Patrick Hait
Approach to Classroom Management 

            One of the necessary attributes of being an effective teacher is having the ability to maintain control over your classroom.  Every teacher that I come in contact with has his own way to affect control over his classroom.  Some teachers have posters explaining the class rules, while others run their class in a quasi-militaristic style.  Some of these classes are run in a manner in which the teachers profess and the students absorb information.  I prefer to run my classes in a somewhat different fashion.

            Currently, I am teaching in a fourth grade instrumental music program in Central Islip, New York.  Over the course of one week I teach twenty-seven small group lessons ranging from three to eight students per class.  I also teach three large group band rehearsals with approximately seventy-five students.  As one would imagine, my approach to classroom management differs greatly between the small group lessons and the large group rehearsals.

            I believe that there has to be open communication between the student and the teacher to ensure the greatest student success in the small group lesson environment.  In my experience, this is quite different from the way in which the students’ regular classrooms are run.  Within the first few weeks of instruction, I teach the students the routine of putting their instrument together and warming up by playing long, soft tones on their instrument.  As I teach the students new musical skills from week to week, I also teach them what I feel to be one of the most important skills they will ever learn.  While I foster open interpersonal communication between the members of the group, I also cultivate bilateral respect between all of the groups’ members.  I feel that once a student becomes accustomed to treating others with respect, the necessity of a detailed list of classroom rules becomes less important.

            The communicative classroom environment that is set up lends itself nicely to musical development.  As the students attain and refine technical ability, other students in the class can hone their own listening and auditory discrimination skills.  Part of the common practice in the small group lesson includes commentary from students about their peers’ performance.  It is important for the teacher to keep this commentary under control, but as students build their vocabulary as they critique their peers, a great amount of learning takes place for everybody in the class.  Once again, one of the only rules that I tend to focus on in the small group lesson is the word respect.  I have found great success using this technique.

            Along with reinforcing the issue of respect in my teaching, I focus on taking responsibility for one’s actions.  During the later stages of the recruitment process, I speak to each of the fourth grade classes and explain that joining the band is a choice and a privilege.  Furthermore, all of the choices that students make from day to day can affect their continued participation in the group.  If the students choose to not bring their instruments in on their lesson day, there will be consequences.  I explain that if they choose to stop practicing their instrument, they are choosing to not be part of the group.  [Policy letters and other materials can be found at the end of this document.]

            Within the environment of the seventy-five student large group band rehearsal, my approach to classroom management is quite different.  As an instrumental music teacher, one of the great tools that I have at my disposal is the fact that every student has an instrument that they can put on their mouth to prevent them from speaking.  As a new teacher, within my first few band rehearsals, I realized that this cannot be the focus of my entire management plan.  As the nine-year-old students are sitting on a small stage with seventy-four of their best friends, it is not in their nature to sit quietly.  The students must learn, however, that their silence in this setting is essential to the musical development of the group.  I explain to the students that the manner in which we behave on stage must be different from how we behave in the small group lesson.  While we are on stage, I do the best I can to enforce a zero tolerance behavior policy.  If I notice a student speaking with one of his friends, I make it clear to the student using eye-contact that his behavior is inappropriate.  If that does not work, I escalate the matter to the degree that is necessary to affect a change in the students’ behavior.

            Instead of creating a set of hard and fast rules, I tend to rely on building the students’ sense of respect and responsibility.  I find that the relying on a students’ conscience and their understanding of the rules is very effective. 

Patrick Hait's approach to classroom management can be opened or saved as a Microsoft Word document by clicking or right-clicking on this link.

In my second year of teaching elementary instrumental music, I proposed to the music department that I plan a field trip.  This field trip would entail bringing the entire fourth grade band to observe a High School band rehearsal.  I thought that it was very important that my students see a true rehearsal rather than a performance.  This would give my students the opportunity to see the level at which they would be performing as they progress through the music department.  This trip was a huge success.

Another important outcome of this trip, perhaps the most important outcome, was that my students got to see how the older group behaved in the rehearsal setting.  As I teach the fourth grade students in the large group rehearsals, I ask them to refer to the behavior of their older counterparts.

The students answered the following questions during the High School band rehearsal.

The following documents are handed out during the early weeks of the band program.  They deal with how I expect the members of the band to behave and the amount of time and dedication that the student is expected give to the program.

Central Islip Union Free School District
Andrew T. Morrow Elementary School
Music Department 

November 15, 2005

Dear Parents and Young Musicians,

In an effort to keep you more informed I am enclosing this letter which informs you of the Music Money Reward System and the 5 Strike System which will be implemented for the 2005-2006 school year.

Music Money Reward System

Your child will be participating in the music money reward system.  Every time that your child comes to their band lesson with their instrument, folder, music, signed practice journal and has practiced at least five days, they will receive 1 Music Money Dollar Bill which is redeemable as follows:

            1 Dollar redeemable for a Candy Box Prize
            4 Dollars redeemable for a Treasure Chest Prize

Dollars may also be given out for exceptional behavior, acts of kindness or responsibility.

5 Strike System

Each student begins with 0 strikes.  Every time they forget their instrument for Band Rehearsal or Lessons, or decide not to come to lessons, they will get a strike on the chart and will receive the associated consequences.  Please note, if your child forgets their instrument five times they will not be allowed to participate in band.

            Strike 1 – Warning
            Strike 2 – Warning + Letter Sent Home / Call Home
            Strike 3 – 1 Day of recess detention + Letter Sent Home / Call Home
            Strike 4 – 1 Day of recess detention + 2 Page Report + Letter Sent Home / Call Home
            Strike 5 – Due to the students’ apparent lack of interest, he or she will no longer be
                            allowed to participate in band and will have to return their instrument.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through the main office or via email: [email protected].

Sincerely,
Mr. Hait

Permission Slip for Participation in the Andrew T. Morrow Band 

Student Section

I (student name)                                     understand that with the privilege of being in band comes responsibility.  These responsibilities are as follows:

• I understand that joining band is a choice and a privilege.  If I choose not to behave myself, I will not be allowed to continue in the band program.
• Even though I am in band, I am still responsible for keeping my grades up in my regular classroom.  I also understand that I always have to be well behaved in all of my classes in order to continue to participate in band.
• I am responsible for my instrument, music, method books, pencil and band folder.  I also have to be at all lessons with all of my materials.
• I will not let anyone else play my instrument.
• I understand that I am required to practice my instrument for a minimum of 5 days per week and that failure to do so will result in detention or removal from the band program.
• I know that if I forget my instrument five times I will no longer be allowed to participate in the band program.
• I know that I am required to be at all rehearsals and lessons with my instrument, books, music, folder and pencil.

Student Name (Please Print):                                                                                                   
Student Signature:                                                                                                                    

Parent Section

I (parent name)                                      understand that band is a fun, exciting and educational experience for my child and that being in band means I also have more responsibilities as a parent:

• My child is responsible for their instrument, music, method books and band folder.
• I understand that my child is required to practice a minimum of five days a week and that failure to do so will result in detention or removal from the band program.
• I know that if my child forgets his or her instrument five times, they will no longer be allowed to participate in the band program.
• I know that I am required to be at the concert on May 23, 2006 unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Parent/Guardian Name (Please Print):                                                                          
Parent/Guardian Signature: