Section Leaders Please Stop Doing This...

Throughout my long teaching career, I have learned to embrace the art of teaching in a very positive manner.

Of course, when I first started, I was very negative.

Once I saw that my students started hating me, then I become passive…too passive actually…also no good.

I think my most recent evolution is that of being positive but still assertive.

Gone are the days of only seeing the negative that students do and never complimenting. It’s crazy to look back and see how I used to threaten people with punishment for making mistakes. If I didn’t do any of those things, at the very least I got very upset with them (and I made it known that I was upset) anytime they messed up or didn’t live up to my standards.

I think that inexperienced leaders, teachers and even bosses easily fall into the same trap.

They don’t know any better…all they see is that negativity brings immediate results…so it’s easy to only use negativity as the only means to lead, teach and….I guess inspire…haha

Are you a section leader that has fallen into this trap?

If so, my challenge to you is to try something different to try to inspire the troops.

For one, you can try encouraging others by making an effort to point out any improvements anyone in your Drumline makes in their percussion skills. Positive reinforcement can be very motivating…after all…how motivating can it be to get hated on for failing and only to be merely tolerated when succeeding?

I would imagine it wouldn’t be very motivating at all…especially if you put yourself in their shoes :)

What are some other methods for motivation can you think of that DOESN’T involved negative reinforcement?

What do you think? Am I off base?

For further perspective, make sure to check out the video below: