Comments on: Not The Best Day Ever Revisited http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/not-the-best-day-ever-revisited/ Providing HOPE for educators since 2007 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:07:56 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Joel http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/not-the-best-day-ever-revisited/#comment-1787 Joel Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:26:07 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/not-the-best-day-ever-revisited/#comment-1787 Haha, but John does stink! Haha, but John does stink!

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]]> By: Stengel99 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/not-the-best-day-ever-revisited/#comment-1762 Stengel99 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:31:03 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/not-the-best-day-ever-revisited/#comment-1762 We've enjoyed reading your saga. This is one of those situations many of us teachers can relate to, so it's almost as if we're reading about ourselves. A thought regarding your comment "I also am actively seeking positive things to compliment individual students on again." One approach I have been trying the past couple years is to greet individual students before and after class, and engaging in about 15 seconds of personal small talk just to let them know you appreciate them as human beings. Then when harsh criticism needs to be made, I try and direct it to the group at large, and not at individuals. (e.g. "We're not in tune on that note" or "We're not together rhythmically" instead of "John, you stink!") It doesn't always work out quite that smoothly, but again, the point is that I try and demonstrate to the students that I care about them beyond their musical abilities. We’ve enjoyed reading your saga. This is one of those situations many of us teachers can relate to, so it’s almost as if we’re reading about ourselves.

A thought regarding your comment “I also am actively seeking positive things to compliment individual students on again.” One approach I have been trying the past couple years is to greet individual students before and after class, and engaging in about 15 seconds of personal small talk just to let them know you appreciate them as human beings. Then when harsh criticism needs to be made, I try and direct it to the group at large, and not at individuals. (e.g. “We’re not in tune on that note” or “We’re not together rhythmically” instead of “John, you stink!”)

It doesn’t always work out quite that smoothly, but again, the point is that I try and demonstrate to the students that I care about them beyond their musical abilities.

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