It’s 9:00 in the morning, and twenty seven sixth graders just piled into your room. They are animated and social, and learning a new song may not be high on their personal list of priorities. Forty five minutes later, their teacher comes by to pick them up at the same...
Strategies for Reaching Kids Who Don’t Care Having spent the bulk of my music education career working in schools known for students with challenging behaviors, I can attest to the truth in the old maxim, “Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you...
It seems like programs for children not quite ready for kindergarten are popping up in my area of Michigan and music teachers are being challenged with this new class. These classes are called so many different names – pre-k, young 5s, DK, child development,...
At the end of the year, it is inevitable that our students’ behavior gets a little crazier. In my district, the kids are doing tons of state testing, spending hours staring at computer screens and are very stressed out. At least in my state, we have had a long winter...
I have heard many times that music is a universal language. I believe that to be true, but I recently had the opportunity to put it to the test. I just spent 10 days in Nepal doing a music camp and teaching English as a second language to moms. Forgive the blurred...
Many teachers intend to spend a good chunk of their summer preparing for the next year. Everything from revamping lessons to taking levels to reading professional development books. Intentions are always good and sometimes goals are achieved (yay!). But every now...
