Daily Routine

In previous years, I struggled to include daily rhythm, singing and Solfege exercises into my lessons. I would have them planned, but I usually got caught up in the main focus of the lesson and we would manage to skip that part of my plans.  This year I decided to implement a Daily Routine that would cover rhythm, singing, Solfege and history.  I start each class (usually) with this routine and it typically takes around five minutes to accomplish (listening days take longer then this). I have seen great improvement with my students ability to read rhythm and Solfege due to the daily repetition and exposure.

Song of the Month (SOM)-  Each month I choose a song that I teach the entire school (K-4). I tend to pick a seasonal song and I keep it simple, so my younger students can still sing it.  It is fun hearing different grades of students singing the same songs. 

Rhythm of the Week (ROW)-Each week I pick three rhythm exercises cards for my students in grades 2-4. In kindergarten and first grade we do daily rhythm e no exercises.  This year my kindergarteners started reading Ta and Ta-rest rhythms during fourth quarter. 

Solfege of the Week (SOW)-Each week I pick three Solfege exercise cards for my students in grades 2-4. Kindergarten and first graders do Solfege echo exercises daily. 

Composer of the Month (COM)-Each mon we study a new composer and every two months we study a new musical time period. We answer twelve questions about the composer and listen to their music. Extra activities or projects are varied based on the composer.
(Here is a post I wrote specifically on our Composer of the Month.

Benefits of a PLN

PLN: Professional/Personal Learning Network

PLNs are part of the new way of educating teachers and they provide a way for teachers to stay current in their field and to share information.  Unlike a school PLN, an online PLN allows teachers to select individual teachers they want to follow.  The internet allows individual teachers to follow those who teach the same subject/grade or are doing things they want to learn about.  If you are a music teacher, you can follow hundreds of other music teachers.  The same is true for every other grade and subject (technology, art, physical education, primary, secondary, library and administration.)  For those of us who work in small districts and are not surrounded by others who teach our same classes, Online PLNs provide a way to connect with others in our subject.

My Twitter journey started roughly nine months ago. In that time it has proven to be a valuable resource and it is often the first place I turn when I have a question. I have recently added Google+ and Google Hangouts to my PLN repertoire and similarity to Twitter it has proven to be a wonderful source of information.  The benefit of Google+ are there is no character limit and it allows for group video chat. Many of my teaching ideas and my entire list of Apps is due to interactions with my PLN on Twitter.

Why my Online PLN is vital for my success as a teacher...

1.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who teach music-I have gained so much from conversations with other music teachers: lesson ideas, strategies, concert repertoire ideas and classroom ideas.  The weekly Musedchat is a highlight of my week.  This next year I am teaching a Media Class for the first time.  Twitter has allowed me to connect to teachers who teach a similar class and I have learned many ideas from them.

2.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who use strategies and philosophies that I am interested in-Gamification is a new found interest and I have learned more about it thru Twitter then any other medium.

3.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who use technology that I am interested in-Class Badges, Class Dojo, Edmodo, Reflector App and Apple TV are all products that I learned about thru Twitter.

4.  I am able to share ideas with others-sharing and learning are two great joys of life.  My eventual goal is to share as many ideas as I steal.  I have a lot of ground to make up, but my Online PLN has pushed me to focus on trying to produce great ideas.

5.  My PLN help keep me focused and motivated.  It is wonderful to have a group to celebrate successes with and to help me work through struggles.  They also set a clear definition of what being a great teacher looks like and keep me striving for excellence.

Drum Circle

One of my favorite units all year is African Drums.  In previous years, I have done this unit with third and fourth grades.  This year I decided to try it in second grade and it went very well.  Next year I would like to add a singing component to the unit, but this year I focused on correct technique and playing as a group.  I also used Drum Circle videos from YouTube to give my students ideas on what or how to play.  My school has the Remo Children's African Drums.  As a percussionist, I realize they are not of the highest quality, but they serve their purpose and they stay within my budget constraints and limited storage space.  I have found this unit to be extremely useful in reenforcing listening skills, playing as a group and practicing being respectful.

Teaching Points
1.  The importance of listening.
2.  Picking out one classmate and trying to make their rhythm sound better.
3.  Working as a team.
4.  The different roles of each drum.
5.  Dynamics
6.  African Drum History (Focus on the respect for the instrument.)
7.  Oral Tradition
8.  Tempo and Steady Beat (I explain it to my younger students as a clock.)

Teaching Activities
1.  Follow the Leader (Rumble)
2.  Echo
3.  Jam-Student decided rhythms
4.  Groove-Teacher given rhythms (2+ sections, depending on group ability)
5.  Student Leaders (2 groups, leader taps the air when they want their group to play.)
6.  Reading and playing rhythms

Music Standards
Standard #2:  Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Standard #5:   Reading and notating music.
Standard #6:  Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Standard #8:  Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
Standard #9:  Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

It is OK...

I recently started listening to a Podcast about living a healthy life: physically, mentally and spiritually.  My biggest take away so far is the philosophy that it is ok.  It is ok to not be a master of everything and we need to embrace our weaknesses.  Out society teaches us that we need to show off our strengths and hide our weaknesses.  There is a time for that, but we become stronger people when we focus on our weaknesses.  When we are honest with ourselves about what we struggle with, we can create a plan that builds our weaknesses into strengths.  I am entering my fifth year of teaching and I have learned a ton in four years of teaching.  This previous year was one of growth and embracing technology and I am excited about my future years in education.  Being honest with myself about my strengths and weaknesses will help me continue to grow as an educator and person.

What are your struggles?  What areas could use some strengthening?  We all have them, but we usually try to ignore them.  We need to reflect out our individual weaknesses and we need to teach our students this valuable skill.

Helping People Win at Work

I recently finished reading "Helping People Win At Work" by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge.  The book is for the business world, but I see a lot of parallels to education and I was able to come away with some great information.  The book is based on the experience the company WD-40 had when implementing a new evaluation strategy.  Education is all about evaluation and this book showed that the traditional way of doing something may not be the best.  I strongly recommend this book and the best part is it is a free book on Kindle.

1.  Don't Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A
This is a concept I had a hard time with at first.  In education it seems to be expected that someone fails.  Teachers who give all A's are either too nice or their class is too easy.  Why does someone have to fail in order for others to be successful? If I truly want all of my students to be successful, then I need to make sure that my classroom is setup with that goal in mind.  I also need to make sure that my students are working towards attainable goals.  Overall goals should be similar, but that does not mean that all students are working at them the same way or at the same time.  Students achieving success should be our number one goal.  In this business model, the coaches (managers) take responsibility for the success of the people below them (our students).  Imagine the power if a student and a teacher were working together to achieve individual student goals?  I believe the achievement could be endless.  We all need someone in our corner who will guide and help us through our challenges.


2.  Building the Right Culture/Relationships:
I believe that relationships are the key to a happy and successful life.  Great things happen when people treat other people well.  Learning consists of messing up, trying again and eventually mastering the skill of concept.  This willingness to mess up can only occur when there is a atmosphere of trust and respect.  Evaluations should not be a "gotcha" time.  A time to tell the person everything they have done wrong. Instead they should be a time for honest communication and reflection on the original goals and a time to monitor if those goals have been accomplished.  People tend to get defensive when they believe others are judging them. If we are working towards the same goal and I am told I am weak in a specific area, I can be open to getting better because I know the other person has nothing to gain by telling me I am struggling.  This is the power of a relationship. Person A judging Person B is not nearly as beneficial as Person A helping Person B grow and achieve new skills.

The culture of an organization, classroom or team is vital to the success of that group.  Sports teams are a great example of this.  Teams that are successful are not successful by accident.  There is a culture of excellence and high standards that are an expected way of life within those groups.

