Well done ! Scale Duets and Inspiring conversations.

As I start this course , I must firstly affirmed myself that I have what it takes to be a teacher that makes lesson effective and fun.

As I read "Improve Your Teaching" by Paul Harris, there are many factors which encourages me. One example I read today is " There are usually too many variables and unforeseeable conditions to plan each lesson in too muc detail. However it is important to plan your short-, medium-, and long-term objectives : it is essential to know, in general terms, where each pupil is going."

That is exactly what I have been practising in my teaching. However I started asking myself how am I supposed to plan all the activites and methods I have learn from the CT course.

Since my first lesson after the 3 days of intensive CT sessions, I start to implement activities like playing the scales duets with almost every students. I am aware that this is great fun because my students has never practise the boring dull scales in such a interesting way. However I foresee that they will find it boring if playing the scales duets become a routine.

I was inspired on a lesson through a conversation with a student. I was asking her how she feel and she answered " O K Lah " . Instantly, we started scales to the " O K lah" speed. We sang "O K Lah " to every note in the scale. It did not make any sense but it was funny. In such a mood, there is not a single bit of tension. Furthermore, it leaves a deep impression.

The conversation led to she could not sing well as she is having a sore throat. My reply was : Drink lots of fruit juice , Eat lots of fruits. At the next moment, we are chanting that sentence rhythmically. I seized the opportunity to write down the sentence and we continue to chant the rhyme rhythmically. Instantly , I got her to think of what note to use to represent the words such that the rhythm is noted down. She tried to add in quavers, crotchets and minims that result in a different rhythm we chanted. I praised her and show her the rhythm we chanted in wrtten notes and encourage her to spot the similarities and differences.

Another activity we flowed into was playing a minor scale to that rhythm and words .However as there were nine words in that sentence, we played up to the first nine notes in that scale. The focus became familiarising the turning of the scales up to the first nine keys.

While my thoughts just flow on this student and the activites we had, I will proceed to start next lesson with this sentence and rhythm. Composing a melody to the sentence and rhythm is what I will introduce in the next lesson. To complete that, we will work on harmony chords, chord patterns and some musical signs and terms .

Ta-dah ! I am very excited with all these. Conscientiously, I need to keep this going.