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
The danger with TeachersPayTeachers
Teachers are often told the value of borrowing (or “stealing”) lessons and ideas from other teachers. With the growing popularity of Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and teacher affinity groups on Facebook, it is easier than ever to share and find
Reminders for Exhausted Teachers
Teaching is exhausting: physically, mentally, AND emotionally. And that’s in a normal year! When I’m feeling heavy or stressed emotionally, I sometimes receive unsolicited advice to just “leave work at the office” and “shut off when you go home at
The most important back-to-school reflection
No doubt you finished the last school year completely exhausted. Now you are preparing for a new year (or already in it). You’re thinking about your curriculum, your classroom setup, classroom management procedures, and myriad other things that need your
Focus on the positive: 18 great things about online learning
I miss my students. I also have concerns about being back at school with hundreds of students in a pandemic. It’s easy to get pulled down right now, so today I am focusing on the positive. If you are disappointed
Music in the Time of Covid-19
If you are on any kind of social media, I’m guessing that you’ve seen dozens of posts about whether or not schools should open. As schools and the rest of society reopen, schools have become the center of a lot
Children Need to Play
I’m sure that I’m mostly preaching to the choir here, but more and more research is coming out with a clear message about childhood: Children learn through play. This is how human beings are programmed to learn. And yet, more
Change: How do I get there?
I’m trying something very new and experimental in my classes this year. It’s wonderful, discouraging, overwhelming, eye-opening, frustrating and amazing all at once. As teachers, we want the best for our children. We are visionaries, and we want to be
Composition and Notation, Part II: Moving to Traditional Notation
If you haven’t read Part I, have a look there first. At some point, the graphic notation will start to prove difficult. Students who are making more conscious, precise decisions about dynamics, pitch, and rhythm will need an equally precise
Composition and Notation, Part I: Don’t Sweat the Small Staff
I used to get very frustrated trying to teach notation or getting students to accurately notate their compositions on the staff. But I’ve changed, and so can you!* Don’t get bogged down with notating compositions. It kills the creative flow.