Stop and Go
The first technique I introduce to each class is the concept of “stop” and “go” as far as talking and movement goes in the music room. On a magnetic whiteboard or a chalkboard, I would draw a one foot square box drawn with an S inside with a corresponding one foot box with a G .
The first technique I introduce to each class is the concept of “stop” and “go” as far as talking and movement goes in the music room. On a magnetic whiteboard or a chalkboard, I would draw a one foot square box drawn with an S inside with a corresponding one foot box with a G .
Class actually started before the children arrived at me door. I had already communicated with the classroom teacher that their class was to wait quietly at my door until they heard piano music. Piano music would be their everyday cue to enter the music room while staying in line order.
Before the class ever left their classroom, the teacher had explained to the line leader that she was to wait outside my door until she heard piano music.
My choice for entrance music was usually JS Bach's “Well-Tempered Clavier, book one, prelude one”. As the student line leader led his class into the music room, I would negotiate the children into the room with a finger up to my mouth in a “no talking” pose.
I would not be smiling. I would be standing very close to them, shepherding them as they sat down in single line rows facing the board and the piano in the order that they walked into the room. When the first row was filled, the next person in line was expected to proactively start the next row, which also provided another leadership opportunity for the first kid in every row.
The S and G boxes would already be on the board as well as another one foot square box with the number 10 in it. A magnet was on the S. As soon as the song stopped, I would lead normally the class in our “hello” song. The first class of the year - the golden hour - started differently with me addressing the class.
Amplification
“Good morning and welcome to music class my name is Mr. Holmes.
I would say that in my most broadcaster-appropriate voice into a Shure SM58 mic that was amplified and coming out of two twelve inch speakers on either side of the room.
The sound of my voice was not so much loud as it seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. It sounded official. The kids had never encountered a authoritarian teacher’s voice out of the blue that sounded quite like that and it showed on their faces.
I walked across the front row, pulling my twenty-foot mic run as I spoke.
“I'm going to take a few minutes here to take you through my expectations of the entire year. If you learn this today, we will have a smooth year. I know you will be able to do this, because thousands - and I do mean thousands - of students have accomplished this before you.
On the board you see three boxes. One has a 10, one has an S, and one has a G. The magnet is on the S. The S stands for stop. When the magnet is on the S, you will stop your mouth, hands, feet, and body. Your eyes and mind will keep working, but everything else will stop.
I realize that it's impossible to be quiet for 45 minutes. That's why there is a G box and the G stands for go – for a break. When I move the magnet to the G, you can talk. That doesn't mean you can yell, it doesn't mean you can shout, it doesn't mean you can make any other noises. But you can talk as if you were in a restaurant. I will move the magnet back to the S after your break is over. You will stop talking when you hear the magnet hit the S. If you learn how to do this, you will get brakes, you will get “go” time. If you don't learn this, I will not move the magnet to the G very often for you. No breaks.
If you can’t learn to stop, you will find yourselves staying on stop for longer periods of time. So in just a minute, I'm going to move the magnet to the G. Be ready, because when I'm ready, I'm going to move that magnet back to the G, and my expectation is you will all talk. Let's see how it goes.”
At that point I would move the magnet to the G and look at this class. At this point they look like a little in shock, a bit like an oil painting. They often did not talk.
At that point, I would put a check under the “minus” column and forcefully move the magnet back to S and pointedly say into the mic, “I told you to talk on the G you didn’t talk. My expectation is that if I put the magnet on G, you will talk. If you have nothing to say, turn to the person next to you and say ‘blah, blah, blah” or “yada, yada, yada”. We will try this again.”, at which point, I move the magnet back to the G, ignore them, and walk to the back of the room and my desk.
I wouldn't try to chat them up, smile, be their “buddy”, or interact with them. After about 30 seconds I would walk the twenty feet from my desk tp the board and move the magnet back to the S with a loud slam of the magnet on the board. I would spin around and expect silence which I usually got.
