Block begins the introduction of his book by saying the following: "The need to create a structure of belonging grows out of the isolated nature of our lives, our institutions, and our communities...The essential challenge is to transform the isolation and self-interest within our communities into connectedness and caring for the whole."
I especially enjoy the way Block describes pulling away focus from self-interest and turning attention to the whole. He outlines ways to break through this barrier and create community in his book "Community: The structure of belonging." Ways to bring this focus into the classroom are by forming small groups where the individual can be cherished and understood, and by focusing on possibilites and gifts rather than problems.
Laray M. Barna- Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication
In Barna's article, he outlines basic forms of communication, from looks and judging on ethnicity to Darwin's theory asserting "that facial expressions are universal." Barna makes some very interesting connections in looking into why people are so misunderstood: "One answer to the question of why misunderstanding and/or rejection occurs is that many people naively assume there are sufficient similarities among peoples of the world to make communication easy. They expect that simply being human, having common requirements of food, shelter, security, and so on, makes everyone alike. Unfortunately they overlook the fact that the forms of adaptation to these common biological and social needs and the values, beliefs, and attitudes surrounding them are vastly different from culture to culture. The biological commonalities are not much help when it comes to communication, where we need to exchange ideas and information, find ways to live and work together, or just make the kind of impression we want to make."
This is an interesting concept. It implies that we cannot just assume "everyone in my choir likes music and being happy and laughing so I just need to cater to that." A deep connection and true communication does not come from covering people with a blanket statement. You must truly get to know each person and what makes them tick. For instance, I grew up in a culture where all I had to do was smile and say hello to everyone I knew or passed by, and all was well with the world. People liked me and I liked them, and we would only get past the hello and into a deeper conversation every once in a while. Now I find myself in a situation where many people find that to be fake and off-putting. I was applying a blanket "smile at them and they will feel comfortable around you" when that is not always the case. And that is what keeps many teachers on one side of the bubble and students on the other; the teacher keeps trying the same tactics, and blames the students for not understanding her. Such a teacher shakes her head and wonders why her 3rd grade class is reacting differently than last year's class did to the same material taught the same way. And yet therein lies the problem: she is teaching it the same way to a completely different set of students. We cannot do this, in the same way that we cannot say, "we all need shelter, food, and sleep, therefore we are all the same."
This is an interesting concept. It implies that we cannot just assume "everyone in my choir likes music and being happy and laughing so I just need to cater to that." A deep connection and true communication does not come from covering people with a blanket statement. You must truly get to know each person and what makes them tick. For instance, I grew up in a culture where all I had to do was smile and say hello to everyone I knew or passed by, and all was well with the world. People liked me and I liked them, and we would only get past the hello and into a deeper conversation every once in a while. Now I find myself in a situation where many people find that to be fake and off-putting. I was applying a blanket "smile at them and they will feel comfortable around you" when that is not always the case. And that is what keeps many teachers on one side of the bubble and students on the other; the teacher keeps trying the same tactics, and blames the students for not understanding her. Such a teacher shakes her head and wonders why her 3rd grade class is reacting differently than last year's class did to the same material taught the same way. And yet therein lies the problem: she is teaching it the same way to a completely different set of students. We cannot do this, in the same way that we cannot say, "we all need shelter, food, and sleep, therefore we are all the same."
Expectations
Nearly everyday, I will hear a choir director claim we need to focus, connect, and listen. The shift to attentiveness does not happen all the time, and it certainly does not happen all at once. Yet if such a feeling of connection does not happen at a high-gear music school, how much less frequent will it be in a public school setting?
And while my teachers do give their all, I feel as though becoming disengaged is not a one-way activity at the grade-school level. Both the teacher and the student become apathetic, remaining in their separate bubbles throughout the entire class period, and never sharing a moment of connection or deep personal understanding.
Teaching and learning music is already difficult as it is. We already live in an impersonal world as it is. We must connect with the children we teach;if not us, who? It is our job.
And while my teachers do give their all, I feel as though becoming disengaged is not a one-way activity at the grade-school level. Both the teacher and the student become apathetic, remaining in their separate bubbles throughout the entire class period, and never sharing a moment of connection or deep personal understanding.
Teaching and learning music is already difficult as it is. We already live in an impersonal world as it is. We must connect with the children we teach;if not us, who? It is our job.
Psychology
A choral director whom I deeply respect once said the following to me: "Hands down, the most important thing I did for my teaching career was getting my masters in psychology. The level of understanding is invaluable."
She truly saw how barriers could be broken down in the classroom, and she was able to connect with students individually and as a group. This enabled her to know what was going on with each student, what their story was. She then became intensely perceptive, and could tell the mood of the class and the individual on a daily basis. She would stop in the middle of a song, and have us stretch, sigh, or change songs completely based on this perception.
What better way to define "the third bubble"? What better way to achieve focus and connection in a choir?
She truly saw how barriers could be broken down in the classroom, and she was able to connect with students individually and as a group. This enabled her to know what was going on with each student, what their story was. She then became intensely perceptive, and could tell the mood of the class and the individual on a daily basis. She would stop in the middle of a song, and have us stretch, sigh, or change songs completely based on this perception.
What better way to define "the third bubble"? What better way to achieve focus and connection in a choir?
"Beyond the Bubble: Teaching and Learning"
http://www.biconews.com/?p=6571
When you hear success stories of underprivileged children being exposed "to the wide world around them" that is "beyond the bubble" the focus is on the student. There is no talk of the teachers coming out of their bubble, and in effect we are never sure what students are being liberated from. People are always quick to label others but not evaluate themselves. Let me let the student out of their bubble and introduce them to MY world. But what about their worl..oh wait.
Also in this article it is mentioned that one of the main difficulties in teaching is understanding people. To reach this goal, and to truly know our students, we must reach out to them, and dissolve that barrier.
When you hear success stories of underprivileged children being exposed "to the wide world around them" that is "beyond the bubble" the focus is on the student. There is no talk of the teachers coming out of their bubble, and in effect we are never sure what students are being liberated from. People are always quick to label others but not evaluate themselves. Let me let the student out of their bubble and introduce them to MY world. But what about their worl..oh wait.
Also in this article it is mentioned that one of the main difficulties in teaching is understanding people. To reach this goal, and to truly know our students, we must reach out to them, and dissolve that barrier.
inside the Bubble
I recently heard an idea that went something like this: there are 3 circles (or bubbles, for our purposes) that a performer has. One around themselves, the second with their accompanist, and the third bubble is them and the classroom or audience. This simple thought evokes a visual that could sum up my ideas of "bad teaching." In this situation the teacher is not connected with the students, but is obsessed with selfish reasons, making excuses, or are simply not in tune with the attitude of the room and what the students need. They are not listening hard enough, not connecting. They are literally "in a Bubble."
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