Clinician Name(s): Marsha Hartwein, Susan Waters
Clinic Title: Herding Cats: A Guide For Classroom Management in the Middle School Band Room
Clinic Synopsis: Herding Cats, an old southern expression, describes the difficulties of trying to guide cats to a specific place. Their nature makes this effort frustrating and futile. What does this have to do with middle school band? There are interesting and humorous comparisons. Middle schoolers are often ruled by fleeting emotions. Individual dramas can take valuable time away from rehearsal. However, middle school students are enthusiastic, creative, talented, and capable of amazing things once "herded."
What is the target audience for this clinic? all middle school band/orchestra teachers regardless of experience level
What will the audience take away from this clinic? Audience members will take away proven successful strategies in classroom management that will enable them and their students to focus on musicianship.
What is included in the handout? Our handouts include samples of assessments, suggestions for supporting a "positive" classroom environment and guidelines for effective use of rehearsal time.
Is there anything else you would like attendees to know about this clinic? The Herding Cats clinic will provide classroom management techniques that are proactive, rather than reactive, leaving more "quality time" for developing musicianship. We will discuss strategies in classroom management that will help circumvent logistical and discipline problems.
Biographical Information: Marsha Hartwein and Susan Waters currently teach in the Metropolitan Nashville School District which supports a very culturally diverse population of about 75,000 students. Both clinicians are very passionate about educating middle school bands, but each has a common thread of high school band experience. Both clinicians have spent about half of their careers in rural school systems and ironically enough find themselves in an urban school district facing unique challenges. Hartwein and Waters together have over five decades of teaching experience within Kentucky and Tennessee and are frequently sought after as adjudicators, clinicians and guest conductors. Their bands consistently receive superior ratings at all district and state assessments events and have multiple performances at National and State Music Educators Conferences.