Have you thought about how you would react to the hypothetical scenarios in the past few future teacher articles? Here’s some feedback from the first scenario.

Scenario

You’re on tour with your top high school choir. It’s after curfew, and all your students should be in their rooms observing rules about noise levels. As you walk down the hall, loud, boisterous sounds emanate from a room. You discover the room is occupied by your students. Upon your knocking, the door is opened to reveal a party complete with smoking and alcohol. Many of the students involved are section leaders.

• How do you handle the situation?
• What could you have done to prevent it from happening?
  
  

“Situations such as this one can be eliminated before they occur. Thorough planning, organization, and communication are essential when preparing for any student trip outside of the classroom,” says instrumental music teacher Anthony Denaro. He shares the following recommendations:

Setting Policies

Establishing specific policies, rules, and consequences for any off-campus field trip are crucial. These should include a section on drug and alcohol use and the consequences for breaking any rule. To ensure full support of your administration, these policies should align with established school and district policies.

Preparing for the Trip

• Hard copies of the rules and policies should be sent home and returned with parent or guardian signatures as a reminder that these policies would be in full effect for the duration of the trip.
• A proper number of chaperones (approximately 1 for every 20 students) who are willing to enforce these policies must be on hand for the trip.

Enforcing the Rules

• Remove all drugs and alcohol immediately. If necessary, notify proper authorities.
• Put students under the direct supervision of a chaperone or an authority figure.
• Inform parents and school administration of the situation.
• Follow previously established consequences, which may include requiring parents to pick up their child at their expense.

Returning Home

• Submit a report for each student involved to the school administrator who will decide upon a punishment.
• Decide if there will be additional consequences within your choir, band, etc.
• Be consistent with established policies.
   

Read what other MENC members have posted about the scenarios on the future teacher forum. Post or e-mail any additional thoughts to Shauna Leavitt.

Read the other articles in this series.

What Would You Do? Part 1
What Would You Do? Part 2
What Would You Do? Part 3
What Would You Do? Part 4
What Would You Do? Replacing a Popular Teacher
 

Anthony Denaro is currently completing his Master’s degree in Music Education at The Ohio State University. Prior to teaching instrumental music in Florida and Georgia, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, Ohio.

--Shauna Leavitt, December 2, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education