New Students, New Challenges: The Beauty of Being Open-Minded

As usual, I'm going to start this post off with an anecdote that inspired me with this topic.

Last night, my husband and I excitedly binged Season 2 of Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you're a rabid fan of the OG series like me, you're either nodding or cringing at this moment. It's certainly polarizing.

I'll be honest, I really like this adaptation. Watching it makes me feel like a 12-year old in 2005 again, and some of the new additions to the story are really fun. If you have never seen the original show, you should watch both the animated and live action, if not just to get two slightly different takes on one amazing fictional universe.

Is it better than the original? Absolutely not. Never is with these things.

Is it okay, even good or enjoyable in its own right? Yes!

Now, here's where the topic of this post comes in. After watching it, as smartphones do, my phone picked up on our evening activities and magically my doom-scrolling algorithm was filled with content and public reactions about the new season. I've inhabited the internet for quite some time in my young age, and even I was shocked at the sheer volume of crazed vitriol that this ATLA adaptation was bringing about.

Not just "I don't like it because XYZ", but ripping everything from the casting and the writing to acting choices and personal attacks on the actors themselves. Not organized, logical critiquing, but bitter and nearly hateful commentary on anything they could think of. It doesn't seem to be enough to have their own opinion any more, but they also need to go after people who feel differently.

My husband felt the same unease at this wild negativity, and we had an interesting discussion about how much spare time I would need to be so public and cruel about my opinions on a children's tv show.

So what does this have to do with music? Well, the trend where we love to get on social media and join the bashing band wagon is a trend I see more and more with my students and even my colleagues. Moreover, instead of it being social media, they've become comfortable saying these things in public to people's faces. Instead of tv shows, it's anything from drum corps videos to the newest piece of music released on Steve Weiss. It's not uncommon to see my students huddled around a phone and trash-talking whatever musical content comes across their quick-flying feed. I'd also be lying if I said I hadn't laughed and made fun of something I didn't agree with casually in conversation once or twice with my husband. It feels like society is starting to popularize it because it generates content and interaction. In cases with influencer culture, we've even monetized it. How crazy is that?

My opinion here is that as artists, we as a whole are starting to become way too comfortable with letting it fly when it comes to dismissing things that make us uncomfortable. As a teacher, I'm aware that my students are only as good as the example they're given, and I have tried to recently devote more time to convincing my students to not just be more open minded about the content they interact with, but also to be more aware of how they interact with their fellow people in the real world.

In order to be a successful artists, we must be open to change, creativity, and new forms of art, as well as compassionate and empathic people.

Below, I'm going to share some of my observations and strategies to curb these new trends and promote a healthier culture amongst our students.

Understanding and Calling It As We See It

I'm sure I am not the only teacher these days who is somewhat troubled by the amount of negativity coming from the younger generation. I don't just mean hating homework or not wanting to practice, but the constant reactions to anything that doesn't fit the popular norm.

A fellow student acting a little dorky (as we all do)? "That's cringe, bro, yikes."

Somebody likes something that you don't like? "It's fine bro, just tell me you don't have standards."

Assigned a piece of music or an assignment you don't understand? "That's cheeks dude I should get to do things I want since it's my degree".

If you ask me, I think it's less about the younger generation wanting to act this way, and it's more about societal trends and lack of coping skills. In the midst of wanting every student to succeed, in many ways, the school system has completely eliminated necessary adversity. Many younger students simply haven't been trained to cope with normal struggles, and by the time they reach college, the idea of heavy emotional accountability with difficult decisions is nearly unbearable. Emotional regulation is at an all time low after being so chronically online, and we've forgotten how to treat those around us whether they're friends or not.

As a teacher, I have found one of the best strategies is that when I'm in the presence of this, shut it down immediately, no questions asked. And not just "you shouldn't do that", but question the action itself. Go back to the first grade golden rule spiel, and you might be surprised how they react. If students see that the people they look up to find this behavior really embarrassing and shameful, they quickly become more thoughtful when it comes to their actions,

Many people fold immediately when asked if they realized how hurtful they might be, or why they feel like it's not enough to have their own opinion, but to tear other people down too. More often than not, they realize they have no reason, and most students have come around to understanding and even apologizing, followed up by wanting to be better people.

