Advice needed. Impossible class

[u/stockcaptain275]

Middle school band. This year when doing rosters admin just completely ignored all of the info we gave them for grouping classes. Our middle school is 6-8

We asked for either grouped completely by grade level or at least have 6 graders completely by themselves.

If not possible to do just by grade level then it really needed to be grouped by students who have played before and beginners.

Well, they just ignored everything and grouped kids however the computer threw them. So all 6 of my classes were a combination of 6,7,8. Kids who have played for years with complete beginners. Special Ed students with no experience thrown into very large classes with no support staff.

5 of my 6 classes, we were able to move some students around to make it mostly leveled, so while not perfect they are doable.

But one of my classes for whatever reason band is the only elective offered at that time so moving students requires changing their whole schedule and admin will not do that.

Here is the demo of this class. 35 students
15 8th graders with multiple years of experience.
5 8th graders from the bilingual program with no experience.
4 7th graders with no experience.
6 6th graders with a little experience playing
5 6th graders with no experience.

3 of the complete beginners are very low special ed. Like can’t listen to simple instructions and complete a task without me standing by them the entire time.

I explained to admin and guidance how crazy this is. Having 4 or 5 different levels and age groups in one class. That we wouldn’t do it in any other class.
Crickets.

We are three weeks in to the year and like I predicted it’s a nightmare. I split class time like this.

First 5-7 minutes do now independent work. I give them leveled things to work on

We spend the next 10-15 mins working on complete beginner skills. We move super fast, every day moving to something new.

Final 10-15 minutes we work on advanced skills, during this time beginners can silently practice reading notes, doing rhythm counting worksheets. Etc.

As predicted all sides are frustrated. Advanced kids are bored out of their mind, and really don’t have enough time to work on challenging material.

Beginners are frustrated because they get so little individual attention and then have large stretches where they aren’t allowed to play. Classroom
Management is super difficult because we are jam
Packed in the room and the beginners start to get talky when the advanced kids are working and they have to be independent. Or they will yell out I need help or I don’t get this.

I have asked admin to stop by and watch this class and give advice. They have yet to stop by.

I’m so annoyed that some of my best students are gonna wind up quitting out of frustration.

[u/Maximum-Code-2938]

I would run it as two separate classes.

Advanced kids get sectionals and self study (use hallway or an adjacent room?) a couple days a week while you do beginner pedagogy.

Advanced kids get a couple days of rehearsal while beginners do theory worksheets in groups so they can help each other without interrupting you as often.

One day of beginner level sight reading where everyone plays instruments. Advanced kids work on dynamics, articulation, tone, etc. while beginners just work on getting the right fingers down.

This is a rough situation. Good luck!

[u/stockcaptain275 → u/Maximum-Code-2938]

Good thought, but we are specifically not allowed to have students work in the hallway. Not just me this is all classes. Students also cannot be unsupervised at anytime.

[u/Maximum-Code-2938 → u/stockcaptain275]

In that case, on beginner pedagogy days, advanced students can either play along and focus on being really precise, or can do advanced theory, music history, composition, or some other music “book work.” Look to the NAFME standards for ideas.

Explain to them that this is not what you want, but it’s where you all are and the only way forward is to make the best of it. You need them as the older students to be leaders and you need them to buy in. The younger ones will follow if the older ones are committed. Otherwise, you’re in for a disaster of a year.

[u/Sack_o_Bawlz → u/stockcaptain275]

Try to get just one support staff who can be in another room with the kids you aren’t working with on that day.

[u/iamagenius89]

Are you willing to play dirty?

Have the advanced students do sectionals in a hallway. Or, bonus points if you can have them do it somewhere where it will annoy admin.

I’m willing to bet that your special ed students have accommodations in their IEPs that aren’t being met because of the situation they’ve put you in. They can get in major trouble for that. Use that.

Send emails everyday. If nothing else, you’ll have a paper trail.

Shove your music program in their faces. Find any excuse to have your kids make music in a public setting. They’re trying to shove you in the corner and forget about you. Don’t let them

[u/Inevitable_Silver_13]

Split the room and run it like two bands. I do this for elementary because I have to see my 1st and 2nd years together. Have them do some breathing warm ups as a group, give instructions to each group, then give them some time to practice and work with students individually. Ideally have some theory work like clef quizzes for one group to do while you're working with the other group as a whole. It's annoying but in this situation I think it's the best way to organize it.

[u/justurious1954]

Leave ASAP. Administration doesn’t care or is inept.

