F-flat’s Guide to Summer Professional Development

 Get ready, friends! In this post, we’ll share our recommendations for summer professional development that is relevant, meaningful, and fun! We are so lucky to have such a strong community of educators and authors, and many of them are busy sharing their work this summer.

We’ve divided these experiences into the following categories: conferences, courses, workshops, and memberships. Let’s get started!

CONFERENCES

FABSS: First up: FABSS 2022! We are thrilled to announce that our third annual Back-to-School Symposium is happening THIS August on the 12th and 13th. It’s a hybrid conference with both in-person and virtual options. Registration is open NOW, and the price is “pay what you wish.” We are finalizing the symposium schedule and travel information. In the meantime, you can learn more here and register for the symposium here! [PD certificate Available]

ISME: Many of our F-flat Authors speak at the Biennial Conference of the International Society for Music Education. This conference brings music educators together from around the world. (I have personally been attending for the past ten years and have made many incredible global connections!) This year, the conference is entirely virtual. You can register as late as July 10th, and the conference begins on July 17th. Learn more here!

RETREAT: Jen Rafferty of The Empowered Educator and Allison Russo of The Critical Good are teaming up to offer an incredible retreat experience to a lucky group of music educators! Spend a few days in beautiful Ocean Grove NJ, and dive into sessions on teacher empowerment and more. You can learn more and register here. 

IN-PERSON COURSES

WORLD MUSIC: Juliana Cantarelli Vitt is leading the inaugural Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy at The Hartt School in Connecticut. The workshop runs from July 18-22. You can learn more here! 

HIP HOP: Franklin Willis is teaching a course all about hip hop in the elementary classroom. This in-person course is being taught through Vandercook College and will run from June 27-July 1st. Learn more and register here.

POP MUSIC: How do popular music and Orff Schulwerk connect? This summer (June 27- July 1st), Martina Vasil is leading a course on Orff and Pop Music! Come and learn how to use the Orff philosophy with music that your students know and love. You can register here. 

ONLINE COURSES

TECHNOLOGY. Theresa Hoover is teaching a course on google tools for music education through Vandercook College. You can take the course throughout the summer and receive 3 Graduate Credits and a Level One Google Educator Certification. Learn more here! (Note: Theresa is also teaching tech courses on-demand through Music ConstructED. For a self-paced version, learn more here.)

ON-DEMAND (VIRTUAL) COURSES

SONGWRITING. Kat Reinhert and Sarah Gulish (me!) are offering an on-demand course on songwriting specifically for music educators. You can learn more about Songwriting Basics here AND if you sign up by the end of June, you can join a virtual cohort with a mentor at no additional cost. Learn more here.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GENERAL MUSIC. Danielle Larrick and Jessica Grant are teaming up to offer the first-ever on-demand course for middle school general music. You can sign up for the 10 module course on June 1st and work through course materials with a supportive cohort. Learn more here at the confident music educator.

ASSESSMENT. Victoria Boler’s course will help you create active embedded assessments that are fair to students and manageable for you. You can learn more about her work and access course information here.

EMPOWERING MUSIC STUDENTS. Therese Hoover runs an online course on empowering students in music education courses. This work stems from her book, Pass the Baton, and can be accessed in a fully on-demand format. Learn more here!

WORKSHOPS

 BODY PERCUSSION. Otto Gross is leading a session at the Tennessee Arts Academy on Monday, July 11th, entitled: Music Is Everywhere (An Experience in Body Percussion, Chants, and Improvisation). You can learn more about the arts academy and sign up here.

MEMBERSHIPS

ELEMENTARY. Victoria Boler’s membership, The Planning Binder, offers a curriculum that is flexible, grounded, and artistic, so you’re supported in your lesson planning. You can join at any time and learn more here.

ELEMENTARY. Jessica Peresta’s Harmony membership site supports you in planning and executing your vision as an elementary teacher. This membership group opens on July 3rd. You can learn more by visiting this page and be on the lookout for workshops throughout the summer from Jessica!

If you have any questions about any of the above opportunities, please email! Our mission is to support our authors while supporting YOU to be the best teachers you can be.