Movie Clips
Clip #1: From Music of the Heart
Clip #1: From Music of the Heart
In this clip from Music of the Heart, Mr. Rausch, a music teacher at a school in East Harlem, is teaching students how to play the recorder. However, he is not really teaching anything. All he is doing is saying certain notes in a monotone voice as his students are playing an exercise. He is not paying to his students at all as he is just evaluating them. He is not providing ways to improve either, he is just going through the motions. I decided to choose this clip as I feel it showcases what not to do as a music educator. As an educator, you are responsible for not only teaching what is a part of the curriculum, but also allow for creativity in the classroom. This in turn will help students grasp onto ideas easier. However, Mr. Rausch is clearly not doing that. I find that this clip showcases problematic teaching as it does not really portray Mr. Rausch as a music teacher, but rather an authority figure who shows little to no concern for his students.
Clip #2: From School of Rock
In this clip from School of Rock, Dewey Finn is trying to get his students in the mood to create a rock song. He states how rock is about “sticking it to the man”, and he goes on to tell his students that he is the man. He makes his students tell him off in order to give them passion and drive to make rock music. After telling him off, they tell Finn things that make them mad, and he improvises a rock song. He eventually gets the students to overcome their anger and tells the things that make them mad to “step off!” Dewey ultimately did all of this after seeing one of his students, Zach, being yelled at and lectured at by his father. I decided to choose this clip because Dewey brings positivity to his students. He is showing them that they can do anything as long as they have the passion for it, and Dewey helps ignite that passion and gives them confidence by engaging the students and giving them creative freedom. I feel that this clip showcases exceptional teaching as it shows what good music educator should be; a creative and passionate individual who doesn’t mind bending the rules if it means helping his students succeed.