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I had the privilege of observing a student teacher yesterday, and was just blown away at what she and her cooperating teacher were doing in their virtual set up...
They had a video playing as students “entered” the Zoom room, with targeted things to listen for.
As each kid was admitted from the waiting room, the two teachers engaged with them via the “Chat” feature, bantering about sports, siblings, current events...
At precisely 12:35, the teacher led the full band in a short warmup, playing a secondary instrument. She also had individual kids unmute to play a short melodic pattern for the class to echo...
A couple of times she unmuted the full class and all 60+ beginning bandos played their own patterns together in a cacophonous, glorious jumble of enthusiasm and excitement—the kids clearly loved when she let them do this...
The teachers then had the students divided into multiple breakout rooms by instrument. They gave the kids a few minutes to socialize with their sections, chatting and laughing together...
My student teacher led a tightly organized 10 minute lesson in which her “baby clarinets” learned their first notes with the right hand fingers added. The students were thrilled...
She modeled with a lovely tone, and each kid had a chance to echo back with their best sounds...
There was more individual playing and feedback due to the Zoom setting than would have been present in an “in school” lesson, with the distractions of 15 competing musicians...
The intern and I then chatted about her teaching, and she demonstrated a level of self-reflection and maturity that suggested she’s been regularly reviewing video of her teaching—which she had...
She then returned to the full band class, periodically pulling kids out to work on individual skill development by inviting them into breakout rooms, supplementing her coop’s instruction with the full group...
The coop took a minute to remind the students about their Pear Deck assignment, and asked if anyone had any questions or needed help...
The class ended with the group playing a short tune together (while muted!), and the traditional Zoom waves...
The coop and I stayed in the Zoom after the kids and student teacher left to discuss her intern’s work to date, and shared suggestions for areas of growth for her to focus on...
...and chatted about the strangeness of teaching music in this setting...
To all the people out there demanding that “teachers get back to work!!!”, a few thoughts...
Teachers right now are clearly “working.” They are juggling new technologies and apps.
In addition to delivering instructional content, often in new areas, they are also functioning as de facto counselors, especially in schools where these positions have been reduced or cut...
They are highly attuned to changes in their students’ behaviors, and even more focused on community building and meeting students’ emotional needs...
And they are doing this work without the student interactions that play such a pivotal role in the instructional dynamic...
Often leaving them after class feeling drained and empty, rather than the “teaching high” we are accustomed to feeling after a good class session...
So yes—teachers are working. They aren’t “working twice as hard,” as some have claimed—because teachers were already working as hard as they could...
It’s just a different kind of “working hard”—one with less gratifying results, a lack of human interaction and connection, and the creeping realization that many don’t understand how hard the job truly is...or simply don’t care...
So, if you know a teacher—thank them for what they do. And vow not to join the chorus of armchair critiques and naysayers who reveal their ignorance with every post and tweet they tap out from the safety and comfort of their couch...
And wear a mask. Wear 2. And pull them up over your nose. Like your teacher taught you to do.
