Video Clips on Good and Bad Teaching
Bad Teaching:
This video clip is from the movie Whiplash. I chose this clip because it represents bad teaching.
-Fletcher, the band director, throws a chair at Neiman's head because he was rushing.
-Fletcher then proceeds to interrogate, threaten, physically assault, humiliate, and yell at Neiman in front of the entire band causing Neiman to become upset.
This clip offers and example of problematic teaching because the band director is going to the extreme to make the student play at the right tempo while sight-reading. Usually, while sight-reading music one would go at half tempo. However, Fletcher makes Neiman play the piece at full tempo knowing that it is the first time he has ever seen the music. He then proceeds to get overly angry with Neiman because he was rushing. Fletcher also physically and verbally abuses Neiman, causing him to become upset. He then proceeds to humiliate him in front of the entire band. This behavior for a teacher is unacceptable and most of it is also illegal. Teachers are supposed to help students and they should understand that they cannot get everything right on the first try. They are not supposed to threaten, abuse and humiliate their students like Fletcher did in this video clip.
-Fletcher, the band director, throws a chair at Neiman's head because he was rushing.
-Fletcher then proceeds to interrogate, threaten, physically assault, humiliate, and yell at Neiman in front of the entire band causing Neiman to become upset.
This clip offers and example of problematic teaching because the band director is going to the extreme to make the student play at the right tempo while sight-reading. Usually, while sight-reading music one would go at half tempo. However, Fletcher makes Neiman play the piece at full tempo knowing that it is the first time he has ever seen the music. He then proceeds to get overly angry with Neiman because he was rushing. Fletcher also physically and verbally abuses Neiman, causing him to become upset. He then proceeds to humiliate him in front of the entire band. This behavior for a teacher is unacceptable and most of it is also illegal. Teachers are supposed to help students and they should understand that they cannot get everything right on the first try. They are not supposed to threaten, abuse and humiliate their students like Fletcher did in this video clip.
Good Teaching:
This video clip is from the movie School of Rock. It represents good teaching.
-Mr. Shneebly works with each student to help them start off on learning their instrument
-Includes every student and makes sure that everyone has an equal role
This clip offers an example of good teaching because the teacher is going out of his way to help students individually and to make sure that everyone in the class feels included. Mr. Shneebly calmly works with each individual student who is playing an instrument. He teaches them the basics of the instrument while encouraging and complimenting them on their playing. Even though not every student is in the band, Mr. Shneebly offers the opportunity to everyone and even makes it an entire class project to make sure that every student is included. Teachers should help their students and encourage them like Mr. Shneebly did in this video clip.
-Mr. Shneebly works with each student to help them start off on learning their instrument
-Includes every student and makes sure that everyone has an equal role
This clip offers an example of good teaching because the teacher is going out of his way to help students individually and to make sure that everyone in the class feels included. Mr. Shneebly calmly works with each individual student who is playing an instrument. He teaches them the basics of the instrument while encouraging and complimenting them on their playing. Even though not every student is in the band, Mr. Shneebly offers the opportunity to everyone and even makes it an entire class project to make sure that every student is included. Teachers should help their students and encourage them like Mr. Shneebly did in this video clip.
Interviews
Teacher interview:
For this project I interviewed my piano teacher who taught me for 10 years before I came to study here at Western. Due to privacy I will use only her first name and the audio file will not be posted.
Me: Hi Lisa, thanks for letting me interview you.
Lisa: No problem at all. I'm always happy to help so don't hesitate to ask! I would be very happy to answer any questions you have.
Me: Thanks! Ok, first question, what made you decide to become a piano teacher?
Lisa: I guess I decided to become a piano teacher while I was still in high school. My own piano teacher at the time was someone I respected very much, and she encouraged me to consider being a piano teacher. I did my ARCT in Piano Teaching before graduating, and then went on to pursue music at university. I knew I wanted music to be my career, and teaching piano was a very feasible way of making that happen.
Me: Cool, was doing your ARCT in Piano Teaching before graduating challenging?
