nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminI have an issue with students feeling that they are able to miss jazz band rehearsals in the morning before school whenever they feel like it. Since it is an extra curricular activity, it is not for a grade. I currently have a policy that if they miss a certain amout of rehearsals unexcused, they will not be able to play on the next concert. Any thoughts?
nafmeadminI would remind them that without their attendance, you don’t have a band. Everyone depends on everyone else to sound good. I would tell them that if they have one more unexcused absence, they are out of the band–period. And you’ll get someone else to take their place.
nafmeadminI would work hard with your administration to try to get it to be an elective and not an extra curricular. All the jazz bands I performed in had rehearsals before or after school and they were still an elective, graded class. That is your best bet and than you have at least something to hold them to. I have the same problem with my 5th grade group band so I am not saying that making it a class will make the problem disappear.
If you can’t do that I would say snedekerj has a good suggestion, just make sure to write out the policy change and have everybody sign it so you are covered.
nafmeadminI have a similar problem with my before-school ensembles, and was lucky to get my school to agree to put the class on the students’ report cards as a half-credit elective as a “zero period” – it doesn’t effect their GPA much, but parents and high schools do see it. I’m still responsible for following up with attendance as the school won’t track it for me, but I do have the students sign a course description that very clearly lays out the attendance policy. Even getting it on their report card as a pass/fail class would probably help too!
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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