DIANE WINMILL ( CENTRE )
or fear of failure . “ You ’ ll find your way a lot easier than you think ,” he adds .
Being thrown into remote teaching in the way so many have since March 2020 is admittedly daunting , particularly for teachers – whether they ’ re dealing with multiple students or one at a time – who feel their chops using online tools are lacking . If that ’ s the case , Mark Reid , district resource teacher with the Vancouver School Board , advises teachers to remember that , even if it seems difficult , as musicians , you have already developed the skills to cope . “ Music teachers , over many years , have learned how to respond in the moment for students . If you think about what happens in any kind of rehearsal , any kind of class , we ’ re constantly assessing what ’ s going on .”
For her part , Winmill recommends enlisting the help of students . By essentially saying : “ Hey , I want some of you to try this new piece of technology . I have no idea what I ’ m doing yet . Can you help me ?”
“ Don ’ t be intimidated and think you ’ ve got to have it all figured out before you give it to your students because they ’ ll figure it out faster than we can ,” she says . In her experience , asking students to pitch in also heightens their interest . She also recommends connecting in small groups , not only as an opportunity to draw out students who are less likely to engage during inperson classes , but also to increase engagement between students who may not typically engage with each other .
CLASSROOM EDUCATION SURVEY
We surveyed school music teachers across the country to find out how their approach to teaching has changed through the pandemic .
In terms of the amount of time dedicated to music compared to other subjects , is music education :
A longer part of the school day than it was pre-pandemicð ............ 5 %
A similar part of the school day as it was pre-pandemicð .... 79 %
A shorter part of the school day than it was pre-pandemicð .......... 16 %
How do you feel about your and your students ’ well-being considering the safety parameters and policies set in your area ?
Very safeð ......................................... 15 % Somewhat safeð ............................ 75 % Not very safeð .................................. 10 % Very unsafeð ...................................... 0 %
How optimistic are you about being able to consistently engage students through music considering these new parameters ?
To what degree have you had to adapt your lesson plans and / or curriculum to adhere to these new parameters ?
Significantlyð .................................. 85 % Somewhat significantlyð .............. 15 % Not very significantlyð .................... 0 % Not at allð ............................................ 0 %
Very optimisticð ................................ 5 % Somewhat optimisticð ................. 45 % Not very optimisticð ...................... 50 % Not at all optimisticð ........................ 0 %
52 CANADIAN MUSICIAN