The biggest problem with the music appreciation course at my school was that it was designed for non-music majors to take at any point in their college career. Thus I frequently had first semester freshmen in the same course as last semester seniors. Very difficult to address study or writing techniques with that disparate age/maturity range. Therefore I was trying to instill in the younger crowd "this is how you write a short paper on a musical topic" while the older seasoned vet's were bored to tears. You can't assume the freshman will know how to do certain things-- they're coming out of a high school that handed them their assignments on a silver platter, explaining everything required to pass the state mandated tests. But if you start going into demanding task-master teacher mode, the senior college students (with, hypothetically, more on their plate) will have to drop the class because of time commitments.
I say all this because of the sheer joy I experienced Friday after "guest lecturing" for a music appreciation course that is part of a larger initiative here. The course is created for "at-risk" college students. They are first semester freshman whose grades were not high enough to be admitted straight out for university. For one semester, they take courses on campus, but if they have more than three absences, they are dropped from the class and the program. These kids were awful-- they didn't take notes even when I told them to "write this down" (one person in fact asked me why), couldn't tell me the name of their textbook (no one brought it to class), I asked them to define terminology that was covered in previous classes with no responses (and their guesses were deplorable), there was constant talking amongst themselves, some on their cell phones, multiple sleepers, at least one with headphones in his ears- listening to music during this music class, and I had to abandon the powerpoint half way through class because the room required me to turn off the lights and it was becoming a zoo. Oh and did I mention they couldn't even tell me the name of their favorite musician? I asked them to write down a rock star or a music superstar they enjoyed and they stared at me blankly. Open ended questions freaked them out but more pointed questions they couldn't answer either.
These kids weren't taught any sort of study skills, critical thinking skills, or classroom etiquette. It was in that class that I finally was able to become a true authoritarian--- calling students out for misbehavior that in my previous music appreciation class I would merely overlook. With my other music appreciation class I treated them like adults-- you are in college now, if you want to misbehave- that is your prerogative-- I will just fail you. [I also have had problems with being confrontational, but in this one class I was able to conqueror that... because when some punk tells me him leaning against the wall with his eyes closed *isn't* him sleeping through my class, I will call him out.]
This class demands more structure-- it demands someone cracking the whip. These students aren't ready for college-- if they were, they wouldn't need this sort of program. Therefore, it should be the professor's duty to be more of a task-master, harder disciplinarian, and demanding SOB than they ever saw in high school. Sure it might thin the herd, but if these students are ever going to graduate college, they need to learn what high school did not teach them. Leaving that classroom, I was inspired, thinking how I would create more discipline to have them learn these musical concepts.
Here's a list that I came up with. Most are self-evident, but I'm fairly certain aren't being followed in the course presently, which led to their lax behavior.
- Textbook checks daily-- if they don't have their book, they're absent (and I should say the textbook I'd use for them is a new book so incredibly thin and light weight, they can't complain about "lugging" it around campus)
- Obvious expulsion from class for certain disruptive behaviors: on their cell phone, sleeping, headphone usage, excessive chatting
- Vocabulary/Concept quizzes frequently (every class in the beginning, more sporadic as semester progresses) to increase their musical vocabulary in order to be able to participate in class discussions
- Required online reading quizzes and discussions
- Take time to teach them proper note taking styles, writing/researching techniques
- Possibly even have them turn in their notes (or require them to retype their notes and submit a summary online) so that there is accountability
- Quick pace of lecture- the least lag in discussion requires moving on to another topic for fear of loosing them-- I had my lesson timed better than I had anticipated-- some things too longer, some were shorter, but in the end it went 45 minutes and I can work with that
- Constant reminder of the "so what, who cares" question-- these kids had "I don't care about some 19th century pianist" written all over their face-- so relating it to modern musicians and phenomenon
The frequent quizzes and nagging about textbooks are things that upperclassmen loathe (I know I did). College should have more freedom, less strictures in learning. And I would NEVER EVER consider it for my old music appreciation course. But since these students are fresh out of high school, I think part of the problem is not having them be more focused and rigorous. Plus being in this program demands that they are properly prepared for their possible future at this university.
Friday afternoon, I couldn't figure out why this class went so awfully, yet I was so happy afterwards. I realize, though, I was inspired to this refined pedagogy because the students were all one level of maturity, and that I can definitely work with-- I can focus on their collective problems and gradually begin to rectify/un-do high school bad habits. As I told someone afterwards, teaching that class would rarely give you the "warm fuzzy good teaching vibes" that we educators thrive on, but it would be a huge challenge that might eventually pay off in the end. Their un-enthusiasm and lethargy over time can break a professor, but perhaps if you keep the "tough nut to crack" mentality in mind-- it's a problem solving pedagogical exercise. Plus there's that great adrenaline rush that happens after keeping a class pace so high-- so that never hurts. And even if you only help one-- that's one future college student that was refined because of your perseverance.
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