CJMS Secondary Observation

I began my observation of the CJMS orchestra having already heard some of the classroom descriptions spoken of in class. As Becky and I entered the classroom we made small talk with Mrs. Van Zee, joking jovially about not bringing her coffee. I took in my surroundings: inspirational signs and rules on the walls, designated spots of folders and instruments, and chairs/stands ready to be arranged and used the incoming students. Mrs. Van Zee moved to set up the rooms behind the two internal doors so that they could be used by the students for playing tests that day. I do not remember the pieces used that day, but I certainly remember the playing test structure, as I was most struck by it. After assembling the students and reminding them of the structure for playing tests, Mrs. Van Zee instructed the principles to go in to the two rooms to take their playing tests. From that point students were allowed to enter as they felt comfortable into the designated areas to take their playing tests. While I do like this setup, in general, for playing tests, I can see the problems that may arise. It can be difficult to ensure that all students take the test, as teacher attentions can be divided among the remaining students. Furthermore, given that the recording device is at the student disposal, there can be no telling how many times a student plays through a piece, recording over their previous entry, to improve their score. Finally, if a student does not follow the prescribed procedures and forgets to state their name, then it could be very difficult to tell who performed during that particular selection, and thus grading may be difficult. I like the thought of keeping the classroom running during playing tests, but I would love to figure out how to keep the tests supervised to ensure student honesty and that all procures are accurately followed.