Planifier l'apprentissage

Transitions in our teaching schedules—as from
institute season to preparing for the upcoming
academic year—are opportunities to plan for
the children and families in our lives. One of the most
common topics of conversation among my colleagues
during these planning phases is “focus” and what
is reasonable to ask of children. This concept first
occurred to me when I began teaching Music Together in
preschools. I remember trying to deliver what I thought
was a well-crafted lesson plan to a room of children who
celebrated Halloween the day before; the best I could
manage was preventing an all-out mutiny.
There are plenty of factors to consider in this conversation
that will be drastically different for each child and family.
Here are some I’ve found to be important.
Consider the importance of play. If an adult’s job is her
work or vocation, then play and experimentation is the
job of a child; it is how they learn and explore the world
around them. If I had arrived at that preschool lesson ten
years ago dressed up as a cowboy ukulele player ready to
party and find the resting tone, would that moment have
turned out differently?
Age is an essential factor that guides our expectation for
children. For example, some of the physical and social
milestones for a toddler between four and five are the ability
to walk up and down stairs without help, copy a triangle
and other shapes, dress and undress independently, share
and take turns (at least most of the time), understand rules
during games, and express anger verbally rather than
physically (most of the time), to name a few. Asking the
student to complete a task must be within the capability of
their development—though we can leave room for them to
surprise us and grow.
The daily routine of a family influences the child from
moment to moment, day to day. What are their sleep habits?
Is their lesson after school? How much homework do they
have? Are their social activities supportive? Distracting?
The age of the child might determine which of the routines
are the biggest priority, but the routine is the vehicle for
progress. During the academic year these routines change
regularly. For years when Halloween falls mid-week,
whether you have lessons or group classes on that day or
think your families may wait until the weekend to celebrate,
do you reschedule in anticipation or do you hold steady
and embrace the learning opportunity? These days I tend

to embrace the joy (play!) of Halloween in group classes by
having a costume party with a variety of goodies, but I make
individual alterations for lessons.
We observe that some children are spirited while the
demeanor of another student might be more subdued.
Is the sarcasm of that pre-teen evidence of resistance or
simply a child exploring his personality? Is the quiet of the
student in front of you evidence of not paying attention or is
she insecure? Children are complex little people, and their
personalities evolve with time. Furthermore, introversion

(gaining energy from being alone) and extroversion (gain-
ing energy from being around other people) may play a part

in cooperation. I often conference with introverted parents
of a spirited child on strategies for maintaining sanity

during diffcult days. The fact of the matter is we all need dif-
ferent considerations to establish balance, yet cooperation

is still possible. Planning ahead may be the greatest asset in
working with differing personalities.
Mood differs from demeanor in that day-to-day activities

can alter a child’s (and our own!) regular disposition. Ner-
vousness is especially common when working with children

and new situations. Moods are typically temporary and may
look different from the “normal” demeanor of the child.
Even though moods are often expressed on the surface, they
can occasionally take root deep within the child. Allow space
for children to be different from their “normal”!
Finally, learning styles may influence the daily learning
of a student, though these aren’t set in stone until later in
life and children often exhibit preferences in more than one
style simultaneously. You may find one style works better
for one teaching moment than another, so present the same
moment in as many different styles as possible. What does
tone look like? Feel like? Sound like?
Try some of these refocusing strategies to start:
Redirect: A light touch, a sound, a wave might be all it
takes to bring a student back to the lesson.
Direct: Do you have a student constantly looking at the
clock? Invite your student to tell you when five minutes has
passed so you can move on to the next activity.
Rearrange: Reposition yourself and your student to catch
them off guard. This is especially helpful if you’re around
structures that are hard to ignore like mirrors.
Trilogue: Discuss the student with his parent within
earshot and come up with a plan.
Be silly: Sometimes just acting silly can invite cooperation.

Follow through: Ending a lesson
early is not a punishment, but be clear
about why. Follow up at the next lesson
and encourage a better outcome.
Silence: A lesson with no talking is
not easy to demonstrate, but it is oh
so enjoyable.
Demonstrate empathy: Hear the
child in front of you—that could be all
they need
Plan ahead: If there is a vacation
coming up or a temporary break in
routine, take the time to develop a new
practice routine for that time period.
Does your child take too long unpack?
Arrive 10 minutes earlier to encourage
her independence.
Being a child is more complex today
than ever, and the inner life of a child
is not always represented on the
surface. When considering all that
influences a child’s day, ask yourself,
“What is the priority?” The person
in front of you may be tired, nervous
about a test, and generally quiet, while
you are well slept, excited to teach,
and ready to interact. Allowing time
in the lesson to vent about a test may
be exactly what is needed to engage
with the child in front of you. Finally,
these are all teachable moments for
both parent and child that no matter
the circumstances, learning can still
take place.