Today was my first day with the Dixon elementary fourth grade orchestra. Besides a little nervous, I was feeling mostly excited to get started. I was glad that I would be able to help teach, unlike in band where I could merely observe. First, I met with my teacher, who was amazingly nice and welcoming. She warned me that the students tend to talk while she is talking and she needs help to get them to listen sometimes. Within the first two minutes of the rehearsal I noticed that the students were a talkative group, and they had trouble waiting for directions. Thankfully, the teacher had ideas to combat this:
She had the class make a "classroom contract", which they all signed and agreed to. If the students followed the contract, they would receive a sticker. Then, if they got ten stickers, they got a prize. The students were very set on getting a prize, so they would encourage others to follow the rules and get a sticker.
Other than being talkative, the students were very eager to learn their instruments. Every time I suggested something to them, they would do it right away. Some needed reminders, but overall they were good listeners. I started to see how I would love teaching this age group, since you can see their progress so well.
I could tell that the teacher was glad that I was there. As I was leaving, the teacher asked me if I was okay with staying the entire year. Before she could finish her sentence I interjected with a "yes". She was excited, and glad I could be there to help.