3.  The Importance of Coaching:
This builds on the concept of relationships.  In sports, a coach assess a player and is constantly working with them to help them improve their skills and knowledge of the game.  This coaching does not happen once a week or once a month.  There is no evaluation period.  Coaching is constant and they are always giving feedback, both positive and negative to their players.  People want to know when they are doing well and most want to know how they can improve.  This feedback is more effective when given regularly.  No one wants to sit down and hear a list of everything they have done wrong in the last six months.  At the same time, how effective is praise if it is given all at one time?  We are not here to judge our students; we are here to coach and guide them to achieve success.

4.  Celebrate Success
We all want to be successful and we spend a lot of time and energy working towards our goals.  It becomes very anti-climatic if we do not stop for a moment to celebrate our achievements.  In sports, this can be as simple as a high five or a way to go! In my classroom I have my students clap, we may do a happy dance or some other silly activity that helps us celebrate our achievement.  These activities also remind us that learning is sometimes hard, but it should be fun!  The important thing is for us to acknowledge the achievement of individual students.  We need to share in their excitement and joy.

What Being a Runner Taught Me About School Awards

A few weeks ago there was a Twitter Chat about the role of awards in education.  That chat and time spent running has helped refocus my philosophy on awards and their importance.

I have always considered myself a runner, but it was not until recently that I became a truly dedicated runner.  As a high school and college athlete, running was part of my life.  This school year is the first time that I ran for the sake of running.  I was not conditioning for another sport or trying to get in shape, I just ran.  I have ran two races so far this summer and I hope to run a half marathon in July.  Running the races and preparing for a long race have taught me a lot about awards and their purpose.

Awards seem to hold a strong place in our education system and I fear that we are exiling a group of students who may not be able to "beat" their peers.  Running has helped me realize that awards should not be our end goal.  The first race I ran this year was a 5K and it took me thirty minutes to finish, which was the middle of the pack.  On one hand I failed, because I did not run faster then all the people.  I would not have won any awards, other then a participation ribbon.  On the other hand, my goal going into the race was to run it in under thirty minutes.  If I compare myself against the whole, I failed; but if I compare myself against myself and my individual goals, I accomplished what I set out to do.  An award at the end of this race would not make it a bigger accomplishment.

The second race I ran this year had similar results.  I accomplished my goals even though I was once again in the middle of the pack.  As I prepare for the half marathon, I have been looking at the race results from last year.  My projected time will put me with the last five runners of the race.  I run a ten minute mile and I have to accept the fact that I will never run a six minute mile.  Does this mean I should give in and say running is not my thing?  We challenge our students with this question every time we compare them to their peers.  Compared to others, I look like a horrible runner.  Compared to myself, I have had great accomplishments.  These individual accomplishments would be forgotten if I was comparing myself to my peers.

One of my goals as a teacher and a coach is to help my students learn how to push themselves and to keep high standards.  Comparing oneself to others is a natural part of life, but it is really only beneficial to those at the top.  I believe we need to teach our students how to compare themselves against their previous accomplishments.  I have heard of schools who give individual awards that are based on goals set by a student and their teacher.  I am fortunate to work in a building that does this and I think it is a great idea.  This method is teaching students to do their best, instead of focusing on "beating" someone else.  Giving an award should not mean that someone has to loose.

In the end, we want all of our students to be successful and we can only do that if we meet them where they are and help them improve.  We need to celebrate all accomplishments, no matter how small.  I may not stack up well against my peers, but I can also be a better me.

Engaged

Whose job is it to engage students?

This is a question that I have really struggled with this year.  I don't remember having a choice to be engaged as a student, but now its seems the responsibility to engage students is on the teacher.  I struggle with this because I know from experience that adults do not have a choice to be engaged (in a work situation, choosing not to be engaged can be detrimental to continued employment) and I believe that this is a skill that our students will eventually need to learn.  My conflict has been should I teach my students how to be engaged even when they don't want to or should I make sure that my class is always engaging?

