What is our Goal?

Lately, I have been reading a lot of tweets, blogs and articles about the current state of public education in the United States. I am now uncertain about the purpose of education. What is our purpose? What are our goals?

I believe the education community as a whole needs to seriously reflect about this issue. We need to determine what our goals are and then figure out if our philosophies achieve those goals. I would argue that high stakes testing creates students who are burned out and do not enjoy the learning process. I believe there is a disconnect between what we want to achieve and what we are doing.

This also applies to individual classrooms and schools. During spring break I spent a lot of time reflecting on my classroom goals and how my actions impact those goals.

What are your goals for your classroom? Are your goals and philosophies aligned?

The Right to be Proud

I love the sound of laughter when my students are learning and exploring new skills and concepts in class. I am a firm believer that students and staff need to celebrate our victories, no matter how small. Admitting that we don't know something and being willing to attempt new things are two challenges of life.

I have coached youth sports for a few years now and every year there is a moment where a player achieves something they have never done before. I love watching the joy and excitement when a player makes their first free throw, gets their serve over for the first time or gets their first strike out. The greater moment is when teammates realize the joy in this accomplishment and celebrate along with the individual.

Our classrooms and schools need to celebrate these learning moments. Our students should feel excited every time to learn new concepts or accomplish a new skill. Our schools should be filled with laughter and smiles. Learning is hard work, but it should be fun!

Electronic Portfolios Using Goggle Sites

This previous school year I started experimenting with the use of electronic portfolios. The purpose of using portfolios in my class is to show student growth and to showcase classroom projects. I work in a Google District and I had a basic knowledge of Google Sites, so I decided to use this platform for my classroom website.  My district also has teacher iPads and I use it as a tool to create portolfio content. 

I have adjusted my layout a few times, but at the moment I think I have found a system that works the best for my situation. My digital portfolios are for picture, YouTube videos of projects and documents of class projects. I have two hundred students and I knew having individual electronic portfolios would be too overwhelming (I do keep individual paper portfolios), so my digital portfolios are by grade. I created a separate Google Site for each grade, Kindergarten thru Fourth Grade (which are linked to our main classroom site) and I include the year that class will graduate from elementary school.  

I organize material within the portfolio by the current school year. Each portfolio will follow the specific class throughout their time in elementary music. Each portfolio includes three separate pages: Pictures, Our Work and Videos. I used the website layout for the Picture and Videos pages and the File Cabinet layout for the Our Work pages. This allows me to organize files into folders. Files are organized by class and school year. 

Are you currently using digital portfolios in your classroom? I would love to hear what platforms you use and how you have it organized. 

March Madness

Does losing a game during March Madness eliminate all of the lessons, skills and concepts that have been learned during the season?

I believe the answer to that question is a strong no! I learned this lesson the hard way as a senior in High School. I auditioned for an Honors Band, but I was not selected. I worked for weeks on the music: perfecting my technique and learning new skills. The outcome of the audition did not influence how much I learned. I learned from the process of preparing for the audition.

Learning is the same way. We need to teach our students that the process is more important then the outcome. One of the most important life lessons I learned in college was to focus on what I can control. I cannot control the outcome when I am compared to other people, but I can always control how hard I work.

As teachers we need to focus on the learning process more then the outcome. If I focus on the outcome and some of my students do not feel successful, they feel as though they have not learned anything. We need to focus on the concepts and skills that students are working on because not all students will realize the point of certain lessons.

Celebrate learning and enjoy the process!

Share Day 2013

Share Day is one of my favorite days of the school year (it is a tie with Innovation Day). It was a tradition at the first school I worked at and I have added it at every other school that I have worked at. This year I decided to do it as part of our Music In Our Schools Month Celebrations. Students in grades two thru four participate in Share Day.

Students can perform a song or play an instrument for their classmates. I send home a form and they must have it filled out and signed by a parent in order to perform. We talk about characteristics of being a performer and a good audience member. I love seeing my student's musical talent and many share talents that I or the class were not away of. This year a second grader played violin, a second grader played drum set and many students showcased their wonderful voices.

