Marie Knight

Choral Methods

Dr. V

8/29/22

Mayhew Reflection

When reading Mayhew’s study, I found it extremely easy to comprehend as I was able to

apply all of the information given to this major, my previous experiences, and everything I have

yet to teach/do. Just from the first page, I was fascinated with the amount of information, and as

it is put later, “a checklist” that Mayhew presents. It is clearly outlined, with the research and

tests to prove, what it means to lead a classroom in effective ways (even from the first few

moments).

One of the newer concepts, or one I had never truly thought about, was the idea of

Teacher Intensity. I had fully observed all of the characteristics of a high-intensity teacher, but

did not have a word or phrase to express it. The first characteristic is making sure to maintain eye

contact. As mentioned later in the paper as well, this is essential for being an educator but also a

conductor. Eye contact not only connects the ensemble to the conductor, but also brings a sense

of confidence to the instructor as they aren’t fumbling around with papers or looking confused.

Another characteristic that really stood out to me was the idea of maintaining a rapid and

exciting rehearsal pace. This pace changes depending on the age groups that are being taught, but

no matter the age it is still vital. Pace also changes with level and experience of the students. I

remember my high school choir teacher having to split up her lesson plans into 10 minute

increments for one of her classes because their attention spans were short. She found that the best

way to learn for them was to do short spurts of learning with brief pauses in between.
 The other parts of being an high-intensity teacher involve lots of facial expression and

energy. Which I personally find intimidating as a young pre-service teacher. When the imposter’s

syndrome starts to kick in, one of the first things to go is energy and varying facial expression

and vocal pitches/volume. I wonder though, when it comes to middle school and high school

choirs, how does a teacher balance being high-intensity while being authentic and real? If

teachers take on a personality (other than their own) that is high-intensity, students at all ages are

able to see through it and disconnect. I think it is definitely possible, but it is a skill that will take

practice in a classroom setting.

The next major concept that Mayhew tackles is “Conducting and Non-verbal Behaviors”.

I love how Mayhew mentions the “pre-conducting behaviors”, something that we talked

extensively about in our conducting classes. And rightfully so, as the research shows. I love how

Mayhew’s study focuses and shows on the posture, eye contact, and facial expressions of

teachers (things they can fix and improve on) rather than physical attributes like style or overall

looks (that cannot be changed). Overall, Mayhem manages to do this throughout his paper as he

brings everything into a context of characteristics that can be improved on. Teaching styles are

always changing and adapting as we teach new students with different needs.

Mayhem’s findings on conducting attributes reminded me of the importance of musicality

and showing it through conducting gestures. Maintaining constant expression and varying the

conducting patterns mean that students/musicians are engaged while also adding to the

ensemble's sound. I think having varied conducting patterns and expression also adds to the

characteristic of a prepared and thoughtful educator.

One of the last major sections that Mayhew writes is “Teaching Patterns”. This is the

section that I have the least amount of experience and confidence in. As I read this section, I
could recognize Mayhew’s material in past teachers that I have experienced. But it was

something that I haven’t consciously analyzed during my own teaching experiences.

Overall, I found one of the most important and influential sections of this reading was the

“Skills and Behaviors Viewed as Important for Effective Music Teaching” section. Mayhem truly

gives us, the reader, a list of attributes and characteristics to bring to a music classroom. I am

definitely a person who loves lists, so this was thus my favorite part of this reading. I feel that I

have more specific vocabulary now to analyze my own teaching and create more concrete goals

for myself in the future.