On my mission to control only things that I can control, I am trying to make sure my classroom is as engaging as possible.  In my opinion, this goes back to building strong relationships with my students.  When I know my students, I am able to plan activities that they are more likely to enjoy.  I also see the benefits of exposing my students to new ideas and concepts, but it is easier to do this when there is a base of activities that my students enjoy.  I have found the easiest way to increase engagement is to give my students choices.

Easy Choices to Give Students...
1.  Allow students choices in how they show their mastery of concepts or skills.

2.  Allow students choice on the order they accomplish different tasks.

3.  Let the class decide which order we accomplish daily tasks.

4.  Let the class know the plan for future projects.

Carnival of the Animals

Along with our study on each musical time period and the corresponding composers, my second graders do a unit on Carnival of the Animals.  In third grade we do more exploration on how music makes us feel and what music makes us think, so Carnival of the Animals is a perfect introduction to higher level listening and musical reflection skills.  I give a general background to the piece of music and then we discus whether or not each piece accomplishes the goal of sounding like a specific animal.

We listen to a majority of the movements and then we end the unit by watching the Bugs and Daffy's cartoon movie.  The movie does use the alternate name for a donkey, but I ask my students if they can handle it and if there is any hesitation we skip that part.  It is also an opportunity to introduce them to the idea of context and the difference between bad words and words that are not nice.

YouTube Videos 
Bugs and Daffy's Movie

March of the Lion

Elephant

Kangaroo

Aquarium

Fossils

Swan

What I Learned From a 5K and a Summer Celebration

I recently ran my first 5K, which was the kickoff event for my town's Summer Celebration.  The proceeds from the run/walk went towards a community fund that is distributed to those who have experienced a medical or catastrophic event.  This year the event was in memory of a community member who passed away this year and many people came to run/walk in her memory.  It was an amazing event to witness and it showed the power and possibilities when we all come together as a community.

Human beings can achieve amazing feats all by themselves, but imagine the possibility if communities continually worked together.  Our schools are a community within a community and we will achieve far more together then we ever can alone.  A little town in Illinois is able to come together to raise money for local families who are in financial need or will have hardships in the future.  At the same time our communities are full of people who are willing and able to help in our mission to education the future generation, but they need to know how they can help.  

One of my favorite memories from teaching in a small Alaska town was when the Elder from The Alaska Room in Fairbanks came to speak to our school.  The lone gentlemen of the group offered to teach my students Eskimo Baseball, which is a game played in many Native Villages.  I had already taught my students the game, but relearning it from a Elder was an amazing experience for my students.    Along with the game, they learned about respect and sportsmanship.  These two life skills are held to a high standard during this game and students were taught how to keep their emotions in check.  Our communities are filled with people who are experts in different fields.  Teachers have the ability to teach these same concepts, but it is even more powerful for our students to learn these skills and concepts from people who are experts in their field.

Who are the people in your community that could help teach concepts and skills to your students?  What are ways we can open the doors to our schools and help our students realize that learning is a lifelong endeavor and not one that only happens inside a school?

I am still working out the logistics and brainstorming ideas on how I would like to invite the community into my classroom.  So far, I have three ideas.

1.  I would like to find ways to bring more musicians and artists into my school.  Using Skype is a possibility.

2.  I would like to have at least one day a year (during Music In Our Schools Month) to invite parents into the classroom, so they can see and experience what music class is like for their child.  General music has changed a lot over the years and many parents do not have a complete understanding of what music class looks like in the year 2013.

3.  Invite community members in to share Multicultural Music.  The area I live in is not incredibly diverse, but we do have community members that come from a few different cultures.