Grading

I struggle with grading. Right now students earn 10 points a day (2-sitting in assigned spot, 2-positive attitude and 6-participation).

I understand the argument against grading participation, but I don't know how else you can learn musical concepts without participating. I am moving towards Standard Based Grading for overall concepts, but I still grade daily participation. In my experience, students who are participating usually have no problem being successful in music.

Students know they loose points, so it is then up to them to make a decision to participate or not. They know ahead of time what I am going to do in the situation that they choose not to participate. It has eliminated the power struggle to participate and has made class less stressful.

How do you grade students progress? Is it wrong to grade participation in a specials classroom?

If I Quit Teaching

The latest news out of Illinois is that they are cutting one billion dollars from education funding each of the next few years. This may be a scare tactic, but between this and the current pension fight, I don't know if I will be teaching in a few years. As a music teacher I know all too well that the arts are the first to be eliminated when budgets get cut.

One thing I know for sure is that I will never quit teaching because of my students. The progress and joys we celebrate in our classroom far out weight any student cause frustrations. I love the profession of education and I can't imagine doing anything else. If I quit teaching, it will be because of the politics and all the extra stuff that comes with being a teacher. For me, the extra stuff is where stress comes from.

This realization is sad to me because I know that I am not alone. The profession of teaching is loosing great teachers every year because of stress. These stresses are not coming from inside the classroom, but rather all the extra things that impact teaching.

What issues might cause you to quit teaching?

Little Eyes Are Watching

During Teacher Appreciation Week I recieved a very sweet card from one of my students. On it, she wrote that she looks up to me and I am a role model. I was very honored to recieve this card, but to be honest I was also a little scared.

Am I a positive role model? Am I the type of person I would want my own children to look up to? These are tough questions to answer and they reminded me how important the job as teacher is. Not only do we teach academic skills and concepts, we also teach behavior. These behaviors are the ones we plan in our lessons and the ones our students see us model.

Little Eyes are Watching...
1. How we interact with other staff members.
2. How we interact with other students.
3. How we interact with parents and the community.
4. How we deal with frusteration and things not going the way we plan.
5. How we deal with annoying situations. 
6. How we carry ourselves.
7. How we deal with frustration. 

I am a firm believer that children need to experience Frusteration. They also need to see adults experience frusteration, but they also need to see these adults pick themselves up and keep trying. Children learn a lot by modeling. I have a baby niece and most of her day is spent watching and imitating those around her.  As teachers and adults in general, we need to make sure we are modeling behavior we want our students to exibit.

Are you a positive role model? Would you want students to imitate your behavior? Always remember, little eyes are watching (even when we don't think they are).

Can't Wait...

Spring Break is one week away. For a while now, my husband and I have been talking and making plans for our week off. One of our plans for this week was to undertake a home improvement project for our spare bedroom: paint, getting rid of the wonderful orange shag carpet and installing wood laminate. Last weekend we decided to purchase all the supplies needed for our project and we have been patiently waiting to start.

What started as a weekend with nothing to do ended with us emptying out the bedroom Saturday night and painting Sunday. Clearly neither my husband nor I are patient people when it comes to certain things. Most of this stems from us being very excited about this project.

What gets you pumped and excited? What lessons or units do you look forward to teaching? More importantly, what units or projects do your students get pumped about? What do they look forward to?

Imagine the power if our schools were full of days and projects that excited and energized both teachers and students. One project that I have found energizes my students is Innovation Week. My fourth graders have two weeks a year (at the end of each semester) where they can explore any music related topic. I believe we should strive to create atmospheres that are full of excitement and energy.

Music In Our Schools Month Project 2

I had my students create posters and write poems about music. It is a great way to learn what they like and I am hanging them in the hallway so they can share with teachers and parents.

Option One
Acrostic Poem using the word music. I let my students dare pictures of their words too.

Option Two
"I love music because" poster. Using words and pictures they created a poster that explains why they like/love music.

Option Three
"Music is important because" poster. Using words and pictures they created a poster that explains why they feel music is important.

Grandparent's Day

Overall, Grandparent's Day 2013 was a great success. The Kindergarteners and first graders performed a dance they have learned in PE, the second graders performed "Great Big House" and the third and forth graders performed "Cupid Shuffle."

The Grandparents loved seeing something more then just singing and they loved the movement. After the mini performance, the students had time to show their grandparents their classrooms. I was not expecting any students, but many came to show off the music room. It was a great experience! The grandparents were able to see some of the activities we do and instruments we play. I heard a few say they wish their music classes would have had instruments ;). I was also able to tell many of the grandparents about our class website, which is a way they can see even more activities that their grandchildren are doing.

Today was an unexpected Advocacy Day and it fits perfectly with Music In Our Schools Month. The more the community knows about music, the more likely they are to care and that will help keep music in our schools for years to come.

Giving Choices

After Christmas Break I made a conscious effort to include more of the Love and Logic Philosophy in my classroom. One of the expectations in my classroom is "when there is a problem, I will do something." My doing something does not include solving the problem. It is the responsibility of the child to do that.

One issue I have been having is students not wanting to participate. I go back and forth on giving participation points and I understand the arguments against grading participation, but I am also a firm believer that students must participate to learn. In the past, I have spent time trying to talk my students into participation, which is usually a failing endeavor.

I can't make my students do anything, so I have decided to give the responsibility to my students. I have explained to them that the consequence for not participating is to loose points. I compare it to speeding as an adult. Police can't make you follow the law, but they hope that the fines and fear of getting pulled over will prevent you from speeding. I am working on being better about telling my students the consequences (only when an issue arises) and it is their responsibility to decide if it is worth it.

I have found in many cases that in the mind of a student, misbehaving is ok if there are no consequences or if the consequence is considered worth it (which is why my consequences are not listed or predetermined). When a misbehavior occurs, I quickly and quietly explain to the student what my response will be (sometimes I don't have one and I tell them I will have to think about it) it is then up to them to fix the problem. I am still working on doing this consistently, but I have had great success with it so far.

The Magic Bullet

Television is filled with adds that promise to cure your life of all problems. Need to loose weight, buy this program; have wrinkles, use this product; in debt, call this company; need a lawyer, call this agency. As an athlete, musician and person in general, I have learned that there are no easy solutions. Getting better requires working hard and putting in the time and energy.

I strongly believe that relationships are the most important thing in life. In a school setting, this includes relationships between administration and teachers, teachers and parents, administration and parents, teachers and students and school and community.

Our society is obsessed with finding the magic pill that will cure all of our problems. Technology, curriculum and programs are not going to fix education. If that was possible, one of the thousand curriculums or programs that has come along would have fixed education a long time ago.

Relationships fix schools. Creating a positive atmosphere full of learning and fun fixes schools. In a day full of technology and resources, I am amazed at the lack of communication between schools and the community. I tend to simplify things, but I truly believe that if we fix the relationships associated with schools, we will fix our schools.

We need to stop spending time looking at new programs and curriculum and instead we need to invest that time with our students and the stake holders of our schools.

Chorus Struggles

I am slowly adjusting to teaching middle school chorus. I taught chorus for a year at a private school, but I feel like this is a completely different animal. I currently teach a 5/6 chorus, which has twenty students and a 7/8 chorus that has forty students.

My biggest struggle is picking music that my students like. My 5/6 chorus is pumped for our Spring Concert because we are singing two "pop" songs. I have learned to give my students choices, so they feel like they are picking the music and that has helped. Even though they don't like it, they understand that we can't do "pop" music all the time.

How do you get students excited about chorus? What do you do to make sure your year is balanced with different genres of music?

I am Building...

