Recently I was given the chance to observe a choir teacher in action. I watched the warm-ups, the instruction, the practice, the closing.
What I saw was a beautiful class period.
And what I saw was a clinic of many of the concepts I describe in the Principles of Learning Course.
Making abstract concepts clear via concrete examples. Throughout the lesson, the instructor repeatedly touched on articulation. He used phrases like:
- It's not like ________, it's like _________.
- Notice how when we sing in the staircase, it sounds like _________, but when we sing in the classroom, it sounds like __________.
- If I ask our observer if he can understand the words of the song, he'll probably say it sounds pretty. But, Mr. Stuart, can you make out the words? (No, I could not.) All right — he is six feet away from some of you. When you're articulating, you need to go beyond what it seems like you need to.
- That word “sound” — pronounce it like “s-ah-nd.”
This attaches to a broader concept I cover in the course: teaching all students as if they are novices. He took moments throughout the lesson to unpack all parts of the singing experience: performance anxiety, breath, posture. He was generous with the “for examples.” He was generous with non-examples, too. Throughout the lesson, he didn't seek clarity for his novices just once or twice; he was relentlessly seeking clarity for his novices.
He even brought in the power of testing. After giving notes on a practiced segment, he asked the students to verbally recall the notes he had just given them. He then asked them to bring in notes he'd given on the section in prior lessons. He asked things like, “What have I been picky about with this segment before?” By having the students recall this information, he's increasing their ability to recall it in the future.
And he defined success for students, using a timely analogy. In the midst of one of his notes (him being “picky,” to use his language), he brought up the recent Detroit Lions football game. He said, “Some folks are nitpicking the coaching calls, but take a minute to consider what that nitpicking means: the Lions made it to the semifinals.” He likened this to how much he's seen the students grow this year, saying that his pickiness is an indicator of how far they've come, saying that his students are like the Lions in that their star is rising, they are a program on the move.
As I wrap up these observations, I recall with fondness the first time I got into another teacher's classroom while I was doing my student teaching in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It was Mr. Clayton Hall, and he was an English teacher like me. Sitting in his room, watching a regular lesson play out, was like a revelation to me. I was encouraged, challenged, inspired. There was nothing special about it — he was a regular teacher doing our regular work, but he was doing it in a way that only Clayton Hall on that date and that class period could do it.
Nearly two decades into my career, I'm still as blown away by visiting teachers' classrooms as I was back then.
So two takeaways for you today:
- First, note how the principles of learning are as relevant to choir as they are to English as they are to what any of us do.
- Second, has it been a minute since you sat in on the lesson of a colleague? Do yourself a big favor: make it happen this week.
Best,
DSJR
P.S. Join the first cohort of the Principles of Learning Course today! All videos are live, and for those interested, I'm hosting live Q&As for folks inside the course during the month of February.
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