Positive Communications

I used to believe that no news was good news and I lived many parts of my life under this philosophy, but recently I realized that I dislike when I only hear about things whey they are a problem.  If I don't like it, why I would I live by this philosophy?  I recently read an article that said research peoves that 5:1 praise/corrections is optimal for human growth and well being. One of my goals for next school year is to incorperate this philosophy into my classroom. I

 am also on a mission to make sure that my students, coworkers and parents know exactly what is going on in my classroom.  I want to be constantly sending out positive communication and feedback with those around me.  As a teacher and a person in general, there are many ways to do this.  Here are the ways I plan on incorperating positive communications in my classroom.

1. Keeping my classroom website up to date. 

2. Constantly adding new material to our online porfolios. 

3. Incorperating the use of sticker badges to remind students of skills and material they have mastered.

4. Handing out Rock Star Cards when students are showing outstanding behavior or growth. 

5. Creating a monthly classroom newsletter using Padlet that shows what we have done in class.

What I Have Learned From a Month of Books and Podcasts

This summer I have committed myself to reading a book a day and to run a minimum of a mile everyday. Along with reading thirty-three books so far this summer, I have listened to numerous podcasts. This journey has lasted less then a month but I have already learned valuable lessons.

1. Create a detailed plan. Have goals and a plan to achieve each one. 

2. Spend time taking care of myself: reading, Bible Study and exercise.  Stress is created when my life is out of balance and I need to make sure I am taking care of my spiritual, emotional, physical (eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep and exercising) and mental needs. 

3. Spend time cultivating and building strong relationships. Humans are social beings and life is more enjoyable when we can share our successes and sorrows with other people. 

4. Focus on things within my control. 

5. The mind is a powerful tool and I need to learn how to use it to the best of my ability. I need to include positive self talk and visualization into my daily life. 

6. Look ahead and practice today for the positions I want tomorrow. Dress and act like the person I want to be in the future.

7.  I do not need to be a master of everything, but I need to be very good at what I do well.  Focus on my strengths and make them stronger.  This includes my use of tools and skills.

iPad Apps

I am fortunate to work in a district that has a 1:1 initiative for Teacher iPads. This is my first year with an iPad, so I am slowly finding new ways to use it in my classroom. I use it a lot for record keeping, but I am trying to find ways for my students to use it more. I recently had Reflector App installed onto my computer, so I have been spending time searching for apps (free ones) that I can use to help teach or practice different concepts. Here is a list of my favorite apps.  This list is ever growing and I continue to find new ways to use my iPad in my classroom. 

1. Evernote: Great app for student assessments and organization. Students also record Recorder Karate Assessments on an iPad. 

2. Penultimate: I use this app to draw Rhythm Flashcards and vocal shapes for my students. 

3. Musician's Kit: I record songs/projects and we the audio clips on our online portfolios. 

4. Doo Dah:  Great pitch matching game. 

5. Recorder Free:  Great introduction and beginner games for recorder. Some of the games do not work well without a microphone, but it is still a good app. Allows my class to learn the same information without having to hear it all from me. 

6. Garage Band:  Great app for creating compositions and play alongs. 

My Standards Based Grading Journey

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I despise grading. I believe letter grades are meaningless. What does earning an A in my class mean? I am hoping that transitioning to Standards Based Grading (SBG) will make grades more relevant and will show what students are able to do. At this time, I am still required to use traditional grades, so I am working on combining the two into a grade that reflects what the individual is able to accomplish in music. This post is about my journey on creating a standards based grading systemand implementing these into my classroom. I realize I may be "breaking" some SBG rules. I am trying to find a system that works in my classroom and still fits what I am required to accomplish.  I fully expect some of this to evolve and change as I use it and read more about SBG. 

My SBG Journey

1. Figure out which standards to assess.  I am planning on assessing seven of these. I assess singing (whether or not a student can match pitch), but I do not grade students on it.  I do not plan on assessing students on Standards #1 and #3.  In music, we work on the same nine standards in different ways throughout the school year.  This allows students opportunity to show growth and mastery.

National Standards for Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. 

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

2. Rubric: I am still responsible for have letter grades (we do S+, S, E at the elementary level). My four levels of accomplishments: Expert, Practitioner, Apprentice and Novice. Each has a corresponding percent score: 100%, 90% and 80%.  

                                    

    

3. How to Access: this has been my biggest mental block. I have two hundred students, so I need a way to access them that will not overload me. At the same time, it needs to be fair for the students. I have decided not to have deadlines for when I assess. Students will have all year to accomplish the individual standards and they will be marked according to their progress each quarter on those standards. I use the website Class Badges with my 3rd and 4th graders and they earn badges as they work thru different projects.  I am brainstorming ways to include sicker badges into my lower grades.  I want to make it clear to my students what we are learning and what skills they are achieving through each project.

How is your SBG journey?  I would love to hear how you are implementing it into your classroom.

What Is Inside My Control?

I have been listening to a lot of podcasts lately and the underlining message in many of them has been "Control what you can."  This is also something I tell my players on a daily basis.  It seems like a simple concept, but it is hard to put into practice.  Stress tends to be caused by trying to control things that are outside of our realm.  I have come to the conclusion that I do not want to endure another stressful year like this past one, so I am on a mission to control everything that I can in order to make my life less stressful.  My focus and drive will be on things inside my control.  There is no purpose spending time worrying about things that I cannot fix.  Again, it seems like a simple concept, but it is a hard philosophy to live.

Items Inside My Control
1.  What time I go to bed, what time I wake up and how much sleep I get.

2.  Including exercise into everyday.

3.  Including Bible Study into everyday.

4.  Making time to read everyday.

5.  Spending quality time with my husband, family and friends.

6.  Building strong relationships with those around me.

7.  Creating a classroom atmosphere that includes high standards, positive behavior and manners.

8.  Making sure I eat healthy foods and focus on water intake and fruits/vegetables.

9.  Staying on top of grading every week, so deadlines are easy to meet.

10.  Keeping my desk and classroom organized.

11.  Planning ahead and being prepared ahead of time for projects and lessons.

12.  Using my time wisely and staying ahead of deadlines.

13.  Creating positive relationships with my students and coworkers.

14.  Posting to our class website daily/weekly, so it does not pile up.


Do you control what is inside your control or do you try to fix things that are outside of your control?

Grading

Now that it is summer, I have found myself will a lot of extra time on my hands and I have been using this time to read and reflect on ways to make my classroom better.  Grading and assessment in music have always been a source of conflict and doubt for me.  After reading many books, listening to podcasts and reflecting on ways to make my grading practices better, I realized that I need to make sure my grading philosophy lines up with how I want to be graded.

This forced me to think about what practices were beneficial to me as a student and as a teacher (teacher evaluations.)  The most beneficial assessments for me are ones that include specific feedback (either what I did well or what I struggled with) and specific ideas for how I can improve.  Therefore my grading practices need to fit these criteria: Be Specific, Be Positive.  The same rules for specific and positive feedback apply to formal and informal assessments.  Telling a students "Good Job" is not specific enough, I need to tell them exactly what I thought they did well.

I recently listened to a podcast about coaching and one of the topics was praise.  Research has shown that people flourish when they receive at least 3 positives for every negative comment.  Positive comments also need to be specific.  Generic compliments do not have the power that detailed compliments carry.  This factor alone shows why letter grades are failing our students.  What does an A mean?  How do I go from a B to an A? Letter grades are neither specific or show how to improve.

The purpose of grades are to show students (teachers and parents) how a child is progressing through different skills and concepts.  I know from my own experience, that being told "Good Job" is not nearly as meaningful as being told specifically what I am doing well.  I still have my teacher evaluations from two years ago.  Obviously, I need to keep them for professional reasons, but I also kept them as a positive reminder.  Under each competency is a 3-5 sentence paragraph explaining exactly how I met each requirement.  The positive feedback shows me exactly where my administrator thought I am in my teaching journey.

