Teach With Ecouragement! Steve Hankins
	I was recently challenged in the teacher's lounge to talk about my philosophy of teaching, particularly as it related to teaching my own band students.  The teacher who asked told me that I seemed to be “overdoing it” when it came to encouragement, liking it more to “bribery,” and then went on to explain that students in my band classes are not learning about the real world. As music relates to the “real world,” I can only plead guilty. I hope that my students are learning that music is not about the real world, but rather is the antidote to the real world. When I came to Heritage Middle School, located on the east side of San Antonio, it was with the attitude that my teaching needed a change. Heritage was a brand new school, and I needed a brand new outlook. After meeting students, parents, and other teachers, I knew straightaway what I needed to do to be different and to make my classes more meaningful.   I thought about those things that my favorite teachers had done to make me enjoy their classes so much. A teacher who reached me, a very moderately motivated student, would do so by taking special interest, and by encouraging me. A little bit would go a long way! This was the teaching style I decided to emulate at my new school. I think an encouraging approach has worked very well. There is plenty of evidence in the band hall to indicate this was the right approach, from the trophies on the shelf,  the rating sheets, the comments of proud administrators and community members, and to the overflow, standing-room-only concerts.  I have written and discussed on this website and on the message board the hows and whys of encouraging teaching. I have stated that “Encouragement is leadership.” I have challenged band directors to become examples of this attitude on their entire campus, not just in their classroom. I believe to this day that bands with encouraging leaders are better bands with better musicians. Many times this approach is countered with extremely negative comments. It's that “real world” thing. My approach to teaching  is no longer a big mystery confined to the south wing of the school. Unfortunately I have learned that for every positive and encouraging comment I make to a student, there seems to be three other people ready with an equally negative qualifying remark, such as “He only says that because he has to,” or “What a phony. You're not that good.” Some adults, such as teachers and non-band parents will tell students that they are being “tricked,” or “babied” into enjoying band. One parent even told me that I was “hypnotizing” my students and his child would have no part of that! Fortunately, common sense still rules the day and there are hundreds of students and parents involved in the Heritage band program who buy into their director's style of leadership. Our program is thriving! Encouraging teaching is not easy. I have encountered plenty of cynics and skeptics among my fellow teachers. To hear strident tones or static rhythms and become sarcastic or angry to the point of childish displays of temper is easy, yet accomplishes nothing. To quickly, confidently, and calmly begin finding ways to address better tone quality and  pulse is far more difficult, yet is the reason why we are employed as teachers. When we encourage students, we must believe  what we are saying is true and we must project that confidence sincerely and without qualification.  Encouraging teaching is not soft, either. There have been plenty of times when I have had to stand up to people who want to force their own negative outlook onto me and my livelihood. Standing up for ourselves and our philosophy, our students as we choose to teach them, and our programs as we choose to lead them requires a great deal of inner strength. Like those from the teacher in the lounge, other comments I've recently heard and read prompted me to write this commentary. The fact that I have a few free moments on the first day of Spring Break gives me the opportunity. I hope each and every one of you enjoy teaching as much as I do. As we look forward to the challenges we face as band directors and friends in this modern world, I hope that we can continue find ways to encourage and support one another. Please feel free to use The Yellow Board for that purpose whenever the mood strikes!