Adapting to a New Era: The Post-Covid Music Classroom

It’s weird to believe that it happened, right? In the blink of an eye, what was our typical (and frankly, taken-for-granted) norm became an oddly and very distant memory. The students we had prior to COVID are not the students we see before us today. Perhaps with older students there’s less of a noticeable impact due to the differences in their maturity levels and abilities to cope with sudden and drastic change. But the struggles with learning loss and social/emotional barriers at the elementary and middle school levels will impact students of the 2020 pandemic for the next decade and perhaps further. This, coupled with how massively instruction has been modified to meet the challenges of educating during a pandemic, tells us that we now must reimagine education and adapt to a new way of thinking, living, learning, and teaching.

I strongly believe that the older students of 2020 who go into education or who have children of their own and experience the parental side of having kids in public schools will look back on their pre-covid school days and think, “Wow, things have changed so much since I was in school.” And you see, change can be good, because that’s how we evolve. I remember having a conversation with a colleague about how annoyed he/she was that students were using words such as l-o-l and o-m-g in conversation and in writing. Do we in the United States ever use the proper unabridged and very complex English language to communicate? No. We may learn it and try to keep it alive, but I rarely use English correctly. Our language has evolved, adapted and mutated, incorporating many non-traditional, foreign, and slang vocabulary too. English has evolved, and the sudden use of words such as lol, omg, brb (etc.) are a sign that even our own language is shifting. Can you imagine if we still used words like ye and hither ?

Let’s Hit the Reset Button

For many of us, we are now back in the classroom, so let’s celebrate that small success! Kids are in front of us - LIVE - and we can now move forward with what we do best: teaching. The question is: what does our reset button look like? We certainly can’t expect to reset back to the way things were prior to COVID, as much as some of us would love to. Classes have to be reimagined, with lessons being engaging and varied, and teachers being open and flexible to a group of sensitive students. It’s sort of like what was demanded of us when we began remote virtual instruction: we had to change.

Think back to when the pandemic began and how we as teachers felt. Now, imagine you’re a child finding it difficult to verbally express and compartmentalize the huge range of emotions you were feeling (frustration, anxiety, fear, depression) as you began this new journey of remote learning. That was a lot for our students, and it lingers with them to this day even as things have started to normalize once again. But this also means that we as teachers have to hit a different reset button, one that is sensitive and respectful to the needs of a new generation of children and (what I believe to be) a new era in education.

Did COVID Help You Become a Better Teacher?

I know what my personal answer is to that question, but how about you? Think of how abruptly we went into virtual instruction, and all the adaptations we had to make. Remote teaching helped me realize how powerful our words are, especially in a hands-on class like Band or Orchestra. I couldn’t physically take my fourth grader’s fingers and help them with their bow hands. I couldn’t adjust their wrists and elbows with my hands. I couldn’t even HEAR them sometimes. It was so important for me to use very minimal yet descriptive words that were easy for them to understand. I didn’t want them to become frustrated, which on a complicated instrument like the violin could definitely happen (how many of you had students holding their instruments backwards because they were mirroring you on the computer screen?).

My wife has a hearing impairment, but across a crowded room of people, I can lip speak anything and she knows exactly what I’m saying. She tells me that having that hearing impairment has made her visually stronger. So, having my students physically away from me made the words I used that much more precious and important, and thus made me a better and stronger teacher. I realized that in person, I was working way too hard and way too much. My students were totally capable, I just had to make sure what I wanted them to accomplish was realistic and attainable.

Are there remnants from online teaching?