I am slowly building what I consider to be a great music program. I know it will be slow progress, but this is what I am working towards. Some of these ideas have already been implemented, but I hope to improve upon them and make them school traditions. I realize that everyone will have slightly different ideas. These are the components of my dream music program. I am focusing only on things that I can control (things that happen inside of my room).

1. Start a 3/4 Chorus
2. 5/6 Chorus-50% of each class involved.
3. Innovation Day-4th Graders get 2 days a semester to explore parts of music that interest them.
4. Share Day-2nd thru 4th grades have a day during March where they can share their musical talents with their classmates.
5. Christmas Program-Alternate between a program and a more traditional concert.

What aspects are included in your ideal music program?

My Concern With Technology

I love technology and I use it a lot in my classroom, but all of these one on one initiatives worry me. For two years I worked at a Title 1 school in Alaska. Many of my students (myself included) did not have access to Internet at home. I work in Northern Illinois now and I am still amazed at how many of my students do not have Internet a home.

My main concern is that students will not have equal access to technology. I understand and see the benefits of technology in education, but we also need to be careful. Requiring technology in order for our students to be successful will quickly create a financial divide.

Making Changes

This year I decided against new year resolutions and opted for setting new goals. One of my goals was to work out more regularly and I decided to complete an 8 week Couch to 5K program. I made it thru 7 weeks before getting busy and not having time to workout.
Being in the midst of Lent and reflecting on my 2013 goals has made me remember how hard it is to change habits. These reflections have led me to thinking about my students and their families and the changes they are asked to make.
How can we support our students/families in their changes?  Do we give our students/families time to reflect on their progress and learning?

I Have Failed

As I walk up and down the hallways at my schools (I am split between an elementary and a middle school) I see a lot of tired teachers. We are one of those lucky districts whose spring break is the last week of March. Days like these, when I am tired and don't feel well, are when my pet peeves really start to bug me. It is also when I realize that I have not been a stickler about making sure my kids do certain things. In the end, it is easier to let them get by with "little" things, but days like this make me regret that decision.

I am refocusing my efforts to the "little" things in my classroom. I have a responsibility to my students and today has shown me that I have failed. As I have mentioned in another post, I believe that the ability to focus on details is one of the greatest tools we can teach our children.

These are the "little" things that I am focused on improving.
1. Walking in a straight line, hands at your side and being quiet.
2. Raising their hand before talking.
3. Students solving their own problems.
4. Students cleaning up materials.
5. Entering a classroom quietly.
6. Students making decisions based on their personality and needs.
7. Leaving a room better then how you entered it.
8. Responding to "Class, Class" correctly.

To Be A Successful Person...

These are skills I believe our children NEED to be taught in order to be successful members of society. I did not place these in order of importance, but rather the order I thought of them. In my opinion, manners, the ability to focus on details and a strong work ethic are the most important traits to have.

One of my goals for this year as a teacher is to focus on really teaching these skills instead of getting frustrated when my students struggle with them.

1. Perseverance.
2. The ability to determine when to ask a question and when they need to figure it out on their own.
3. The ability to relate one situation to different situation.
4. The ability to truly listen.
5. The desire to learn.
6. The desire to make themselves better.
7. The ability to relate to other people.
8. The ability to respect those who you may not get along with.
9. Strong Work Ethic.
10. Manners.
11. The ability to focus on details.

The Common Core

I do not like the common core. In fact, I don't like any curriculum or program that promises to "fix" all of our problems. Every few years a new curriculum or program comes out promising great results. In reality, it's the same ideas and theories repackaged and called by a new name.

What I see with many of these new initiatives are tired and stressed out teachers who feel like their hands are tied. Many don't feel like they even get to teach anymore. Curriculum, programs and technology will never replace a teacher, yet we are not trusting our teachers to do what they know is best.

Teachers are forced to go so many different ways that relationships are suffering. Like I have said before, relationships "fix" schools. Schools cannot educate children on their own. We need support from their families and the community. These relationships are vital!

