Klarinet Archive - Posting 000270.txt from 2004/05

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Being the poor old Band Director
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 21:26:05 -0400

I'm confused! Did Nick say he is in a student teaching assignment. None of
this is truly his problem except as any of it is a result of his own
deportment or behavior toward the kids he teaches. Whatever systemic
weaknesses exist in this school district, they are the concern of the
contracted staff member who is responsible for these classes/activities. A
student teacher should not be trying to sort out a problem that existed
before he got there and will in all likelihood continue long after he leaves
and (hopefully) finds a job elsewhere.

Based solely on Nicholas's description of the situation, which may or may
not be at this point colored with a lot of emotional reaction, I'd go one
step further. If the cooperating teacher (whose responsibilities include
that band, student teacher or no) has offered no more useful help or input
than Nicholas relates, he is seriously negligent in his performance as a
cooperating teacher. And if Nicholas's supervising teacher at the college
where he is enrolled isn't offering any help or useful support, he/she is
abandoning his/her responsibility as well. No student teacher should be left
to the wolves as completely as Nicholas suggests he has been, nor should he
be left so much to his own devices if he finds himself in as much hot water
as Nicholas feels he has gotten into.

In no situation that I can imagine is it nor should it be a student
teacher's responsibility to meet with administrators, board members or even
parents to sort out any difficulty beyond his own shortcomings or weaknesses
in delivering the instruction he is charged with delivering. If the system
stinks, it's a problem for administrators, teachers (paid staff members) and
parents to solve together. If the student teacher's approach and behavior
are causing damage, the cooperating teacher has a responsibility both to
protect him/her from the worst consequences of his/her own mistakes, and
also (out of self-preservation) to protect the integrity of the program
itself, which the cooperating teacher will need to take back when the
student teacher leaves.

All of that having been said, Nicholas, I read in your post a number of
areas that you seem to be insecure about - not just how much to demand and
press but how to do it in a constructive, productive way and how to react to
parents' concerns. That anger-management counseling has even been suggested
indicates that something has gone awry in your approach to the kids in the
band you're teaching, and your own post says clearly that you aren't certain
what to do when working in front of a large class. It can be a very
difficult thing to learn - to be demanding without being belligerent or
destructive. If you aren't getting useful help from your cooperating
teacher, ask for it from your college supervisor. You sound as if you're a
ping-pong ball that keeps bouncing around while other people beat you with
their paddles. That's not a good learning experience for you and doesn't
support a good one for your students, either.

My 2 cents worth, if I understood Nicholas's original post accurately.

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas [mailto:thomas@-----.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 4:58 PM
> To: klarinet list
> Subject: [kl] Re: Being the poor old Band Director
>
>
> Nicholas: >>Thank You, Unfortunately the school district I teach
> at, all the
> money goes
> to marching band and marching band is the core of the
> instrumental program.
> They expect so much out of it.
>
> Nicholas, you need to sit the administrators down and explain why it's NOT
> the core of the program, and how they are throwing money at the wrong
> animal. It's kind of like throwing money at the musical, and
> expecting the
> (classroom) chorus to be good.
>
> If they won't listen, find yourself another district for next year. Get
> out while you still have your sanity!
>
> Lynn
>
>
>
>
>
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