William’s Song is Our Song More than a decade ago, I was thinking about music and all the places it met me. How music could be found on sunny days. On windy days. Rainy days and Mondays… but seriously, music has met me everywhere I needed it to [...]
Consider what we are intentionally or unintentionally saying we value based on what we cover with our students throughout their time in our classrooms. And, just like that, a conversation about standards-based instruction has entered the chat.
I was speaking with a student teacher about experiencing burnout symptoms and why finding their preferred self-care practices is important. In our discussion, I had mentioned that the most commonly stated piece of advice (whether given as real advice or delivered with an eye roll) is to remember your “why.” Our discussion was helpful, but I realized that the field of teaching can be just as rewarding as it is prickly.
Change and Growth I'm back. It has been a while. Last year, I switched schools after teaching at Westwood Primary for ten years. Change is necessary for growth, but it was not an easy year. Less time was available for blogging and sharing, but I am hopeful to [...]
What do you do during the first month of school to build connection with your music students? I remember starting as a teacher and feeling like rules were first, and relationship was second. I was so wrong about that. Not only did I struggle with classroom expectations, [...]
The start of a new school year is the perfect time to create a foundation where students have a voice in the music classroom. Students are excited to start fresh and learn new things, and they are also eager to share their ideas and opinions. By giving students [...]
What makes you #morethanamusicteacher? In this blog series inspired by Franklin Willis’ Book, More Than A Music Teacher, we invited teachers around the world to share their stories. Today, we’ll hear from Susana Rodríguez-Snyder and Amanda Aragon. Read on as we celebrate the incredible changemakers in our profession of [...]
What makes you #morethanamusicteacher? In this blog series inspired by Franklin Willis’ Book, More Than A Music Teacher, we invited teachers around the world to share their stories. Today, we’ll hear from David Russell Getz and Anna Mounts. Read on as we celebrate the incredible changemakers in our profession [...]
What makes you #morethanamusicteacher? In this blog series inspired by Franklin Willis’ Book, More Than A Music Teacher, we invited teachers around the world to share their stories. Today, we’ll hear from Elizabeth Shier and Crystal Briley. Read on as we celebrate the incredible changemakers in our profession [...]
Like many music educators, I experienced a major shock during my first few months of teaching: Even though I knew how to play all the instruments, sing all the songs, and teach all the music… Very few of my students cared like I did about learning music. After [...]