More Than Survival: Changing the Narrative for Early-Career Music Teachers

You have your degree and you’ve landed your first teaching job. Now you should have all of the answers and be the best music teacher in the world, with no help from anyone…right? Maybe there is another way. This session is designed to provide practical strategies for navigating everyday challenges, while helping early- career (1-4 years) and pre-service teachers view themselves at the start of a lifetime of learning and growth, rather than at a stagnate stage of survival. While teaching music may present many challenges, we can learn to navigate everyday issues (both on-site and from a distance) while also developing as professional educators.

Collaborate, Educate, Advocate: Embracing Social Media In and Out of the Music Room

We live in a world saturated by social media. It has become our go-to source for news, memes, recipes, and trends…but what if it could be so much more? For years now, music teachers have been using social media to highlight their experiences in and out of the classroom. They use these platforms to collaborate with fellow educators, demonstrate classroom activities, advocate for their programs, and motivate others to do the same. In this session, I will be walking you through simple steps you can take to step up your social media presence; spreading the word about the innovative things already happening in your classroom, educating students outside of the classroom, and building a community of people around the world to celebrate, support, and inspire you through your teaching journey.

Structuring Lessons for Success (and Sanity!)

One of the most rewarding moments as a teacher is seeing a lesson plan we’ve spent hours crafting come to life when our students walk in the door.  We have also all had days where our beautifully written lesson falls flat.  Let’s take a deeper look at how we can best structure our plans to challenge our kids, build their confidence, respond to their energy, and make their experience in music class meaningful and fun. The right lesson structure will boost student success and save teacher sanity both in the classroom and virtual classroom!

What else is important? Teaching in a new era!

A dive into everything else that can be taught, when singing can not be. How to utilize free online resources and where to find them. Also, when kids want to sing how to best utilize their time and yours to be successful.

How to Teach Virtual Choir When You’re Not Eric Whitacre

Need some things to do for your choirs when they can’t all be there in person? Or how about some classroom activities that will help you give one-on-one feedback to your choir of 50? This session will help you do that, and more! Tried and true digital activities from someone who prefers non-virtual, but has lived it this past year. If I can do it, you can too!

Social Capital: The Importance of Building, Bonding, and Maintaining Healthy Relationships

Social capital is defined as the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships. How do we as new teachers create and build healthy relationships with students, parents, faculty, and administration in both normal and COVID-19 settings? How do these relationships lay the foundation for both teacher and program success? This session will explore establishing social capital to help you shape an organization with a shared identity, mutual understanding, and core values built on trust, cooperation, and reciprocity.

Nothing to Fear, Experienced Directors are Near! 

During this session we will look into a few select moments of my first year teaching, for better and worse, and work together to help you have the best teaching experience possible. This will include being the Lone Director for the Middle School Band program, teaching beginning mixed instrument class while on a block schedule, and navigating emergency Virtual Learning carried into the next school year.