My takeaway here is that this new, rabid behavior we've been pushed into isn't natural, and most students don't seek to do it on purpose. It has just become so common place in media and real life that it feels natural, yet feeds on our emotional health. It's our job as teachers not just to jump down people's throats, but guide them in ways that aren't always listed in the syllabus.

Replacing Negativity with Positivity

This has been a really difficult one for me this year. In both high school and college,

my students have been more prone to wanting to give up and trash-talk themselves than ever before. And when we are all in the thick of it right before concert season or finals, it can be really hard to get them not to check out on me. I'm not a professional behavior expert, but I'd also put money on the idea that teacher burnout stems in majority from having to put even more of ourselves in than ever before to compensate for our students struggling to show up emotionally/mentally.

One strategy that has worked well for me is instead of getting mad or frustrated with them (because they're already in that place), is to help them deconstruct it, or poke holes in their flawed logic. Typically when my students call themselves "idiots" or say "I'll never get this", I outright ask them why they feel like an idiot. More often than not, the answer is "it's hard". Once they can admit that, they'll be open to just about anything.

I explained to one student this semester than yes, four mallets is hard, but the common person off the street can't read music, let alone hold two mallets. We're holding four! Even then, it would take a person years to get to the level my students are currently at, even if they are struggling. This can be hard, and you can also be talented. Both can be true. By the time I point out "Oh yeah, the audacity to struggle with something that's actually really freaking hard", they're usually giggling. And then, if nothing else they have found just enough hope to go practice for a week, and come back and try again next week.

One of the toughest parts of teaching right now is accepting most of the time these days, we just need to get week to week, and we'll tackle it as it comes.

Building Tolerance to Adversity

This one is more aimed towards college but can apply to high school too. I find this to be most difficult when my students are at an age where they are living on their own for the first time or at least can't get help from their parents when it comes to academic responsibilities.

What really blew my mind is when my husband and I stopped to think about how the lives of our students are much different than when we grew up. Most of us millenials held jobs in high school and college, drove ourselves around, and were likely facing the imminent moving into our first dorm around the age of 18. Due to the state of the world, my students have trouble finding even one job, often haven't had the luxury of owning or even sharing a car, and have likely had the secret privilege of literally not being able to fail in school. On top of this, public school students are currently living in the age where evaluation of "student satisfaction" in the classroom is at an all-time high. The odds that they might have come into contact with something that challenged their sensibilities are shrinking by the day.

If I have an idea of something that will make waves amongst my students, I'm absolutely going to bring it to them. As teachers, one of the most valuable things we can do is gently and responsibly push the pressure points we sense in our studio culture. This also bleeds over into how I assign parts. There is a time for excelling the things we're good at, and a time to learn essential skills under pressure. My students have slowly learned to appreciate this, especially as percussionists. Fear of being bad at something is quickly replaced by the freedom to ask for anything they want once they develop confidence.

So . . . What Is The Takeaway?

From all sides, we are being told that teaching these days is harder than ever, and it's true. We enjoy commiserating on social media, especially with the rise of feel-good, comedic teacher influencers blowing off steam. However, while this is all in good cathartic fun, it's important to remember that we didn't become teachers to hate our students. We did it because we love them more than anything in the world, and in the midst of societal struggle, we need to learn how to care for ourselves while also reaching out a hand.

For the students reading this, give your teachers a chance. It might not feel like it, but we're in your corner more than ever, and the stress of the world is on all of us. Take a breath and think of ways to check in on your friends and your mentors instead of leaning into division, no matter how popular it seems.

For the teachers, when you feel like giving up, remember that the frustration you're feeling from your studio or your ensemble is rarely intentional. Constantly be thinking of ways to challenge your students (healthily) and lead them down the high road.

We'll all thank each other later.