Session Proposals

A creative and dedicated educator, Penelope is most excited when her students are excited! She believes that middle and high school students are willing to work hard and give their best effort when they know someone truly cares about them. Students frequently say her class is the best part of their day! She combines the right combination of compassion and expectation through high standards and culture building. Her classroom is a beautiful example of enjoyable structure and commitment.

As a percussionist, Penelope holds a bachelors in music education from Central Michigan University and a masters of arts degree in counseling from Cornerstone University. Penelope currently teaches middle school band at Kirkwood Middle School in Clarksville TN. Throughout seventeen years of teaching, her bands regularly receive Superior ratings at Concert Performance Festivals and her marching percussion sections consistently place in the top three at regional competitions.

Penelope is an active clinician throughout the Midwest. She has presented on topics such as classroom management, program preparation, and percussion involvement at the state music education conferences in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, and Kentucky as well as smaller regional professional development conferences across Kentucky and Tennessee. She has been published in the Iowa Journal for Music Education and is twice listed in Who’s Who among American Teachers.

This session is designed to equip young/new directors with the tools needed for an effective and efficient musical rehearsal while minimizing student confusion and maximizing music time. Included in the session will be an opportunity to examine the process of planning and implementing the structures, systems, and other organizational items that allow time in rehearsal to be focused on music rather than behavior and/or systemic concerns. This session would be useful to anyone who is new to the profession, moving to a new school, or feels that they spend “way too much time” answering questions about non-musical things.

This session is designed specifically for new / young directors, or anyone who is finding that they feel disorganized, unprepared, or overwhelmed by the extra-musical responsibilities that are required of instrumental music directors.

• Band - Middle School
• Band - Secondary
• Orchestra - Middle School
• Orchestra - Secondary
• Mentorship/Beginning Teachers