So I taught a 5 minute mock first trumpet lesson to a '6th grader'... I thought my objective was how to breath, for the trumpet of course. Whether that was conveyed to my 'student' or the observing class, is another story. It was certainly the main focus point of the lesson, but then it went into actually making a sound on the trumpet. Anyone who's had the misfortune of hearing me play a brass instrument knows that it's not exactly my forte, but I tried going into the lesson excited and eager to teach. Now the hypothetical student actually knows way more than I do when it comes to trumpets, but it was still nice. What I did realize is that if you have to choose the 'easiest' student to teach, it would have to be one that knows basically nada, zilch, zip! It's a 'fresh slate' so to speak, no bad habits to break, no time spent trying to figure out what they know/don't know as of yet. Now of course in real lessons, I'll have students that know nothing, or a little, maybe even more than me. Now the latter of those, is an issue. While it's impossible to know everything, you at least need to know more than your student. Otherwise, how can you teach them the subject matter? Now while it's perfectly acceptable to own up when you don't know something, you need to make sure you follow up by learning it. Set that example.
To be completely honest, band instruments used to scare me! I took my first instrument in the fifth grade, it was trumpet. It was also the last time I played an instrument, until I was 15 and took guitar lessons. My elementary school band teacher scared me, I remember her just yelling and shrieking like a banshee in class. She wasn't the music teacher for the school, and none of us knew how to read music or play instruments, because we were never taught. So when she tried teaching band, it was a mess. I wanted to be the student who could figure it out, after all it was only three valves. I thought, 'How hard could it be?' Hah. I learned how hard when I was practicing at home and my mother asked me very sweetly, 'Sweetie, why don't you practice outside?' That would've been a lovely option, omitting the fact that it was pouring outside! That's how awful it sounded. Without the right guidance and a teacher with no patience, I soon thereafter quit the trumpet and evaded any situation involving an instrument thereafter.
I have since then learned a lot more about music, how to play instruments and so on. It's not scary to me anymore. I did not take up band in high school, because that same teacher was the director there. As I go into my student teaching next year, I refuse to work with that teacher, although the school is literally down the street from where I live.
So what did I learn from her? Well, I learned that I never want to be that kind of a teacher, or scare my students. So when I went into this mock lesson, I tried to treat it as though it was a real lesson. I felt I was positive, friendly and patient. I hope that was conveyed to my 'student' and future students. I don't want to scare students, or make them feel as though they can't accomplish anything or learn. Who wants that? I had a teacher who failed me, but it was because of good teachers that I found my way back and guess what? The trumpet, not so scary anymore. I'm no Louie but I can play that thing. I can play it because I was taught the SKILLS to play it. I wasn't told to 'blow like this and push that' in any order, essentially memorizing songs and not knowing why it works like that. I learned how the instrument works, how to breath, stretches, how to sight-read, music theory, aural skills, etc etc. So now I can pick up the trumpet, fidget around with it and make something happen. I no longer need a teacher by my side holding my hand.
But it all starts with that first lesson, which can either make or break the students interests. Most importantly, I learned that it's vital to get students to learn how to make a sound as quickly as they can, otherwise they might become easily discouraged. Even the squawking of a saxophone is better then vacant huffs of air.
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