Controlling Events Games
Found in: Practicing & Playlists
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
There are some very simple games students can use at home. I used to use these when I taught traditionally and realized these could work really well with Simply Music, especially in driving home the point about CTE. Sometimes we spend a few minutes in class with this so they (especially parents) see how it works. The easiest is tic-tac-toe.
1. Pick a very small problem section of a piece (1 or 2 measures) – arrangements are great for this, or a new section you are teaching.
2. Start a tic-tac-toe game on your white board.
3. Student plays the target section. If he plays flawlessly, he gets to place an X on the tic-tac-toe board. If he makes any mistakes, the teacher gets an O. Keep repeating the target section until someone “wins”.
Other variations – 2 students playing each other, all students round-robin style play the teacher, student plays parent.
The amazing thing is to watch how carefully they play through the section – just like we always encourage them to do – slowly, right the 1st time – but they just do it automatically without me saying a word, because they want to win the point.
Afterwards I point this out to the students and parents, and we talk about how what they were doing is exactly what I mean by controlling the events. It’s always a fun, friendly competitive spirit, and the kids just love it. By the time we’re finished, they know that target section.
I only spend class time on this to teach about CTE, or to demonstrate to students a fun twist they can use during their practice time at home. I encourage parents to be involved in it.