Lisa: Yes, it was challenging, but I had two years to do it, so it made it doable.
Me: You mentioned that your piano teacher encouraged you to become a teacher. Do you think your teaching style reflects how you were taught by your teachers? Or have you developed your own unique style?
Lisa: A bit of both. My style is a distillation of all of the different teachers I have had, but I have also developed my own ideas and style over the years.
Me: Ok, so what do you enjoy about teaching?
Lisa: I enjoy seeing a student develop and progress throughout the process of learning music. There is tremendous satisfaction in knowing that I played a part in helping that student realize their potential, as both an aspiring musician and as a person.
Me: Is there anything you dislike about teaching? Like is there anything frustrating about it?
Lisa: The hours for private teaching are difficult... you’re basically restricted to after school, evenings or weekends.
Me: Oh, yeah that does sound difficult. Are there any other challenges of being a teacher?
Lisa: It’s a challenge to find a teaching style that works with each individual student. Not everyone learns in the same way, and it is not always easy to find exactly the right words, examples, mental pictures to try to convey the concept I am trying to teach. It is also challenging to keep a student motivated to continue with piano lessons when they are often involved in so many other activities that compete for their time.
Me: I see. Going off of that, how do you deal with students who don't put in the effort to practice or who aren't motivated but have great potential?
Lisa: I try to find something that I think they will like enough to practice (jazz, pop, composing their own songs). Also, I try to encourage them and compliment them as much as possible.
Me: Oh yeah, you used to use some of those methods with me.
Lisa: Yes, I did.
Me: Anyway, do you find it easier to teach younger students or older students?
Lisa: I personally find it easier to teach older students. I can use a higher level vocabulary and delve into more complicated concepts knowing that they will understand. I also enjoy being able to tackle more advanced music with the older students. Many of the great works for the piano, Chopin Nocturnes, Beethoven Sonatas, Bach Preludes and Fugues, Mozart Sonatas, just to name a few, are accessible only to advanced students.
Me: That’s true, when you put it like that, it would be more enjoyable to teach more advanced students.
Lisa: Yeah.
Me: How did you end up teaching in Sault Ste. Marie?
Lisa: I ended up teaching in Sault Ste. Marie because my husband got a job as a professor at Algoma University. We relocated here from Saskatoon.
Me: Cool, do you have any goals? Like to learn more, to learn different methods of teaching, to improve ways of teaching, etc.?
Lisa: I would like to try learn more about technology and incorporate that more into my teaching. For example, different apps, perhaps making recordings, posting to YouTube, etc.
Me: That sounds like it would be fun! Ok well, that’s all of the questions I have for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me interview you.
Lisa: No problem!
Teacher interview:
For this project I interviewed my piano teacher who taught me for 10 years before I came to study here at Western. Due to privacy I will use only her first name and the audio file will not be posted.
Me: Hi Lisa, thanks for letting me interview you.
Lisa: No problem at all. I'm always happy to help so don't hesitate to ask! I would be very happy to answer any questions you have.
Me: Thanks! Ok, first question, what made you decide to become a piano teacher?
Lisa: I guess I decided to become a piano teacher while I was still in high school. My own piano teacher at the time was someone I respected very much, and she encouraged me to consider being a piano teacher. I did my ARCT in Piano Teaching before graduating, and then went on to pursue music at university. I knew I wanted music to be my career, and teaching piano was a very feasible way of making that happen.
Me: Cool, was doing your ARCT in Piano Teaching before graduating challenging?
Lisa: Yes, it was challenging, but I had two years to do it, so it made it doable.
Me: You mentioned that your piano teacher encouraged you to become a teacher. Do you think your teaching style reflects how you were taught by your teachers? Or have you developed your own unique style?
Lisa: A bit of both. My style is a distillation of all of the different teachers I have had, but I have also developed my own ideas and style over the years.
Me: Ok, so what do you enjoy about teaching?
