Why was this the lesson that I chose to tape as my presentation? Why did I feel it was necessary to reteach rhythms to this, my intermediate class. First, I want to say, they were more mature than they were at the beginning of the year when I reviewed this content for them. They were very antsy shallow thinkers last year, and if I had my 8th graders, whom I thought I would have seen today, they would have had deep questions for me, showing me their thought process has expanded. It is true, my 8th graders, even new students, grasp concepts better than the youngest members, the 6th grade. Let me tell ya though, this group of 6th graders that have had strings in elementary school and have come to middle school orchestra highly recommended by their strings teachers, will be a tremendous force in the orchestra as 8th graders. I am already planning on next year's festival musical selections.
There is no way I could have ignored the fact that the older students needed me to reteach the lesson on the eighth notes and other rhythms. Really, what I was able to record barely scratches the surface of the things I needed to and did cover. The students needed to slow things down to focus. The 6th graders have not had the true proper benefit of my classroom instruction in theory, because I have been so pressured to GET THEM PLAYING. Of course, any dynamic teacher will teach notes values and placements, but an exemplary teacher breaks it down and divides the class into learning stations, and balance theory and practical.
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