GALWAY–For the past two years a few students have been selected by Mr. Barrow to teach lessons to elementary and middle school students. Last year was the first year Mr. Barrow had to teach 4^th through 12^th band students, and having students teach lessons not only made it easier on him, but gives the students some experience at teaching and working with kids. If it weren’t for these student teachers, some lessons would have had to be cut.

Every band student is used to lessons. You have a lesson once a week at alternating times. It’s your responsibility to remember your lesson and practice your assignments for your next lesson. Student teaching lessons are set up the same as normal lessons. But instead of learning you’re teaching. At the beginning of the year you meet your students and learn what capability each student has. Some are slower learners than others, but they seem to put the effort in, especially if you’re cooperative with them and make them feel good about the work effort that they put in. Usually during a student teacher’s lesson, Mr. Barrow is teaching another group in another practice room. He’s always willing to help if you have a question.

Everyone who teaches lessons has a blast and their kids really seem to learn a lot. When you have students teaching rather than an adult, the younger kids look up to the student teachers as role models. “I like having a student teacher and having such small lesson classes, we seem to get more done,” observed two seventh grade flutists. Also, student teachers remember how they felt while playing their instrument at the same time, so they are sometimes able to help and explain better than an adult would. One of the trombone students commented, “I like having them (high school students) as teachers because they are still learning themselves, and they can teach us better.”