This started as a list of tips for de-escalating situations with students where there might be a potential disruption, some serious emotional dysregulation, or times when I need to speak to a student after class and one or both of
FREE Professional Development for Music Teachers!
Do any of these sound like you? 🎵 Exhausted from constantly writing lesson plans🎵 Wishing you could get students more engaged🎵 Stuck between concert prep and standards, and wondering how to fit in creativity🎵 Ready to add some new tools
Elementary Music Summit 2026
Thanks for joining me at the Elementary Music Summit for Reggio in the Real World! I really appreciated the opportunity to explore these ideas with you and consider what music learning can look and feel like when children’s curiosity, creativity,
A Chinese New Year Game to Assess Rhythm Reading!
It’s back to school after a refreshing break, and I’m ready to jump back in! And since I’m learning to enjoy my breaks instead of always working through them, I needed to come back with something that didn’t take much
Elementary Music Summit Freebie
I hope you are enjoying the Elementary Music Summit! Click here to download my freebie, “Using Picture Books to Develop Musical Thinking”! For more tips on curating a DEIJ-friendly library, watch here. Check out some (sub-friendly!!) book-based lesson resources here.
How NOT to apply for a job
It’s hiring season in the international school world, and going through the hiring process in 2024 has been eye-opening for me. This is the first time I’ve looked through applications since ChatGPT (and other AI text generators) changed the way
Write the Room: Notation on the MOVE
Okay, I’m probably pretty late to the game on this, but I saw a friend doing a phonics activity called “Write the Room”, and the kids LOVED it! Even the kids who hated writing were having a blast trotting from
Three simple steps to developing creativity
There is no question that creativity is a vital skill for the 21st century. But at the same time, thanks to the increasing obsession with standardized testing and other high levels of quantifiable achievement, creative subjects like art and music
Engaging Your Students Through Inquiry
Thanks for joining me for Engaging Your Students Through Inquiry! You’ve already taken a great step to better teaching and learning in your music classroom. Be sure to subscribe so you you can download your free teacher planning workbook, and
16 Things I Wish I’d Known as a First-Year Teacher
It’s no secret that there’s a lot you don’t learn in your methods classes. Even student teaching doesn’t quite prepare you. Lucky for you, you’re reading this! In addition to the subject knowledge you have, and the pedagogical theory you’ve