This desire to give specific feedback with detailed examples of how my students can improve has led me to research Standards Based Grading.  I still have a lot of work to do, but I plan on transitioning my classroom to a SBG System this next school year.  The questions guiding my grading will be "Am I being specific?" and "Am I giving specific examples on how they can improve?"

What questions guide your grading practices?

Reading

Lately I have been reading a lot about how reading is so important and how successful people spend an exuberant amount of time reading. I am a self professed book worm, but I have realized that I need to be more intentional about my reading and I need to spend more time writing and reflecting about what I am reading. Through tweets and articles, these are the books currently on my reading list. I also teach a 4th grade reading group and they have suggested many books for me to read. I have also started listening to podcasts while I run. This allows me to exercise while also using this time to learn.

Currently Reading
-Never Work Harder then Your Students by Robyn R. Jackson
-Putting the Wow Into Your Teaching by Dr. John R. Egger
-How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

Reading List
-Global Achievement Gap by Dr. Tony Wagner
-Creating Innovators by Dr. Tony Wagner
-Classroom Habitudes by Angela Maiers
-Drive by Daniel Pink
-Flattening Classrooms by Vicki Davis
-Understanding Digital Generation by Ian Jukes
-What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker
-Teach Like a Pirate
-Dream Class
-Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
-Book Love
-The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

My Goals

My Top Ten Goals As A Teacher

1. Model and teach my students how to be respectful, use manners and treat others well. 

2. Foster a love of learning in my students. 

3. Show my students that mistakes are a welcomed part of life and model for them how to learn from them. 

4. Create an awareness and excitement for music. 

5. Model for my students that learning is a lifetime journey. 

6. Create a classroom environment that is safe, fun and full of energy. 

7. Help my students acomplish tasks they never thought possible. 

8. Guide my students to become better musicians, students and people. 

9. Model healthy behavior. 

10. Have Fun! 

What If...

There has been a lot of talk about education reform lately. I do not claim to know everything and I tend to see problems with a simplistic view. Thinking about the current state of educations made me think and got me wondering...

What If?

1. Teachers were treated like students. Instead of using evaluations as evidence to fire someone, they were used to help guide and strengthen that individual as a teacher.

2. Standardized tests were actually a real indicator of information students had been exposed to during lessons. These tests would then better reflect how students were progressing through school. 

3. Teachers and administrators worked together to create a strong support staff for each other and their students/community. We can accomplish more as a group then any one person can alone. 

4. Teachers and parents communicated regularly about the progress of their child. Honest communication including strengths, weakness and ways the teachers and parents can support each other. Teachers and parents need to be a team as we both strive to educate their child. 

5. Academics and athletics focused on working hard, having integrity, being respectful and dedication. These life skills will help students be successful now and in their future.  Learning how to fail and not give up are two of the most valuable lessons children can learn. 

6. We (educators, parents, community members) stopped using "this is best for kids" as a catch phrase and made sure our actions, philosophies, expectations and rules were really what was best for kids. What is best for kids may not be what they deem is best for them now, but we need to look at the long term picture. 

7. We used consequences as a tool for learning instead of punishment. Cause and effect is a vital concept for human beings to understand. When I get caught speeding, I will get a ticket. I now have to make a decision if speeding is worth the possible fine. This reasoning is a taught skill and one that will serve students well in the future. 

8. Teachers were viewed with the same amount of respect as other professions: doctor, fire man or lawyer. I believe teachers are partly responsible for the negative the negative view on our profession. We need to each do our part to showcase the wonderful activities and projects that are happening in our classrooms and schools. Most people only hear the negative news related to education. 

