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
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
I once interviewed a teaching candidate after she did a lesson that was…difficult to watch. The children weren’t following her line of questions and were losing interest in what could have been an exciting activity. “Did you stray from your
Approaching my 20th year of teaching, I am thinking about how different my practice is now, compared to my first years. There’s so much that methods classes just don’t teach you! Some aspects of teaching can only be learned through
Your classroom is like a second home. You spend a lot of time there, and the reality of teaching is that you can’t always step out when you need something. So as the scouts say, be prepared, and keep these
I think it’s fair to say that teaching kids to sing a round is pretty standard fare in elementary school music. Rounds are a fantastic way for students to develop musical independence, to perform and listen at the same time.
Happy new year! I’m enjoying the last few days of my Christmas break, but also starting to put some details into my plans for the upcoming term. We’re having one week of online learning at my school, to give people
Flipped classrooms have been trending for a while now, but I’ve never really embraced it because I don’t expect my students to use their time at home. But while I’m thinking about how to adapt my teaching for pandemic times,
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
Singing is central to music classes in primary school. But with many teachers going online, we are facing new challenges that none of us were trained for. In all of my music teacher circles, people are asking for tips on