About a week ago, I had returned to Dixon elementary and the fourth grade orchestra after I had been gone for about three weeks. (I go to this placement once a week, and I just happened to miss three Wednesdays in a row). Before I had left, the students were doing fine, but not as advanced as they could have been. They had a hard time with focusing, and talked through the entire rehearsal. When I got to the class, I was a little worried that they might still be unfocused and not interested in learning their instruments. I could not have been more wrong. The students were mastering their exercises, and started to have more fun, since they were now seeing their own progress. Their concert is a little more than a month away, but they have already perfected their pieces well in advance.
I have been working extra hard with the bass players on their technique, since I play bass more regularly than Ms. Rindt. Thankfully they listened very well to me, and had impeccable technique when I had returned.
In a music class I have realized that observational learning is best for these students. The students do best when watching someone who is using the proper form to play their specific instrument. By having the students watch me or Ms. Rindt play, they have been able to mimic us, and play better. However, it is proving effective to use operant conditioning (using reinforcements and punishments to shape the learning of a desired behavior) in shaping their classroom skills. In this class, the group receives a sticker if they have a good rehearsal, and can collect enough stickers for the class to earn a treat. If they are too talkative or unfocused, though, they do not get a sticker for the day.