9. Education was actually about learning and not about politics and someone high on the food chain making lots of money. We need to be honest with ourselves, laws that are passed usually benefit some individual or group who stands to become wealthy (Praxis and Pearson). 

10.  Schools were the focal point of a community. All facets of the school were honored and valued: academics, FFA, the Arts and athletics. We need to focus on all of our students, not just the few who are standout athletes. 

Summer PD Goals

This is the first summer in my adult life that I have stayed in the same city during the summer. This is also the first summer I get to spend with my husband, so I am looking forward to spending time doing fun things: golfing, hiking, biking, camping and grilling out. I also want to spend time this summer on activities that will help me to become a better teacher. 

My Summer Steps to Making Myself a Better Teacher

1. Complete the six part Google Apps Training Courses: I work in a Google Apps District and these courses will help me learn how to use these Apps better. 

http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/resources/training-programs.html

2. Lesson Planning:  I brought home a crate of books and resources to help me improve my lessons next year. I am in the middle of rewriting the K-4 Music Curriculum and these resources will help me solidify my ideas. 

3.  Reading: I have started the Book A Day Challenge. So far I have read eleven books in ten days.  Reading allows me to expand my ideas and viewpoints. I am balancing my summer reading list with fun books, children's books (exploring possibilities for next year), religious books and teaching/coaching books. 

4. Runner's World Holiday Run Streak: I have dedicated myself to run at least a mile every day between May 28th and July 4th. I will be able to serve my students and school better if I am physically and mentally healthy. 

5. Play Music: I brought my guitar and drum set home for the summer and I look forward to spending time practicing. As a music teacher, it is vital that I keep my skills as a musician strong. 

6. Social Media: Twitter, Google+ and Facebook are all platforms that allow teachers to share information and ideas. I have been using Twitter all school year, but I am new to Google+ and I have not used Facebook a lot for professional purposes. 

7. Online Classes: I recently came across an article on Zite that talked about free online classes. Many of these are focused on technology and I plan to complete a few of them. 

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/5-free-online-courses-for-tech-savvy-teachers/

Getting Started With Twitter

I am one of the "Young Teachers" at my school, which seems to mean I am automatically good at using technology. During one of our first inservice days, the presenter explained how Twitter is an amazing tool for educators. I was skeptical at first, but I decided to give Twitter a chance and it has paid huge dividends. 

How to Make Twitter Work for You

1. Create a Twitter Handle (your username). Make sure you include a real picture of yourself. Including a short list of what you teach or words that describe you also helps you connect with people who have similar interests. 

2. Search for people who follow. Start with people who teach similar levels/subjects or teach using techniques you support. I started my twitter search by looking for people who teach music and coaches. 

3. Get familiar with a few Twitter Hashtags. They are simply a keyword that helps other users see your Tweets.  Jerry Blumengarten has a great website with lots of Twitter information, which also includes a list of Educational Hashtags. Find a hashtag that relates to what you talk about and include it on your Tweet. 

http://www.cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html

4. Find a Twitter Chat. There are a ton of Twitter Chats that happen everyday. Find one that is interesting to you. I started with the Music Ed Chat (#musedchat on Monday nights at 7 PM). 

Here is the Official Twitter Education Chat Schedule

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AiftIdjCeWSXdDRLRzNsVktUUGJpRWJhdUlWLS1Genc

5. Lurk around during chats. During the chat, search for the chat hashtag and just follow along with the conversation. Don't worry about contributing, just sit back and learn from the conversation. Twitter Chats are also a great place to find people with similar ideas to follow. When you feel comfortable, feel free to start sharing your ideas and answers questions. 

6. Be patient: it may seem pointless at first, but with time and effort you will build relationships with other educators thru Twitter. These relationships will lead to conversations, sharing information and learning. It is easy to get caught up with how many people you follow or how many you follow. Don't worry about the numbers, worry about the number of conversations you are having and the information you are sharing. It takes time to build, but the time is well worth the effort.