Journal #1 – Stop and Listen

It has taken time and practice to stop and truly listen to my students and my daughter

as well. Growing up, I have been a person who likes to help and will do everything in my power

to do so. Having a daughter, Zoe, has completely changed the way that I teach. It might be

something about being a teacher to my daughter on a daily basis that has helped this. Before

Zoe, I would quite often rush to figure out the solution; to help. In actuality, this was quite

ineffective. I pushed my thoughts and ideas to fix whatever the problem was. Over time, I

discovered that quite often, students just need someone to listen to them. There are so many

situations where they are being told what to do. The idea of just having a caring adult to simply

listen to them is something quite important and effective for their mental health. Practicing

this, I have developed a lot of great professional relationships with my students. If they end up

asking for a solution, we take the time to figure it out together. Each student has their own

unique experiences just like me. Rather than explaining what to do, working together together

to discover “what’s next” is something quite extraordinary and is something I will continue to

practice and use.

 Journal #2 – Empathetic Listening

Empathy is understanding someone else’s viewpoint by putting yourself in their shoes.

Practicing empathetic listening in the classroom helps promote a positive space where students

and teachers can openly communicate and build relationships on trust and respect.

I try my best to create a positive classroom where mistakes are encouraged, respect is

key and to care for one another. When working with students, I try to model what I want them

to do. If students come up to me with questions/problems, I will stop what I’m doing and fully

listen to their situation without judgement, criticism or drawing conclusions. If there is a story

that I can share, whether it’s about me or someone that has gone through something similar, I

will try to help explain the tale, so they know that they’re not alone.

Students have to know that we care. It’s of the upmost importance, so they can learn

effectively. No one likes feeling along. Getting to know your students and creating a positive

classroom are key to their ongoing success.

 Journal #3 – Paraphrasing

Speaking in public has been something that gives me stress on a daily basis. As a

teacher, that’s difficult, but I’ve been working through it because teaching is something that I

truly believe in. Currently, I teach grade 9 music and have 40 students for 30 minutes and then

another 40 students for the next 40 minutes. This has been an ongoing learning experiment for

me. There’s a lot of self reflection and trying a number of ideas that have been successful and

some that haven’t.

Paraphrasing is something that I find important to consider when teaching my classes.

Each student has a different way of receiving information. When teaching musical theory

concepts, I take the time to work through the steps. I keep an ongoing dialogue with these

students and constantly talk about how there are a few ways to work or talk through the

problem. I ask them honestly, if they don’t understand to either say something while time

teaching the class or to flag me down when we’re working on the worksheet. There’s always a

way to figure out it. They have to know that they’re not dumb if this way doesn’t speak to

them. There’s just another way that we haven’t uncovered yet.

 Journal #4 – Non-Verbal Cues

I’ve been teaching for 8 years. It’s been a lifetime goal and its something that I will be

perpetually learning about to become better over my career. The importance of non-verbal

communication is something that I didn’t understand until the midst of my career. Confidence

is something that needs to shine, even if you’re not feeling it. It’s a “fake it until you make it”

sort of situation.

Often, I will start each class by being at the door and welcoming the students. This way I

can greet each student and get a gauge towards how they are doing going into the class. I have

gone through a lot of self reflection about how I present myself when leading a class. I find that

it’s important to be enthusiastic about what you’re talking about; believe in what you’re doing

and make it purposeful so the students know why they are doing it. I often try to move around

the room and play in different music sections so I can work with and get to know the students.

Also, I am mindful of how I stand and how I use facial expressions are important. In terms of

facial expressions, I find that being aware if something is difficult or frustrating, it’s important to

breathe and be mindful as to how you are being perceived by the class. Quite often, there is a

simple solution, but having done the reactionary facial reaction doesn’t help with the positive

vibe you want to give off. Other Non-verbal cues that I practice are smiling, eye contact with

students and being sure that my body language is open and not closed off.