How music educators in Oregon are handling their first year in the classroom

It's interesting because both of you emphasize there...

I mean, so Charles, your term for that was the productive struggle-

It is

... and it, which is may- maybe related to what Brenda was just talking about.

These, these kids in this case-

Yeah

... figuring out this, this rhythm after, you know, after not having figured out before that.

W- um, what does productive struggle mean to you, Charles?

Well, it's, um, it's the journey between not knowing or having some semblance of knowing and that aha moment.

You know, the light bulb, the flash in the pan when the student is just lit up and so excited.

But I love, um, being a guide to those students and showing them along the path, helping, um, identify where we, where we may have messed up a little bit, uh, highlighting the successes.

Just that whole messy process of learning that we all go through whenever we do something new, right?

Hmm.

Brenda, you said that you're now, you've achieved your lifelong dream.

For how long have you wanted to be a music teacher?

I'd say for music it, I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was, uh, probably in like fourth grade, but I knew that I wanted to be a music teacher when I, uh, entered high school.

That was when things started shifting.

I originally wanted to be a dermatologist, then I was like, "Oh, maybe not." [laughs] A lot of schooling.

And then, uh, I step into that choir room in high school, my life changed instantly

instantlyIt, it, it was as dramatic as that? There was, there was an, a moment when your life changed?

Absolutely, yes.

Can you describe it?

Oh, yes, I would love to.

Um, it was my sophomore year of high school.

We were... went on a tour, my ch- the, my high school's chamber choir, to Oregon State University.

It's interesting because both of you emphasize there...

I mean, so Charles, your term for that was the productive struggle-

It is

... and it, which is may- maybe related to what Brenda was just talking about.

These, these kids in this case-

Yeah

... figuring out this, this rhythm after, you know, after not having figured out before that.

W- um, what does productive struggle mean to you, Charles?

Well, it's, um, it's the journey between not knowing or having some semblance of knowing and that aha moment.

You know, the light bulb, the flash in the pan when the student is just lit up and so excited.

But I love, um, being a guide to those students and showing them along the path, helping, um, identify where we, where we may have messed up a little bit, uh, highlighting the successes.

Just that whole messy process of learning that we all go through whenever we do something new, right?

Hmm.

Brenda, you said that you're now, you've achieved your lifelong dream.

For how long have you wanted to be a music teacher?

I'd say for music it, I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was, uh, probably in like fourth grade, but I knew that I wanted to be a music teacher when I, uh, entered high school.

That was when things started shifting.

I originally wanted to be a dermatologist, then I was like, "Oh, maybe not." [laughs] A lot of schooling.

And then, uh, I step into that choir room in high school, my life changed instantly

instantlyIt, it, it was as dramatic as that? There was, there was an, a moment when your life changed?

Absolutely, yes.

Can you describe it?

Oh, yes, I would love to.

Um, it was my sophomore year of high school.

We were... went on a tour, my ch- the, my high school's chamber choir, to Oregon State University.