Today was my first day back with Mrs. Little at Dixon Elementary. I will be helping once again with the fifth grade band. Right when I walked in, I could tell that the students had much more energy compared to last years' group. They came in asking question after question, wanting to know everything that was going on. I couldn't understand some kids, because they were talking so fast.
After about two minutes, the students were in their seats and already doing their normal warm up (which was student lead). They had memorized the warm up, and then the leaders would play a section, while the class repeated it. It was LOUD, but they played the right thing, which was good. Halfway through the rehearsal, Mrs. Little had scheduled a time to talk about classroom etiquette. They got to make the rules, and suddenly the class was quiet, and attentive, and truly present.
Last year, one of my projects was exploring the use of technology in the classroom. We usually think of smart boards, Chromebooks, I Pads, or even regular computers. Never in my life would I have considered this, but Mrs. Little had a classroom "Alexa". She would ask "Alexa" to set timers, play the band music to listen to, and let students ask random questions during breaks. The students love it, and always pay attention when Mrs. Little uses it.
Long Story short, it's nice to be back with the band :)
