I've had no shortage of aspiring musicians in my classes. I've had even more that have been interested enough in forming a bond with me that they share their music and ask me to listen.
Regardless of what generation you grew up on or what your music preferences are, there's value in being curious enough to take a listen.
The kids don't need you to like their music, but they do want you to have an opinion. Tell them it's not for you. Tell them you don't like it. Offer them a song in return. They love musical trades. This is also a great way to solve a common problem among many teachers, headphones in class.
We all know the policy. We all know it drives us nuts. The kids love to try and sneak an earbud in every now and again, but a great way to avoid escalating something small into a huge deal that involves security and admins is to ask to listen to what they're listening to, give an opinion, then tell them to put it away until all the work is completed. I've found that I get much more positive and compliant responses to that than walking up and yanking things out of their ears.
It takes the same amount of time, but it has a very different tone.
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Regardless of what generation you grew up on or what your music preferences are, there's value in being curious enough to take a listen.
The kids don't need you to like their music, but they do want you to have an opinion. Tell them it's not for you. Tell them you don't like it. Offer them a song in return. They love musical trades. This is also a great way to solve a common problem among many teachers, headphones in class.
We all know the policy. We all know it drives us nuts. The kids love to try and sneak an earbud in every now and again, but a great way to avoid escalating something small into a huge deal that involves security and admins is to ask to listen to what they're listening to, give an opinion, then tell them to put it away until all the work is completed. I've found that I get much more positive and compliant responses to that than walking up and yanking things out of their ears.
It takes the same amount of time, but it has a very different tone.
Related Articles:
Eat student food
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