The #MusEdChat held on April 5th, 2010 began with the topic, “What classroom management tricks work for music classrooms?” Thirty-seven people participated and contributed to this chat.

General Tips

The chat started out with some great tips. @girlfromPBO stated that she uses a three-strike policy, while others suggested to keep free time at the beginning of the period to a minimum. It was also suggested that teachers not only establish their rules, but post them so that they are always visible to the students. In addition to this, teachers also must establish consequences along with the rules in an effort to deter bad behavior. The suggestion was also made by @ssagaro< to write the class plan for the period on the board, which allows students to stay on track.  Another participant stated that if the teacher keeps a clean and organized room, classroom management will be easier. One tip was tweeted all throughout the chat, stressed the need for a routine in the classroom. Many teachers stated that if a routine is in place and the students know about it, classroom management will be exponentially easier.

Rehearsing and Conducting

The chat then briefly moved to rehearsing and conducting ensembles. Multiple participants encouraged others to try to keep spoken words to 5-10 between stopping the ensemble and starting again. Other participants emphasized that conducting is a form of communication, therefore clarity is essential. In addition, facial expressions help to relay what the conductor is attempting to communicate. Some classroom management tips were also discussed that were specific to the rehearsal setting. @digimusresearch suggested, “Use handsigns for bathroom and water requests in elementary setting. This saves interruptions & time, since I can see and nod yes or no.”

General Music

The conversation then shifted to classroom management strategies in a general music setting. Multiple participants stressed the importance of active learning. As stated by @thomasjwest,” Gen. Music needs to be about DOING! Get the technical stuff started, but then start applying it ASAP.” Other teachers suggested that learning the names of students is a very important first step to classroom management. In addition to this, other teachers suggested knowing the students in general, including being interested in their activities outside of class. Multiple teachers  suggested that if you can get kids to make music that sounds good, they will be interested. Teachers also discussed great tips to think about for ending the class. Most of them stated that the end of the class needs to be a time of reflection, and also a preview of what will happen in the next class.

Discipline

Chat participants then covered the topic of discipline. One important tip was given by @musicedconsult , “By the way–it’s OK to call Mom or Dad to tell them that you need their help–especially if there’s a very disruptive student.” @chrisritter added  that teachers need to call home whenever a student does something right. Multiple participants suggested that disciplining students needs to be done in a way in which they are still learning. @musicedconsult then stated, “Disclipline is what we do–Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Dance. Management is also what we do but let’s not confuse the two.”

The #MusEdChat then closed out with more tips and tricks for classroom management. @shawdave shared a great starting point for class rules. He said, “Class rules someone posted on a blog : Take care of (1) yourself, (2) each other, (3) this place. I like these.”  It was also stated that teachers themselves need to maintain their focus throughout the lesson. If they do, their students have a better chance at being able to do this. Many teachers emphasized the need to maintain a positive atmosphere in the classroom, even when disciplining. Near the end of the chat, @digimusresearch tweeted something that is essential for all of us to remember: “They may not remember what you said, but theyll remember how you made them feel.”

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In order to see all of the tips and tricks that were discussed for classroom management, be sure to refer to the chat transcript!

Tweet With Us!

As always, anybody is more than welcome to join in the #MusEdChat!These take place on Twitter on Monday nights at 8:00 pm EST. Find out how to participate, and join in the discussion! The more people who participate, the more we all learn!