Ready

About:

This process is a major organizer for all the processes in this curriculum. 'Sticks Ready' for the bucket drums, 'Shakers Ready' for the shakers or 'Hands Ready' for hand drums. Ready is an action that also resonates with the state of attention and physical readiness to successfully start, transition or end any task or process.

Purpose of this lesson:

Teach students to get into a state of attention and readiness.
Make a connection between this state of attention and readiness and how it applies in life, sports, music and other activities.
Build a respectful disciplined group culture. Having well disciplined 'sticks ready' saves an enormous of time, frustration and irritation.
Have a clear simple signal to begin, transition or end pieces.
Initially students learn to follow a teacher. As students progress, they learn to carry the leadership role and call 'sticks ready' to bring class to attention.

Have each student be able to demonstrate positive leadership as well as ability to follow positive leadership.

* As students learn to 'Call Sticks Ready' they learn to develop focus and organization. In many games like 'Balloon Conductor' students jump into the middle of the activity often with little awareness of themselves or others. Calling 'Sticks Ready' teaches them to bring more awareness to themselves and to the group. Is the group ready to receive and follow them?

Prerequisites:

This is one of the first things taught. It is useful to teach and call 'Celebration Rhythm' as class members do a good 'Stick Ready'.

Balloon Conductor -sometimes it is easier for student to experientially learn to give their attention through use of the ball.

Shadowing - gives students a good chance to practice calling 'Ready' at the beginning of their turn.

Materials:

This is usually done with two drumming sticks, but is can be done with shakers, just the hands. Sticks ready can translate into any instrument.

Directions:

[explain re shakers] The moment when students seem available enough I raise my arms In front of me with my sticks pointing up towards sky And say "Sticks ready". Model not just the motion but clear, vibrant, grounded, centered. And ready for anything. Then acknowledge and celebrate the positive attempts to emulate the synergy. Can I ask students where else in the world besides drum circles Do you see the people in this kind of energy? Can you think of specific examples where you saw someone in the state of being 'ready' 'focused' 'centered', 'grounded'? "in sports, classical music, just before the game starts, what kind of energy or attention are players in?

Are they distracted? [act this out move aimlessly, eyes wandering]
Deeply relaxed? [ act out being floppy almost asleep, eyes closing.] Hyper-focused? [act this out, show a lot of body tension] Calm attention [focused relaxed, calm attention]

"When I say sticks ready, want you to hold your sticks in this position". [show holding the two sticks pointed up, with hands at about the level of the solarplexis. Shoulders relaxed, eye engaged but not over focused. Be on the look out to give many specific acknowledgements particularly to draw out the finer points.]

"Sticks Ready" have two sticks in front of you, pointing up. Notice and acknowledge the people who did this one time, with right energy. Once the group members understands this Call, (and Sticks Asleep) I have the each student Call Sticks Ready / Sticks Asleep. I particularly listen and actively acknowledge clear resonant calm authoritative vocal tones. (as opposed to barking orders, or sounding too light.

Glitches:

Student does not respond to the 'Call'

Give energy and recognition to those who are cooperating and participating.
Take over the problem, have a puppet be the teacher. Teacher puppet asks his class to do something. and Dragon puppet student just sits there?

Student(s) give a half-hearted response.

Give energy and recognition to those who are cooperating and participating.
Take over the problem, have a puppet be the teacher. Teacher puppet asks his class to do something. and Dragon puppet student just sits there?

Needs Met:

Safety- its predictable.
Connection- doing this move together as a group can give the experience of being part of the group.

Neuroscience and Psycho-physiology Basis:

The physical movement engages the 'Do-Deal' system that is being engaged and outwardly focused. Network Balance Model

An ideal to strive for is getting to 'Ready' so that the student in Calm Focused Attention which Barry Sterman would describe as the Sensory Motor Rhythm- SMR. [link is under development.]
Or Active Engaged Attention, Beta brain waves. [link is under development.]

Metaphor to Explore:

How do your get ready for different activities?
Authority- who's authority do you respect?
Authority- who's authority do you not respect?
Who respects your authority?
Who doesn't respect your authority?

Extensions:

Have students lead 'Sticks Ready'