I think the prospective teachers have to have something they believe
in to teach - maybe more so than strict body language and imposing
speech technique. I don't think it would be a prefect, or even
necessarily a more perfect world if all the teachers spoke in a
commanding and authoritarian manner. Especially problemmatic is
when they speak in a manner that commands respect, but they don't
have anything good to say. In this case, students sometimes
diligently learn falsehoods.
Teaching, Music Education, whatever - is a very demanding
profession. It is VERY hard to wade through the many different
teaching styles, curriculums, standards, etc and come out with your
own voice - your own set of beliefs, or at least a set of beliefs
you can live with.
Discipline is a HUGE problem. Maybe the reason for this, however,
is that teachers are placed in front of students who don't KNOW
anything. Students that are totally lost, eventually start to
behave poorly.
More important than "commanding respect" is actually teaching the
student something. . . I know some music teachers that command all
kinds of respect from their students and the community, but who seem
to teach their students to YELL all their music. Is this good???
Also, I know of many teachers who get irate when the students don't
enter as suggested "on the third bar of the second stave of page
4." Most of the students have no idea of what the teacher is
talking about - it's not really a matter of disrespect.
Well, back to grading tests. . .
John
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., "drama_diva_au" <drama_diva_au@y...>
wrote:
> >>>>and all my problems stemmed from improper speaking
techniques.<<<<
>
> Improper speaking technique is so easily fixed! It isn't brain
> surgery but it does require a bit of discipline and effort.
>
> Strangely I have had many friends and quite a few students who
> were/are full-time "classroom" teachers. Nearly all have had vocal
> problems of varying degrees sometime in their careers. The three
who
> took the plunge and paid the money to work with a speech therapist
or
> similar vocal professional who taught them how to "use their voice
> properly" I can honestly tell you have never had a days trouble
> since. My own students have had a good deal of success with the
> little I can impart but I do not pretend to be a speech expert, I
am
> first and foremost a singing teacher.
>
> My background invloves full time undergraduate study in both voice
> (at a conservatorium) and later, acting (at University) so I have
had
> both vocal training for singing and speech. It has made all the
> difference for me personally and also the approach I take to my
> students epecially when dealing with vocal problems.
>
> I really feel it is a major fault of education faculties in the
> universities that they don't train their teachers to use their
voice
> properly at undergraduate level. Especially those who don't have
> natural resonance or authority in their tone to start with. When I
> think back, the teachers who engendered immediate respect from the
> class and maintained it, more often than not had resonant voices,
> even if quietly spoken, and an "authoritative" way of speaking.
> (Whatever that means! LOL) For some this must just come naturally,
> and for some others I am sure it can be taught. (Some others still
> will probably just never get it.) When you hear of the discipline
> problems teachers have these days, doesn't it make you wonder
that,
> at the end of their training, if they just haven't got what it
takes
> in their voice and body language, they just shouldn't be graduated
as
> teachers? Ah, for utopia eh? Only in a prefect world. *smile*
>
> Michelle
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