Kerin - responses

Hi Mark
I just want to say how much I appreciate our supportive and co-operative communication on email in regard to the Blog project. There seems to be a balance between when either of us is held up then the other can post.

RE: Music Week  - I was not inspired by the clapping exercises for primary students but at the end of the music week, I had the good fortune to be called in for relief and the grade 5 class had music. It turned out to be one of those special light bulb teaching lessons when the information we receive all falls into place and you understand "WHY". The music teacher based the whole lesson around the clapping rhythms. I joined in of course to try and understand how it all worked. The students, in groups, had written Rap songs that fitted with the particular clapping rhythm and coincided with Literacy Week's focus on poetry. The teacher had them in a circle and tested them with many different clapping rhythms, it was abit exciting keeping up and I was smiling often. The students had to comile 2 verses as well for their Rap songs and then each group performed in front of the others and their was a follow up discussion and vote of which were the most successful. I will definitely be practicing clapping rhythms now in order to become more proficient. This lesson was a real eye opener on the importance of scaffolding students through the basics, no matter how simple in order for the students to build their own unique understanding. It demonstrates the power of Constructivist Teaching techniques within the Arts.
Sometimes the teaching videos we see can be frustrating as they are mainly about workshops with very young students, say grades 1 to 2. As I am mainly involved in grades 3 to 6, I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration of how I may engage them. They do however hit home the importance of early exposure in opportunities to engage in creativity in all its forms. It gives them the knowledge and power to move to the next stages.
Re my music experience. I struggle with nerves in performing and this oftens cripples abilities for solo performances. Collaborative playing and group work in music is the most empowering for confidence and joy as it becomes very like a language between the performers, and can be very intoxicating for the players and they drive eacxh other to be better and better. It is amazing to see it happening with the students in the childrens orchestra.  I am so aware of this fear than can develop as you hit your teens and how much I have missed out on because of it, that my own experiences inform how I teach music. I am very encouraging and enthusiastic,  tend to prefer young students to get exposure to performing in public early so that it may become second nature to them and they will not struggle with fear of performing as they get older and they will be proud to show all what they can do. Most schools have performances at assemblies now which is a terrific opportunity for students to be exposed to audience and gives the teacher and class a set date to work towards performance and appreciation of their efforts.