All too often, well-intentioned music teachers make the same mistake: They try to cover too much in a single lesson by talking too much and offering too much information. Their students often leave confused and disengaged. The art of teaching is not just knowing what to teach. It is knowing what to teach, when . As described in our cover article, the Hedgehog Concept requires identifying what you do best and focusing on that one thing. In addition to using it to set an overall direction for our school, we apply it to our instructional techniques. Here’s how. GO DEEP, NOT WIDE. We don’t try to teach every student everything we know about music. Instead, we try to identify and teach the one thing the student needs to know today to move the ball forward. Just as “Sesame Street” taught only one “Letter of the Day” in each show, we focus on the one skill or concept the student needs today. Is it setting a tempo? Is it mechanics? We may even exclude valuable information that would benefit the student because today is not the time they need to know it. SET SPECIFIC GOALS. Our teachers encourage students to set SMART goals, an acronym educators use to describe goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Asked to set a goal, a student might say, “I intend to practice this song until I can play it better.” To guide them to set more achievable goals, ask targeted questions such as, “What do you mean by ‘play it better?’ At what tempo? When do you want to achieve this?” The result is a clear, specific outcome, such as “I want to be able to play Tale of the Troubadour from memory at 72 beats per minute by next Thursday.” This strategy brings success within a child’s reach. ENSURE SUCCESS. We believe music teachers are directly responsible for whether students succeed or fail. If a child is unsuccessful, it is simply because we have asked them to do the wrong thing. If the teacher sets the stage correctly by going deep on essential concepts and helping the student set well-defined, achievable goals, the child will be successful. These three strategies bring the Hedgehog Concept to life within MnSOM. Over time, this approach has enabled our students to enjoy repeated successes, build their confidence, and ultimately derive the greatest possible enjoyment from making music. The Hedgehog Concept Ensures Student Success HARMONY UNLEASHED
Alivia Y. Jacob V. Leela K. Charlotte J. Kate J. Lincoln M. Nahilera K.
Wesley H. Patrick N. Olivia E. Geneva E. Sarah C. Brielle E. Sammy M. Sydney M.
Payton M Deklyn G.
IS YOUR TEACHER SOLD OUT?
Mr. Barrett: 2 SPOTS LEFT Mrs. Bunish: SOLD OUT Ms. Ferbuyt: SOLD OUT Ms. Hsu: SOLD OUT Mrs. Jahnke: SOLD OUT Mrs. Lehner: SOLD OUT Mr. Martin: SOLD OUT
Mrs. Morris: SOLD OUT Mr. Nehring: SOLD OUT Mr. Nelson: SOLD OUT Mrs. Nemirova:
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–Eric Nehring
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