Middle school students know they don’t need to pass general music to advance to the next grade, so it’s easy for them to believe the class doesn’t count. MENC member Elizabeth Ann McAnally continues her tips for teachers looking for ways to connect with new adolescents:

7.  Beware of free time. Students are extremely creative in thinking up what to do during free time. Save yourself the dismay, clean up, and follow through on misbehavior, and keep your students very, very busy.

8.  Show sincere appreciation. Students want to be acknowledged when they do the right thing. Rather than singling out a student in front of the class, direct your compliment to a group of students, or use a hit-and-run method: speak to the student privately at the end of the lesson, then immediately send him or her to class. This doesn’t put the student on the spot.

9.  Model the behavior you desire. If you’re sarcastic and impatient, students will be sullen and resentful. When you use an angry voice or yell, conflict will escalate. The more we yell, the less our students listen and the more amused they can become.

10.  Graciously admit when you’re wrong. If you don’t, students can’t wait to prove you wrong. By admitting an error, apologizing, and moving on, we show our students how we learn from our mistakes.

11.  Make it fun. With testing and pressure to excel, students welcome singing a silly song for fun or a flash card game to review treble clef notes. Plan activities with active participation, demonstrate that being a musician is enjoyable, relax, and smile. Your students will appreciate it.

12.  Two short activities are better than one long one. Middle schoolers have short attention spans, so plan minilessons with careful transitions. If an activity is too long, students won’t remember what you said.
 

“Teaching middle school general music can be exciting and fulfilling,” McAnally says. “In my opinion, it represents our last, best hope in reaching students who are not already involved in a performance program.” She hopes these tips will help you make general music a meaningful experience for your middle school students.

Read Part 1.

Elizabeth Ann McAnally teaches at Wilson Middle School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to writing “Motivating Urban Music Students” in Teaching Music in the Urban Classroom: A Guide to Survival, Success, and Reform, she is writing a new book, Middle School General Music: The Best Part of Your Day!
 

--Linda C. Brown, May 27, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (menc.org)