Do all parents understand what their child's school/teacher expect? We need to make sure that this answer is a resounding YES! Students and parents should know exactly what is expected. Instead of looking for the magic pill, put in the time and create schools we can be proud of. I feel confident saying that what makes the great schools great is not based on curriculum or programs. It is based on having teachers and strong relationships.

This Piece Makes Me Think Of...

We spend two months studying each musical period and the associated composers. We have started the Romantic Period and we are studying Chopin this month. I had my students listen to Prelude in E-Minor and they drew a picture of what the music made them think of or feel. One thing I continually strive to teach my students is that they can think anything, but they have to have a reason. I enjoyed hearing why my students thought the music was a certain way. They had very creative ideas.

After doing this project with a few classes, I added time for them to share with a partner what they drew and to explain what they were thinking.

Music In Our Schools Month Project 1

As part of our Music In Our Schools Celebration, I had my students write their favorite thing about music class on a leaf. We taped the leaves onto a tree on the door to our room. This project was a great way to incorporate writing and fine motor skills. It also gave me insight into what they really like about music, so I can include more of these activities in my lesson plans.

Splitting Hairs

I realize this may be very picky, but is there is a difference between suggesting a better way and telling someone they are wrong? I believe there is and this distinction is very important. People do not like to be told the are wrong, but most people like to get better at what they are doing. Can you imagine the power of never feeling wrong, but always getting better? People tend to be defensive when they are told they are wrong and it is impossible to learn when you are afraid of feeling bad.

For example, when we play melodies on Orff instruments, a lot of my students prefer to play using only one hand. As a percussionist and a teacher, I prefer they use both hands. The main goal is for them to be able to play the melody line. Are they "wrong" if they play it using one hand? I would say there is a better way of doing it, but what they are currently doing is not wrong.

I get nervous before observations because I am afraid I am going to be told I am wrong. This fear prohibits a full learning experience. I see the same thing with my students. Some get upset when I tell them ways to be better because they think that means they are wrong. Others stop trying because they don't want to be "wrong".

Clearly there are times when it is right/wrong, but I believe schools need to focus on helping others get better. How can we build a culture of getting better instead of feeling like it is right or wrong?

It's Ok To Disagree

I have been living a myth. For some reason, I thought that being a brilliant teacher meant that no one disagreed with you. Now, I don't claim to be a brilliant teacher, but I was reaching for this unattainable level. I am not sure where this idea came from, but I have learned that it is simple not true.

Disagreeing does not include putting others down, being rude or thinking someone is wrong. We all have opinions and sometimes those opinions do not align with each other. The beautiful thing is that these moments can lead to great conversations, which in turn make us better teachers and people.

One of the hardest things for me is to to not take disagreements personally. I try to teach my students this too. Another person's opinion does not mean you are doing something wrong or are a bad person. I do not like conflict, so I always ran from these conversations. Disagreeing should not feel like conflict, so it is very important to keep tone in mind and choose words carefully. Disagreeing is fine, but we want these conversations to be a positive experience.

I challenge you to disagree with people. When someone asks for your opinion, tell them what you honestly believe and then explain to them why you think the way you do. This conversation is an opportunity for both people to grow.

Ways to be a Music Advocate

It has come to the point this year where I realized that I can either sit back and complain or I can do everything in my power to show the power and importance of music education. Honestly, I am tired of complaining, so I have decided to do something about it. I realize I am only one person, but I want my students to have the best music education possible. They deserve that from me. I am not going to leave it up to anyone else to advocate for music.

Ways I am going to be an Advocate for Music...

1. Being active during Music in our Schools Month. 
2. Keeping an up to date website full of information, pictures, videos and projects. I want parents to be aware of what their child is learning in music.
3. Performing at Grandparent's Day.
4. Share Day

As a Music Teacher, I Would Like You to Know...

Important things to know about the time your child spends in my music classroom.

