Dr. Snow asked that we think about Mr. Armstead's techniques to eliminate silence in the classroom. This was one of the first and most distinctive things I noted about his classroom. I commented on it quite a bit in my first observation. My original thoughts on his repeat after me structure were not very positive, however, one of our classmates pointed out some benefits I had not thought of. Making the students say the words might help them process the statement. Making the students repeat helps emphasize material and commit it to memory. He also used this technique to try and trick students, which I did not notice before. He would say, "in 4/4 there are 7 beats per measure", but the students would still have to answer correctly. I thought this was a compelling exercise, especially because I even struggled to answer correctly. Although, I still don't see myself using this particular technique, it is growing on me, and I certainly see its value.
Mr. Armstead's classroom is very structured. Every class period begins with warm-ups, and then sight-reading, with a bit of theory mixed in. He then incorporates the literature and math requirements, using attendance. Then they work on repertoire. Mr. Armstead emphasized that they follow this structure every single day, without variation. I understand that middle schoolers need that sort of structure. In my own teaching, I suspect I will do a slightly altered version of his structure. I could see myself having a slot for ear-training/sight-singing everyday, but I would vary the activities more than I think Mr. Armstead does.
I truly admire how much fun Mr. Armstead makes his classroom, despite, and perhaps even because of the highly structured atmosphere. The girls seem to really love the class. This is very encouraging for me, because I know I will be able keep a structured classroom, but I'm not sure I can make it fun as well.
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