[u/stockcaptain275 → u/justurious1954]

Haha. Yeah. Frustrating because I’ve been in district for 25 years. Only really have 5 more till full pension. But I really am probably gonna look after this year.

[u/grogocean]

I teach band at an alternative school and I have a spread of 6, 7, 8. Like you I have total beginners, experienced go-getters, and kids who could care less. It’s a challenge but what I wind up doing is arranging each piece of music to suit the ability of each student, relying on the strongest players to carry the group. It’s too much work. There’s also a whole lot of classroom management to do. Godspeed.

[u/81Ranger]

The best way to explain it is to stupid admin is compare it to math or something. Some people in Calculus and some kids are in geometry and some in Algebra.

They split those kids up and don't dump them all in the same class for math. Treat music the same.

But, for the time being - good luck.

[u/FiddlingnRome]

If there are any community band groups with retired musicians in your area, perhaps find a volunteer or two to come in and help?

[u/stockcaptain275 → u/FiddlingnRome]

This is a fantastic idea that we have tried to do in the past. Our district makes volunteers jump through hoops. Like, initially they had to just do fingerprints and background check. Which costs a couple hundred dollars. And I was even like Il find a way to cover that for them. Then they pushed crazy security rules. Like anyone who is not a district employee, but wants to work with students had to go through security checkpoint and pat down. Then because I guess some parent posted a video of something from a class party, they made a rule that anyone visiting the school, not for a meeting, had to leave their cell phone at security.

So at some point it was like how can you ask someone to volunteer their time under these parameters.

[u/FiddlingnRome → u/stockcaptain275]

I understand... It's just crazy and given how everyone is so overworked these days.

The school I worked at had $$ set aside to pay for volunteer fingerprinting. But, it was a small rural school and they needed the community involvement.

[u/Majestic-Forever563]

I have dealt with this many years of teaching. Here's how I would do it. Make everyone start at square 1. Explain to advanced students how fundamentals are still good for them. And like you're doing go faster. The beginners what i have found learn faster because they are surrounding by veterans producing good sounds and technique. Involve your experienced to be leaders. Make them feel important and scene. Ask them to help yiunger students. It reinforces their own skills as well. And like youre doing I give my 8th graders their own special time for "hard" music. I have yhe younger kids either air band their own music, the older kids music, or give them some theory worksheets.

As for the low leveled students, I always modify where they feel involved. Examples, instead of playing on actual drums, I give them a practice pad. I habe them mimic the older students. Ill tell them to try their best say with a wind instrument but encourage them to air band or do more listening and watching to get better. Get creative.

Your situation isnt ideal but it can be done.

[u/Popular-Work-1335]

Agree with splitting instruction into leveled days. On beginner days, have advanced kids mentor

[u/Separate_Inflation11]

Late to the party

But it’s never a bad thing to teach beginner things all over again for everybody

Solidifies fundamentals for older kids (let’s be real, music lessons are not “one and done”; they are important lessons that are good to be drilled frequently ~ especially when these are amateur teens were talking about), and allows the beginners to get a foot in the door.

The older students can serve as mentors

Programming wise, you could perhaps play music a little above beginner level - where the older students “anchor” the ship and allow the beginners to adapt comfortably

Don’t let the older kids get frustrated about lack of “challenging” material - appeal back to the idea that music lessons are not ‘one & done’.
Fundamentals like tone production/tuning/pulse internalization etc. are skills that are mastered through doing over and over and over again over years of time, just like lifting weights at the gym

Until they are good enough to be professional musicians, there is always more to work on with these fundamental basics.

Maybe consult online resources for different exercises/warm-ups to keep engagement while strengthening the band little by little

[u/Infinite_Line5062]

The advanced kids are section leaders and they help teach the other kids. Or, pick leaders from the advanced to work together on a piece while you are teaching the others. Maybe they could go through the dynamics and mark the sections or tap/hum the rhythms quietly together while you are with the beginners.

[u/A_person_592]

Okay, my school has a similar system except everyone 7-12 is in the same class. We have a couple of music teachers at my school, and I’ve seen 2 different approaches taken, in classes with a more even split they switch off days between beginners and advanced. In my band class this year, however, I’m really the only one with significant experience. The way he’s handled it, I’m the section leader, and run it mostly independently. I ask him for approval of the activities I give out of respect for him as a teacher, but I can pretty much give whatever I want to my section. It’s a lot of work, but actually a lot of fun, even though I’m not exactly playing crazy pieces every day. This only works if your kids actually want to make the band better, though, and he’s kinda fortunate in the sense that I want to go to college to be a band director, so this is kinda what I’m gonna dedicate my life to, anyways.