Weekly Reflection Blog #1

Robert Haynes 102988536

This was the first week of classes. It included both the mentorship and learning
orientation, as well as the first class of the semester. Both the class and the orientation
included several icebreaker activities. I have trouble with these activities; I understand that
peer learning communities that form naturally take both time and small class sizes. One of the
advantages of being from a small faculty, such as the faculty of music, is the improbability of
such a peer learning community not forming (in the music department everyone
simultaneously manages to be ones colleague, competition, and underclass-person, a certain
respect and rivalry forms inspiring one to be ones best self). Larger faculties often do not
have the changing cross-course relationships, small class sizes, or peers that may also serve in
leadership capacity in other courses, making icebreakers a necessary component of
evolving the mentorship community in breakout sessions. Having already been part of peer
learning communities causes an involuntary revulsion when I feel the matter is being forced.
Perhaps my lack of faith in these activities is rooted in my desire to remain with the familiar,
coupled with a desire to remain introverted. Hopefully my cynicism towards the practice of
icebreakers wont be apparent in my first breakout session with my mentees; though I plan on
modifying some of the common icebreaker activities to be musical, which may change my
disposition toward the practice.
Im also feeling quite a bit of trepidation toward the BOPPPS lesson plans and their
applicability toward developing the less tangible skills related to music education at the
postsecondary level. Much of what occurs in the Music History and Literature I and II
courses involves the development of critical listening skills, and how to speak and write
about the music that is heard. Music history is an excellent avenue for the necessary skill
building since the evolution of Western Art Music follows a relatively linear pattern of
increasing complexity through time. Critical music listening skills also fail to isolate

themselves into one of the three learning objective domains, since it would involve hearing
and responding on an emotional level to a piece of music (psychomotor and affective) and
then coming to grips with what in the music is eliciting such a response from the music while
using appropriate technical language (cognitive).
Essentially: I am afraid that I am the wrong type of person for the mentorship
program by being an introvert; and, that I will be attempting to use methods proven within
other disciplines to limited effect in my own. Fear be damned, Im going to do my best to be
a good sport about it all.