1. I still do the informal assessment using thumbs in the air, and that’s something that I will continue to use as long as I continue teaching (“Thumbs up if you feel confident about what we did today. Thumbs sideways if it’s challenging but you understand. Thumbs down if you need extra help”). I always preface this by reminding the students they’re in a safe environment and that they can trust me and everyone to be open and honest, but a positive classroom atmosphere/climate is definitely key to getting honest responses. Some students are harder on themselves when it comes to self-assessing, but this is normal.
2. My students REALLY learned how to annotate music and develop a better vocabulary which they applied to their instruments. I would do screen-sharing and we’d underline all the Italian words, circle key and time signatures, mark music symbols, articulations, dynamics and write in rhythm counts. Students became very fluent in identifying and understanding the musical language. We transitioned nicely to doing this in person, so I highly recommend teachers train students in annotating their music. Note: Annotating does not necessarily mean to write in note names or fingerings. It could mean anything from circling a Forte symbol and defining a word, to putting in a breath mark or bow lift that needs to be added.
3. Visuals was an essential component of virtual instruction and one of the main ways many of us taught. While this has always been an important part of live instruction in pre-COVID classrooms, never underestimate the power of good visuals. I remember making blow-up versions of the students’ fingerboards to show them where their fingers should go and the notes they made, and then holding them up to the computer screen. Something else to consider: on my string instruments, I use color-coded finger tapes (Violins: 1st finger is red, 2nd finger is yellow, 3rd finger is blue, and 4th finger is green). In order for the students to gain muscle dexterity and confidence going between the different colors with their fingers, I made large color-coded pattern sheets that I put up on the board. They could come in, unpack, and use their fingers to practice these patterns.
4. There are some not-so-pleasant remnants of online teaching that actually helped students (and me) realize how important eye contact, listening skills, and teamwork was. Because those things were challenging on the computer, drilling basic ensemble skills that we once took for granted was essential, and I feel that I’ve become stronger as an instructor to reinforce those basic skills (e.g. “Sit up, feet flat on the floor, backs away from the chair, shoulders relaxed. Can you see me out of the corner of your eye? Pluck a D string when my baton comes down to the ictus. Do it again without looking right at me.).
5. Did your pacing improve at all after online teaching? Sometimes with internet issues, I had to cram a 30-minute lesson into maybe only 20 minutes (or even less!). This goes back to making sure your lesson is reasonable and attainable. You can plan more, but just as a back-up if your group is really moving. I’ve realized how important it is to reduce learning objectives and to focus on mastering facility in certain skill sets.

Reimagining Your Classes

Can your classes evolve from what they once were? Absolutely! You just have to be open to allowing yourself to accept those changes. Just remember this: if we can teach online, we can teach ANYWHERE (in person, over the phone, on the roof, under a rock, etc.). If sight-reading was a huge component of your pre-COVID classroom, then do it, but do it differently and in a more engaging way. Arrange a pop-tune (remove the title) within your students’ levels and give it to them. See if they can figure out what it is. Instead of you taking attendance, have the kids do it so you can focus on tuning/fixing instruments and talking with your students. What’s the atmosphere like in your classroom? If you tell a joke, do they laugh? If they tell a joke, do you laugh? Will your kids comfortably take risks and play in front of the group if you ask for a volunteer? I remember when some students kept their screens off during online instruction. I personally always messaged them privately and said I missed them and want to see them more! Over time we built trust and eventually they turned on their cameras. This needs to happen in person.

Remember…

You are a better teacher than before the pandemic, but only if you take the lessons you learned and continue to apply them to your instructional teaching methods in person. As you teach your classes live in front of you, ask yourself a quick question: “If we suddenly went remote, how would I teach this?” Perhaps we are now in an age where things should be able to transfer over more easily, but I think time will definitely show us that. We just have to remember that the kids we have now are different, and we must remain sensitive to their needs.

So...quality over quantity. Instead of performing three pieces, do two really well! Instead of doing a really challenging piece of music, do something a bit easier that will excite your kids and make them feel good about themselves. You can even have your students be a part of the process in selecting music so they feel they have a say in the process. One fun thing I started doing with my elementary students is “Zip Tie Karate.” I got zip ties in many different colors and students earn each color as they complete certain solos/exercises. They can make a chain on their instrument cases and proudly show it off. I got this from a friend and colleague and it works wonders for the students.

One final word of advice: please keep students that are already on your radar (for learning struggles, behaviors, etc.) in the back of your mind, as these are quite often the students who will struggle the most with transitions back to remote learning (should that ever come to pass once again). Remember, our goal is to teach and positively impact all our students and turn them into lifelong learners.

I wish you all the best as we delve into teaching in a very new but exciting way.