Lisa: I enjoy seeing a student develop and progress throughout the process of learning music. There is tremendous satisfaction in knowing that I played a part in helping that student realize their potential, as both an aspiring musician and as a person.
Me: Is there anything you dislike about teaching? Like is there anything frustrating about it?
Lisa: The hours for private teaching are difficult... you’re basically restricted to after school, evenings or weekends.
Me: Oh, yeah that does sound difficult. Are there any other challenges of being a teacher?
Lisa: It’s a challenge to find a teaching style that works with each individual student. Not everyone learns in the same way, and it is not always easy to find exactly the right words, examples, mental pictures to try to convey the concept I am trying to teach. It is also challenging to keep a student motivated to continue with piano lessons when they are often involved in so many other activities that compete for their time.
Me: I see. Going off of that, how do you deal with students who don't put in the effort to practice or who aren't motivated but have great potential?
Lisa: I try to find something that I think they will like enough to practice (jazz, pop, composing their own songs). Also, I try to encourage them and compliment them as much as possible.
Me: Oh yeah, you used to use some of those methods with me.
Lisa: Yes, I did.
Me: Anyway, do you find it easier to teach younger students or older students?
Lisa: I personally find it easier to teach older students. I can use a higher level vocabulary and delve into more complicated concepts knowing that they will understand. I also enjoy being able to tackle more advanced music with the older students. Many of the great works for the piano, Chopin Nocturnes, Beethoven Sonatas, Bach Preludes and Fugues, Mozart Sonatas, just to name a few, are accessible only to advanced students.
Me: That’s true, when you put it like that, it would be more enjoyable to teach more advanced students.
Lisa: Yeah.
Me: How did you end up teaching in Sault Ste. Marie?
Lisa: I ended up teaching in Sault Ste. Marie because my husband got a job as a professor at Algoma University. We relocated here from Saskatoon.
Me: Cool, do you have any goals? Like to learn more, to learn different methods of teaching, to improve ways of teaching, etc.?
Lisa: I would like to try learn more about technology and incorporate that more into my teaching. For example, different apps, perhaps making recordings, posting to YouTube, etc.
Me: That sounds like it would be fun! Ok well, that’s all of the questions I have for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me interview you.
Lisa: No problem!
Powerpoint presentation on my discoveries about the teacher interview:
teacher_interview.pptx |
Student interview:
Student-Teacher Perspectives:
For the teacher interview, I interviewed my piano teacher (Lisa) who had taught me for 10 years before I came to Western. For the student interview, I had decided to interview a medical science student (Serena) who is still involved in music, but decided not to take it in university. For both people I interviewed, they seemed to be on the same path for the most part in their younger years. However, I can see where exactly their paths took them in different directions. For Lisa, she took music lessons as a child and she completed her ARCT for teaching piano 2 years before she had gone to university. Similarly, for Serena who took piano lessons as a child, and has gone up to the ARCT level before going to university. These two people musical paths start to differ just before they attend university. Lisa was inspired by her teacher and was encouraged to do a music degree in university. Unlike Serena, who thought that music was too competitive and (not mentioned in the interview) who’s parents did not approve of her doing music in university. Both people were put into music but depending on their views and the amount of support from the people around them, their choices were different. I can also connect this to a similar experience that I had before coming to university. Before choosing what bachelor of music program I wanted to take at Western, I wanted to do a music degree in performance. However, I was constantly told I would never get a job if I did a music degree in performance, so I chose to do music education instead. I eventually realized that my decision to do a degree in music education would not make me happy in the future because I would be stuck teaching music at an elementary or high school level, when all I really want to do is perform and teach private lessons for piano. So, I switched to performance instead. My experience is similar to Serena’s since I was talked into doing music education instead of performance. However, it is also like Lisa’s because I had still decided to take music and I am now following the path that I want to take. So, from taking a look at both the experiences of my piano teacher and Serena’s, I can also connect my own experiences to theirs because I went through similar experiences. Interviewing Serena helps me understand why some people who are musically talented did not pursue a career in music. I get a sense that it is normally because it is too competitive for them or it could also be their parents. Interviewing Lisa and connecting my own experiences to hers helps me understand why people decide to take music in university. I see that it is either because they love music in general, or they would never want to give up playing their instrument for anything in the world because they love playing their instrument.
