Ah, rep selection. Some music teachers become giddy at the thought of programming a concert or selecting new repertoire each season. Still, there are others of us that struggle when it comes to rep selection and can feel paralyzed at the number of choices in our midst. So [...]
It’s hard for me to believe this is my seventeenth year teaching instrumental music at my school. Seventeen is such a big number! In some ways, the rhythms of the school year are well established. For example, our high school ensemble will perform at a Gratitude Assembly [...]
Re-Igniting the Spark Take a moment to think back to your undergraduate college experience. (Perhaps that was only a few months ago, or perhaps you have to reach back a bit more to access this season.) Either way, I would venture to assume that for many of us, [...]
Whether you're a brand new teacher with their first roster of students (congrats!) or you've been shaping minds, voices, and fingers for a while, those who teach private music lessons know every lesson is different. You will have students of different ages, abilities, learning styles, and, often [...]
The bell rings. I see a group of adolescents walking into my room. Under my mask, I’m smiling. But, inside, I’m anxious. I just received an email from a parent who’s upset about a situation that occurred in class the day before; I’m questioning the way I handled [...]
As a Music Education major, I am not a stranger to the extraneous workload, unbalanced and crazy class schedules, and a lack of clarity in when/how to take breaks. It can be argued that music degree programs are some of the most demanding in the University curriculum. [...]
I have roughly 200 playlists in my Apple Music library. Not the algorithmic ones that our benevolent tech overlords provide for us - my very own creations. 200 of them. Perhaps that’s more than any sane human should have. Most of them are for me. Some are [...]
I read an article by social psychologist Amy Cuddy and JillElyn Riley titled, "Why this stage of the pandemic makes us so anxious." I also heard Amy Cuddy talk about this article in an interview with Brene Brown and the term "pandemic flux syndrome." As an educator, everything [...]
The Gut Level Teacher Reflection At the end of the 2021 year, a social worker in my district passed along this article about the Gut Level Teacher Reflection. Reflection has always been a part of my life journey. It helps me pause and process my actions and [...]
Today’s Topic: Culturally responsive teaching with exit tickets (fostering joy) Today’s Tip: Utilize daily exit tickets for qualitative data that informs your practice. Exit tickets work! Since the pandemic started, I have been using exit tickets to gauge student engagement and understanding. It started as a [...]