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Thoughts from a PYP music teacher

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Singing Games

I’ve just had a refreshing return to my roots! Today was the last day of a three-day Kodály course with Dr. James Cuskelly. It’s been fifteen years since I was really focused on the Kodály Method, but it was just

Janine 24. June 20151. December 2016 Thoughts, Whole class activity No Comments Read more

Feedback, Not Tests

In the culture of standardized testing, it’s difficult to escape into meaningful assessment—usually because of lack of time, not lack of desire. But as we think about assessing, we need to remember that it is central to our teaching and

Janine 28. May 20159. August 2015 Assessment No Comments Read more

What’s on your Walls?

Many PYP schools have guidelines about what should be on the walls, but it is worth stopping to reflect once in a while about what you are doing with this valuable teaching space. That’s right: teaching space. I’ve found that

Janine 6. May 20159. August 2015 Thoughts No Comments Read more

Exploring Musical Cultures Through Concepts

All the way back to my teacher training, I have always tried to incorporate as much “world music” (sorry, I don’t like that term) into my teaching as possible. From PreK and all the way up, we sing in many

Janine 7. March 20155. August 2015 Inquiry, Thoughts No Comments Read more

Part II: Using Socratic Questioning in Music

(This post follows on with examples of how Socratic questioning might move an inquiry forward in Music class. If you haven’t read it yet, start with Part I: The Framework to get an overview of the method.) Socratic questioning provides

Janine 20. February 20155. August 2015 Inquiry, Whole class activity No Comments Read more

Getting the most out of lessons

A studio teacher friend of mine shared this with me today, and I just want to pass it on. I know that many parents ask me for advice regarding private lessons for their students. Many parents want to start their children

Janine 6. February 201526. June 2015 Thoughts No Comments Read more

Holiday Concerts

It’s that time of year again. As an international teacher, you would think there is even less pressure to put on a holiday-themed concert. The end of term lends itself to a culminating performance, sure, but with such a diverse

Janine 20. December 201418. July 2015 Performance, Thoughts No Comments Read more

“Sitting Beside” Your Students

Another interesting moment at the weekend’s workshop: I learned that the word “assessment” has its roots in Latin. That’s no surprise, given that a huge chunk of English words have their roots in Latin. What is a surprise is that

Janine 20. November 201418. July 2015 Assessment, Thoughts No Comments Read more

Assessment for Learning

I spent this weekend at a workshop on assessment as a means of informing learning. As a music teacher, I constantly thirst for more knowledge about authentic assessment. In particular, how can I assess all my 300+ students meaningfully and

Janine 18. November 20141. December 2016 Assessment, Thoughts No Comments Read more

The rest of the iceberg

This weekend, with UN Day coming up, I am thinking about culture. An important yet cryptic element in our everyday interactions, the behaviors and expectations engrained in our students’ brains heavily impact their behaviors and expectations in our classrooms. There

Janine 19. October 201426. July 2020 Thoughts 58 Comments Read more

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