This Is Your Hammer

THIS IS YOUR HAMMMER

When I was a young boy, I wanted to learn how to help Dad with some of his projects. He said the first thing he would teach me was how to hammer nails. So he got out some scrap wood, a box of nails, and a smaller hammer. He showed me how to hammer a nail, step by step, and demonstrated a few times. Then he asked me to try one. He coached me through the process slowly, so I wouldn’t hurt myself. My initial attempts were pretty bad, but with some pointers and guidance, I got better. Once I had done a few nails on my own successfully, Dad said, “OK, son - you’ve got the hang of it. I’m going to go do some other things, but you stay here and fill the board all the way down with nails. Go slowly and you’ll get it. And from now on, son - this is YOUR hammer.”

This is how we must approach teaching concepts to our students. We show them the how and why as we demonstrate. We guide them through the process, slowly at first, as we help them move from ignorance to competence. Then, once mastery has been achieved, we must let the students know that THEY are now responsible for success with the concept. We show them how the hammer works, we make sure they can use the hammer, and then we must give them the hammer. “This is YOUR hammer.”

Choir Bites Interactive Slides can enhance online/hybrid lesson plans or be used as supplemental assignments. Your singers’ awareness will rise as they engage with these simple, “sticky” concepts! Click here to learn more! 

When we routinely message that students are responsible for new concepts and techniques they have studied, it breeds a sense of ownership and accomplishment. Those who are good with tools own a lot of them, and can make or fix about anything. So it is with musicians with a wide knowledge base and solid technique. It’s up to us as directors to constantly bestow higher levels of trust and responsibility to our singers.