Jenny Jordan

MUS149

Observation Reflection #17

November 28, 2020

This class was a brief teaching example of a middle school orchestra. The classroom was

set up in a typical orchestra class setting, with instrument racks around the room and chairs and a

podium set up in a string orchestra fashion. The teacher did not scold students for making noise

at the start of class, and when it was time to get teaching, the students were very respectful and

often quieted down on their own. The atmosphere was very friendly but productive at the same

time. At one point in the piece they were rehearsing, the cellists would spin their instruments,

showing that although they were able to get a lot done, the class was able to have fun too. It was

apparent to me that the students and the teacher had a healthy and respectful relationship with

each other. The transitions between topics were always very smooth and seamless, and the

teacher always showed a personal interest in students when they asked questions or shared ideas.

Over the 15 minutes, the class went over one of their pieces, The Blue Iguana. They

rehearsed small sections and focused on different musical elements at a time, such as accents,

fingerings, or listening to the ensemble. At one point, the teacher makes sure to break down how

the cello part fits into the violin parts. The violins also go over a colegno section in the piece.

The teacher started out the lesson with a simple question: “Has anyone seen a blue

iguana?” This acted as a fun way to get the students involved in the piece before playing it while

also connecting the title of the piece to their lives. Over the course of the entire rehearsal,

questions are a large component of what makes the teaching effective. The teacher asks the

students guiding questions to help them figure out what to do. For example, the teacher asks
students what they can do to make an accent, creating a space for them to show their knowledge

and come to their own solution. The students also ask several questions, and the teacher always

accepts these questions and answers them clearly without shaming anyone for not knowing. At

one point, a student corrects the teacher, and the teacher rewards this behavior and acknowledges

her mistake. This open dialogue between student and teacher creates a more positive learning

space in which both parties can learn from each other. The teacher is helpful to the students,

giving clear conducting cues and counting out loud when the orchestra needs a bit of extra

support. The teacher has the violins play alone while she sings the cello part in order to

demonstrate to the cellists how their part fits in with the violins.

I was impressed by how much this class was able to get done in such a short amount of

time without the atmosphere of the class feeling too strict. There seemed to be a lot of mutual

respect between the teacher and the students in the class. I admired the amount of judgement-free

dialogue that took place, and I overall enjoyed watching this class.

Link: https://youtu.be/FZQxAVk189c

Honor Code:

I affirm that I will uphold the highest principles of honesty and integrity in all my endeavors at

Gettysburg College and foster an atmosphere of mutual respect within and beyond the classroom.

-Jenny Jordan