Some classes would have stragglers and I would have to say, “That was slow. You need to be faster - try that again.” And I would move the magnet to the G and again go to my desk. After 30 seconds, I would again move the magnet back to the S. I would usually say something like that was much better.
Occasionally, a child would make a “shhhh” sound as I was walking back to change the magnet. See what happened when they did that in “The Goldern Hour – Stop and Go Part 3."
Before the class ever left their classroom, the teacher had explained to the line leader that she was to wait outside my door until she heard piano music.
My choice for entrance music was usually JS Bach's “Well-Tempered Clavier, book one, prelude one”. As the student line leader led his class into the music room, I would negotiate the children into the room with a finger up to my mouth in a “no talking” pose.
I would not be smiling. I would be standing very close to them, shepherding them as they sat down in single line rows facing the board and the piano in the order that they walked into the room. When the first row was filled, the next person in line was expected to proactively start the next row, which also provided another leadership opportunity for the first kid in every row.
The S and G boxes would already be on the board as well as another one foot square box with the number 10 in it. A magnet was on the S. As soon as the song stopped, I would lead normally the class in our “hello” song. The first class of the year - the golden hour - started differently with me addressing the class.
Amplification
“Good morning and welcome to music class my name is Mr. Holmes.
I would say that in my most broadcaster-appropriate voice into a Shure SM58 mic that was amplified and coming out of two twelve inch speakers on either side of the room.
The sound of my voice was not so much loud as it seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. It sounded official. The kids had never encountered a authoritarian teacher’s voice out of the blue that sounded quite like that and it showed on their faces.
I walked across the front row, pulling my twenty-foot mic run as I spoke.
“I'm going to take a few minutes here to take you through my expectations of the entire year. If you learn this today, we will have a smooth year. I know you will be able to do this, because thousands - and I do mean thousands - of students have accomplished this before you.
On the board you see three boxes. One has a 10, one has an S, and one has a G. The magnet is on the S. The S stands for stop. When the magnet is on the S, you will stop your mouth, hands, feet, and body. Your eyes and mind will keep working, but everything else will stop.
I realize that it's impossible to be quiet for 45 minutes. That's why there is a G box and the G stands for go – for a break. When I move the magnet to the G, you can talk. That doesn't mean you can yell, it doesn't mean you can shout, it doesn't mean you can make any other noises. But you can talk as if you were in a restaurant. I will move the magnet back to the S after your break is over. You will stop talking when you hear the magnet hit the S. If you learn how to do this, you will get brakes, you will get “go” time. If you don't learn this, I will not move the magnet to the G very often for you. No breaks.
If you can’t learn to stop, you will find yourselves staying on stop for longer periods of time. So in just a minute, I'm going to move the magnet to the G. Be ready, because when I'm ready, I'm going to move that magnet back to the G, and my expectation is you will all talk. Let's see how it goes.”
At that point I would move the magnet to the G and look at this class. At this point they look like a little in shock, a bit like an oil painting. They often did not talk.
At that point, I would put a check under the “minus” column and forcefully move the magnet back to S and pointedly say into the mic, “I told you to talk on the G you didn’t talk. My expectation is that if I put the magnet on G, you will talk. If you have nothing to say, turn to the person next to you and say ‘blah, blah, blah” or “yada, yada, yada”. We will try this again.”, at which point, I move the magnet back to the G, ignore them, and walk to the back of the room and my desk.
I wouldn't try to chat them up, smile, be their “buddy”, or interact with them. After about 30 seconds I would walk the twenty feet from my desk tp the board and move the magnet back to the S with a loud slam of the magnet on the board. I would spin around and expect silence which I usually got.
Some classes would have stragglers and I would have to say, “That was slow. You need to be faster - try that again.” And I would move the magnet to the G and again go to my desk. After 30 seconds, I would again move the magnet back to the S. I would usually say something like that was much better.
Occasionally, a child would make a “shhhh” sound as I was walking back to change the magnet. See what happened when they did that in “The Goldern Hour – Stop and Go Part 3."
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