Morgan Brown

MUED 271 - Observation #1

I thoroughly enjoyed observing the Second grade level lesson that was taught within the
Practicum Observation video. From the very start, I noticed just how engaged the teacher needed
to be to grasp all of her student’s (approximately 23 students) attention. In watching the student’s
responses to the teacher’s “Good morning class!” in the video, it’s safe to guess that the teacher
begins each class in the same way (establishing and maintaining a routine from day one). Prior to
actually engaging in singing, the teacher had the class move along to the beat, allowing the
students to physically feel the beat (while also getting some of their energy out). The teacher then
had her students “stretch” their voice by having them slide along their vocal range with sirens,
which was quickly followed by a breathing exercise. In the quick warm-up routine, the teacher
had the opportunity to demonstrate the multiple ways that music affects the students’ bodies,
teaching them to have a greater musical awareness, while also establishing a basic warmup
routine that will be built upon as they become more advanced musicians.
Throughout the short class period, the teacher often sang her instructions on the starting
pitch of each specific song. In a few instances, she modeled the pitch for the students to help
them to sing the correct pitch, since a few of the students seemed to struggle with singing on
pitch (which is normal for this age). She also continued singing the starting pitch or the melodic
line while addressing students who needed to refocus their attention, allowing the teacher to
address the student without stopping the entire group. I noticed that the first few songs that the
teacher started the class with (Seashell, Tapping at the Window, Kingsland) were songs that the
students recognized, allowing the students to begin class confidently since they were already
comfortable with the pieces.
The teacher then taught a new song to the children by rote (Button You Must Wander),
where they responded by physically showing the phrasing of the melodic line. By demonstrating
the phrasing, the students exhibited a greater understanding of the piece, making it easier for
them to sing the piece. After teaching the melodic line to the students, the teacher had them
circle-up around the edge of the rug to sing “Button You Must Wander” with an interactive music
activity. Prior to singing the song with the movements, the teacher taught the physical
movements to the activity (making sure that the students differentiated between their right and
their left). The teacher noticed that some of the students were struggling with the direction of the
movement, leading the teacher to go around the room and help the students with the movements,
demonstrating how younger students sometimes need physical reminders when instructions are
given.
When teaching a new song or reviewing materials, the teacher would incorporate simple
Music Theory content in addition to some Aural Skills related solfege. By encouraging the
children to determine the solfege of the piece or by discussing the Snowman diagram on the staff
(in regards to notation), the children were learning why the specific songs work the way that they
do, instead of just plainly learning the song. The teacher often had to segue one activity into
another to maintain her student’s focus (avoiding losing their attention in the transition period
between each activity), by utilizing extremely fast-paced instruction, which also allowed her to
maximize her music-making time with her students during the short class period.