1. You may see just a game, but I am teaching valuable skills: singing in tune as a group, keeping a steady beat, cooperation, team work, dynamics, gross motor skills and listening.
2. You may see us playing instruments, but I am teaching goal setting, team work, learning from failure and work ethic.
3. You see us clapping rhythms and singing patters, but I am teaching listening skills, working as part of a group and coordination.
4. You see us playing band instruments, but I am teaching dedication, work ethic, fine motor skills and coordination.

Advice for New Teachers

This will be an every going post, as I think of advice and tips to add to this list. Here is advice I have been given or learned the hard way through my experiences in education.

1. Remember it is always about the kids.
2. You can't make someone believe something they don't want to.
3. Be prepared to be miss understood.
4. To many (not all) music, art and PE exist so "real teachers" can have prep.
5. Relationships are what matter. Get to know your students and coworkers. Play with your students in PE or at Recess and go to their concerts/games. They want to know you care about them.
6. Be nice to the secretaries and custodians.
7. Listen more then you talk (at least at first).
8. Be a sponge and try to get better every day.
9. Be ready to advocate for your job.
10. Say thank you and remember your manners.
11. Focus on your kids. There is no better advocacy then students going home and being excited about your class.
12. Use your talents and strengths.
13. Make your classroom unique. You want your students to remember their time in your room.
14. Your job is as much about teaching music as it is about proving why music is important.

Music in Our Schools Month

For whatever reason, this is the first year in my four years of teaching that I have really done anything for Music in our Schools Month. This year, I really felt a need to do different things and demonstrate what we are doing in music to parents and the community.

This is what we are doing this month...
1. Mini performance- 2nd thru 4th graders are performing a dance during our Grandparent's Day assembly.
2. Share Day-this is an opportunity for students to play an instrument or to sing for their classmates. We focus on traits of both a performer and an audience member.
3. Favorite things tree-Each student wrote their favorite thing about music on a leaf. They cut then out and out then on the tree on our door. It was great to find out what they really like about class. This information helps me make class even better.

What is this Feeling?

I recently read a Twitter post that stated "Teachers who say they are burned out were probably never on fire to begin with." This comment struck me and honestly I was a bit offended, so I have spent time reflecting on it. This is my fourth year teaching and I think it is the most stressful so far. To be fair, there have been a lot of changes. This summer I moved 3000 miles, was married, started a new job and teach middle school chorus for the first time. All f this happened within a span of about three months, so it has been a bit of an adjustment.

What is burn out? I hear teachers use the word and I have used it myself, but what does it really mean? This year I have felt exhausted and frustrated. Upon further reflection I have learned that for me burn out is when I get too wrapped up in things I cannot control. When this happens I force myself to focus on my students and my classroom. These positive thoughts are usually enough to get energized and excited about teaching again.

What causes you to feel "burned out" and how do you cure it?

Listening to my Students

We study a new composer each month and I like to find a different project to conclude each unit. For Bach each student made an About Bach Poster, for Beethoven we watched the movie "Beethoven Lives Upstairs." I have the book "Let's Meet Famous Composers" by Harriet Hinghorn, Jacqueline Badman and Lisa Lewis-Spicer and it gives information about 19 composers and gives specific project ideas for each composer. The suggested project for Mozart was to write funny little songs like he did as a kid.

In my mind, I saw this as being a simple little project. I have learned this year that students do better when you give them basic guidelines and let them have freedom to make choices on how they want to complete the project. My students asked if they could have partners and after talking about expectations, I agreed. The projects they turned in are amazing to me. All students participated and they all went different directions. Some wanted to rap, some wanted to make up rhyming words, some created piggy back songs from popular radio and some students just wrote about something they like. In about 20 minutes of work time, most students wrote a half page song. One group was even starting to figure out rhythms.

Do you ask for your students opinions on projects? Do you ask for their ideas on how to make things better in your classroom? It is a scary idea, but I believe it impacts the quality of work they complete.