For the teacher interview, I interviewed my piano teacher (Lisa) who had taught me for 10 years before I came to Western. For the student interview, I had decided to interview a medical science student (Serena) who is still involved in music, but decided not to take it in university. For both people I interviewed, they seemed to be on the same path for the most part in their younger years. However, I can see where exactly their paths took them in different directions. For Lisa, she took music lessons as a child and she completed her ARCT for teaching piano 2 years before she had gone to university. Similarly, for Serena who took piano lessons as a child, and has gone up to the ARCT level before going to university. These two people musical paths start to differ just before they attend university. Lisa was inspired by her teacher and was encouraged to do a music degree in university. Unlike Serena, who thought that music was too competitive and (not mentioned in the interview) who’s parents did not approve of her doing music in university. Both people were put into music but depending on their views and the amount of support from the people around them, their choices were different. I can also connect this to a similar experience that I had before coming to university. Before choosing what bachelor of music program I wanted to take at Western, I wanted to do a music degree in performance. However, I was constantly told I would never get a job if I did a music degree in performance, so I chose to do music education instead. I eventually realized that my decision to do a degree in music education would not make me happy in the future because I would be stuck teaching music at an elementary or high school level, when all I really want to do is perform and teach private lessons for piano. So, I switched to performance instead. My experience is similar to Serena’s since I was talked into doing music education instead of performance. However, it is also like Lisa’s because I had still decided to take music and I am now following the path that I want to take. So, from taking a look at both the experiences of my piano teacher and Serena’s, I can also connect my own experiences to theirs because I went through similar experiences. Interviewing Serena helps me understand why some people who are musically talented did not pursue a career in music. I get a sense that it is normally because it is too competitive for them or it could also be their parents. Interviewing Lisa and connecting my own experiences to hers helps me understand why people decide to take music in university. I see that it is either because they love music in general, or they would never want to give up playing their instrument for anything in the world because they love playing their instrument.
St. George Catholic School Field Trip Reflection:
Visiting the St. George Catholic School was a good experience for me. Personally, I do not like kids very much, however, I had lots of fun doing the different activities with them. Since it was close to Halloween, we sang lots of spooky tunes and it was nice to see both the kids and university students, including myself, having fun.
Something I found funny, but frustrating was that at one point, I was sitting beside a few university students and there were no little kids near us. The person sitting beside me said, “Why do kids hate me?” I laughed, but to be honest I found that my thoughts were echoing what he said. It might have been because I always look angry, and maybe the other students also had the same expression on their faces. It was frustrating that the kids did not want to be around me and the others because of that.
Overall, I found the visit to St. George Catholic School to be educational. I enjoyed the field trip, it was nice to just go on a field trip that was both fun and educational. This experience made me realize that I would like to teach music to higher level students; high school or university students, for example. Although it was fun I do not think that teaching little kids is really my strong point.
Visiting the St. George Catholic School was a good experience for me. Personally, I do not like kids very much, however, I had lots of fun doing the different activities with them. Since it was close to Halloween, we sang lots of spooky tunes and it was nice to see both the kids and university students, including myself, having fun.
Something I found funny, but frustrating was that at one point, I was sitting beside a few university students and there were no little kids near us. The person sitting beside me said, “Why do kids hate me?” I laughed, but to be honest I found that my thoughts were echoing what he said. It might have been because I always look angry, and maybe the other students also had the same expression on their faces. It was frustrating that the kids did not want to be around me and the others because of that.
Overall, I found the visit to St. George Catholic School to be educational. I enjoyed the field trip, it was nice to just go on a field trip that was both fun and educational. This experience made me realize that I would like to teach music to higher level students; high school or university students, for example. Although it was fun I do not think that teaching little kids is really my strong point.