Reading #2 Due 9-15-11

Eisner-Preparing for Today and Tomorrow
I disagree with this article. I believe the best way to teach and prepare students for the future should be based on the past. If students dont know what happened in the past how can they learn from mistakes of others and make a better future. Just ignoring past mistakes is not a good way to go. Mistakes are the greatest learning device, I believe.


Leonard-Qualities that make some directors outstanding
I agree with Leonard when he says that the director must maintain regular contact with every student and and every parent. This way the students will know you care about them and feel more confident. The parents will also know you are interested in how the individual student is doing and you care if they are succeeding. I understand how it is hard to maintain a regular contact with over 100 students if you have a large ensemble or so but even just a simple hello or so as a student passes and asking how they are doing every couple days is sometimes all it takes. I also agree how preparation is a huge thing. If you go into a class not knowing what your doing no student will respect you. Making you lose your authority and losing control in the classroom. I know i would think it would be a huge joke if my teacher came into the class completely unprepared without the score ready. Maybe not knowing what the beat pattern was or not knowing what part had the melody. Just not ready to teach.


Kantorski- Characteristics of a good teacher
I agree with this article. I believe that these are characteristics we see in every great teacher we have all had since we were little. Such as being organized, of course, if you can keep all of your stuff together instead of always loosing things and being all over the place and you can just always know where something is and not waste time your going to just be better off in general. I agree with asking questions that make students think a little more also. I believe anyone can just repeat information but if you can ask them a question to make sure they understand the information you gave to them then you know they really learned what you wanted them to learn.