for in-depth thinking on a whole new level that many people aren’t use to (including myself). As I sit here and reflect on everything, it’s even hard for me to ask questions about my own teaching let alone being able to ask students to do the same. This is surely a process that needs refinement, but experience and time also factors in. Thankfully, at such a young age, I’ve been taught numerous ways to be contemporary while still being traditional. In general, not many people get this experience, so having a small dose of what it’s like to teach music on a contemporary stance is very enlightening. Like they say, learning is a never ending process.
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