Tag Archives: Best Practices

Learning to love classical music, opera, and ballet: the Viennese solution

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music education

Virtuoso musicians, excellent opera singers, and elegant ballet dancers from the Sound of Vienna company perform a program of classical music, opera, and ballet.

Classical music, opera, and ballet! How do our students react when teachers say these words? In all honesty, I’d guess that most students would not respond very enthusiastically. Although music permeates just about every aspect of our daily lives, from special ceremonies, to movie scores, to radio or television commercials, to sports events, or just leisure listening, students usually make selections from categories that are popular and contemporary, not classical or operatic. Unless the students are from Austria, that is.

While travelling in Austria earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending a concert in Vienna featuring classical music, opera, and ballet. The event was staged by a company called Sound of Vienna, an organization that has been been delighting international and domestic audiences with “dinner and a concert” programs for more than 15 years. Virtuoso musicians, excellent opera singers, and elegant ballet dancers presented an evening full of Viennese charm. The night I attended, the program offered many selections by Austrian composers Strauss and Mozart, with additional pieces by Lumbye, Suppe, and Ansage. All of the pieces, including the opera selections, were fresh and easy on the ear. Some of the pieces were familiar, the dancers were enthralling, and the performers even threw in a dash of comedy. I loved it all!  I’m afraid my education in classical music is very limited, and, like most American students, before attending this concert I was not particularly enthusiastic about increasing my knowledge. But this concert was so much fun and it was so entertaining that I plan to learn more about the topic right away!

The students of Vienna have a head start on me about this. Did you know that the children of Vienna, which is known as the City of Music, are regularly taken on field trips to concerts of classical music as part of their education program? Obviously, Austria is a country that takes its musical heritage very seriously, and they devote significant resources to promoting a love of this heritage among its young people. Having come from a country that offers meager support for school music education programs, this seems amazing and wonderful to me.

I think Vienna will forever be a City of Music. Everywhere we went there we saw young people carrying cases of various sizes containing musical instruments, so it was evident that Viennese children are responding very enthusiastically to the love for classical music that has been carefully nurtured by their schools. They are preparing themselves to carry on their country’s cherished musical traditions. Here in America, we could learn a lot from educators in Vienna!

If you ever plan to travel to Vienna, I would highly recommend you attend one of the many “dinner and a concert” programs available to the public there. To learn more about the events specifically staged by the company I mentioned in this blog post, check out their website at Sound of Vienna.

 

Back to School: Three Tips for a Successful First Day

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It’s that time of year when teachers are beginning to think about getting ready to go back to school! Need specific ideas for creating a successful first day of school? Here is a short You Tube video that offers three three very useful tips. Created by Grace Dearborn, an educational consultant, teacher trainer, and author. Found at her website called Conscious Teaching. Enjoy!

Back to School: Tips for a successful first day of school

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Back to School

As the start of a new academic year is upon us, educators all over the country are contemplating ways to create a successful first day of school. Here are a few thoughts.

Think about what you want to accomplish with your students, right from the start. Of course, classroom management is important, but current educational philosophy suggests that classroom management is easiest when students are actively engaged in stimulating and meaningful activities. So, avoid reading aloud a list of your classroom rules and expectations or your course syllabus. Also, don’t plan a lecture. It’s a snore for the kids, and your throat will be sore by the end of the day.

To create a memorable first day, plan an activity that introduces students to your classroom values. Presumably these values would include respect for peers and working well together. Consider ice-breakers that encourages students to interact with each other. Reward them for learning the names of their classmates. It’s also a great idea to try and learn the names of your students as quickly as possible so that you can greet them by name on their second day. Also, create activities that give kids opportunities to help you and their classmates get to know what is unique about them. Example activities would include a round of Two Truths and a Lie, a Shoe Pile Mingle, or Never Have I Ever.

Another customary classroom value emphasizes the joy of learning. Many teachers want their class to be an exciting adventure as they and their students explore learning together. Crafting an activity that is interactive introduces this classroom value right from the beginning. Consider planning a trivia game, collaborative drawing, or a scavenger hunt.

Whatever you plan for that first day, just be sure it is stimulating and engaging. The time will be well spent if the effort kicks off the school year with a sense of excitement for your class or subject. And that list of classroom rules an expectations and the course syllabus? Consider emailing these to parents before the school year begins, and having them reply that they have received it, perhaps with a simple phrase such as “I Agree.” Or use the communication as an opportunity to invite parents to dialogue with you about their child’s individual needs or concerns.

Above all, have a great year!

Back to School: Getting ready for a new school year

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Back to School

It cannot be denied, the end of summer is rapidly approaching, and the start of a new school year is just around the corner. Getting ready for the upcoming school year requires a great deal of planning. Here is a dandy checklist of tasks you may need to do to prepare. Some are more suitable for elementary teachers, others are better for secondary teachers, and some are useful for both levels. Adapted from ThoughtCo. Enjoy!

  • Write and mail or email a welcome letter to parents and students
  • Create name tags for students and their desks
  • Read through student files to help determine placement in groups and activities
  • Determine desk arrangement and create seating charts
  • Decorate and put up bulletin boards
  • Decorate the front door
  • Determine the rules and consequences or how you will have the class decide upon the rules
  • Organize first-day ice-breakers
  • Collect activities and design lessons for the first week of school
  • Become familiar with the class computer and other technology needed for the classroom
  • Decide how to welcome students and introduce them to the rules and procedures
  • Develope a substitute folder
  • Create a list of classroom jobs
  • Introduce yourself to fellow teachers and staff members
  • Set up your classroom calendar
  • Organize the classroom library, if you have one
  • Make copies of forms and worksheets you want to send home the first week
  • Have all systems in order (homework basket, paperwork basket, etc.)
  • Create or purchase a lesson plan organizer and calendar
  • Gather teacher materials and supplies
  • Set up a class web page to communicate with students and parents
  • Purchase or acquire any classroom supplies that are needed
  • Obtain a copy of the district curriculum standards for your courses
  • Prepare a folder for faculty meetings and information
  • Make copies of materials for the first couple of weeks
  • Post emergency evacuation map and procedures
  • Acquire or stock a first aid kit
  • Decide how to manage homework
  • Decide how to manage using the restroom (bathroom passes, etc.)
Source: ThoughtCo