A Reflective Lens: Music Pedagogical Research to Transform Practice

Becoming a Reflective Practitioner: A Music Teacher’s Exploration of Singing Games ○ Pupils had enough musical sense to know what fits in doesn’t fit. (Evidence from video and literature review) ○ Transcripts and notations • Pupils do not necessarily start from where they are stuck, they start from the beginning. • Pupils really enjoyed the lesson Teacher’s Reflection: Lesson 10 • Pupils enjoy the movement and the games • They are not used to creating different sounds on their own but with more exposure it will be easier • They like to be able to lead the class and play “follow the leader games” • More stable in their hand signs and intervals do-mi-so • Able to discern higher and lower pitches (not sure whether they learnt to read my visual cues). Some are good at hearing. E.g. Pupils Am and A • Pupils have learnt discipline to observe the game and imitate “air” play before they actually embarked on it • Whole song approach did work eventually with the Y • Song is nonsensical and does not really have a flow. Rather difficult to remember. • Group work engages them in problem solving. Most children cannot be on task when they are in groups of 4 to work through the game as they distract each other. • Teachers should consider vocalising the ‘Y’ as an ‘um’, so as to get pupils to view that ‘Y’. As recommended by mentor. Teacher’s Reflections: Lesson 11 • Based on mentor’s suggestion to vocalise the ‘Y’, it enables more accuracy in singing of the song • Also suggested by mentor, to use a familiar tune to incorporate the 4 person clapping game would be easier for them to work through the pattern of the clapping game • Dynamics is very important in the engagement of pupils activities ○ At Primary 3: - Some group dynamics as still not working well (E.g. Pupils Y, HY, I, C.) - Some group dynamics are okay (natural leaders and actual followers) - (E.g. Pupils KH, AM, Yf, Sn) - (E.g. Pupils LU, A, T, B) • Pupils are musically intuitive: banana – pineapple, papaya (only one group changes to mangle that was able to change the rhythm as well) (due to media exposure) • Pupils like to be able to showcase what they have come up with • Some pupils think deeper than just the surface discussion (Pupil Am’s group: polar bear discussion) • Pupils like the challenge: erasing the words of the lyrics 107

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