My flute students (and some trupets) in band are always acting...well...stupid. Do any of you people know how I can "crack the whip on them". I have tried things like detention and it doesnt work! HELP ME!
<3 you all
Jessica

well jess, they`re flute players so unless you give them something incredibly difficult (thinking mendellsohn`s scherzo (sp on his name)) and let them work on that, i don`t know any other way. OR you could take away they`re position and move them down a chair. so basically give everyone 2nd and picc parts until they start acting proper! we love the 1st part and will kill to have it. we ARE flute players you know?

best of luck!

hide their instruments and tellt hem that they get 0 on their course (if it`s a course) if they can`t find their instruments by the end of the semester. they won`t be fooluing around b/c their busy finding their instruments... hahaha...

kidding. constantly make fun of them for being so lazy. call them stupid infront of the class... or do it in a less obvious but still funny way. and umm.. throw chalk. haha.. i`d love to see my band director do that...

I am a 3RD year flute player and I enjoy every minute over. Every band, especially concert band, should be forced to have some kind of discipline. If you have to kick them out of the class they will know that you mean business. Give them something to do such as learn their scales (chromatic,Ab,Bb,C,Db,Eb,F,G)
MUSICALLY YOURS...(I`M AN 8TH GRADER SO I KNOW STUPID FLUTES)

hey jessica do what my teach does to us give us harder music we`re beginers and she is making us play grade 4 music! BUT after working on it as beginers we can play in perfectly we scored a one at contest!

moving them down a chair is always nice. or give them sightreading... screaming and yelling is nice too.

Jessica,

I have an excellent suggestion for you, one which doesn`t involve threats, or reverse psychology, or anything like that. My band teachers are doing this, and I think it is an awesome idea. Start drilling the major scales into them, like REALLY hardcore. Start by giving a scale sheet to each member of every section of the band (transposed into their key) and make them learn each scale systematically. You can make them learn one each month, or six every half year, or whatever you think is most effective. And make this count towards their mark, because incentives are good for "stupid" students.

My teachers have a specific way of conducting these scale tests, which I think is total genius. Here`s how it works. Everyone starts off with 100%. If you pass the test the first time, that`s the mark you receive. If you fail it once, your mark goes down to 80%. You then come back next class and attempt the test again. If you pass it, you get 80%. If you fail, your mark drops another 20%. However, you can`t get lower than 60%, because it`s just mean to give them a zero if they`re legitimately trying. However, if they just refuse to do the test, then you can just give them a zero without any further questions. From the looks of your situation, that will be happening more than rarely. One more thing, once their mark drops to 60%, they can no longer come in class and take the test - they must do it on their own time (at lunch, after school, etc.). This is called the "Mastery" method.

This is a really good way to discipline your band students. This, and being an authority figure in the classroom. Encourage your students to act professionally. Make them think that they are better than they are, and that they are mature enough to act like professionals. Don`t let them start talking when you stop a piece to fix something. Crossing their legs, chewing gum, eating anything, or drinking anything except water in class should be pretty much taboo in class.

I hope this will be successful for you. Good luck in class!

Thomas