September Favorites 2017

So guys, don't tell it I said this, but I think September might be crazy. Like actually insane. Anyone else feel like they've just survived a tornado? Despite the craziness that is September, there were many little wonderful things I enjoyed this month, so this is a great chance for me to stop and reflect (and realize maybe September wasn't ALL bad)!...

Read more "September Favorites 2017"

Assessment Data Tracking in General Music

Assessment data. How exciting! ;) Much of a chore as it can be to even think about, assessment data (done right) is massively important to effective teaching- especially when you're teaching as many students as we are as infrequently as we do! No matter how well we think we know our students, it's humanly impossible for us to have an accurate...

Read more "Assessment Data Tracking in General Music"

Family Fall Bucket List

It's officially fall! It still feels like summer most days where I live, but I am definitely in the fall mood. I've been putting together a family bucket list every December and for summer vacation for the last few years, but because it's right in the midst of beginning of the school year business and winter concert prep and holiday craziness, I haven't...

Read more "Family Fall Bucket List"

Assessment in General Music: Performance Assessments

Assessment is one of those things few teachers want to talk about but every single one of us has to do, one way or another. In general music assessment can get pretty murky. With so many students to teach, so little time with each class, and so much material to cover, it can seem overwhelming to find the time to individually assess each student on...

Read more "Assessment in General Music: Performance Assessments"

Visual Calendar for Elementary Age Kids

With so much out of their control, and with schedules changing each day, having a visual calendar is really helpful for young children. Ever since I made my first one for my 2-year-old daughters 3 years ago, we have been using the calendar to track their daily schedule every week. A few months ago I shared how I had updated the other parts of the magnetic...

Read more "Visual Calendar for Elementary Age Kids"

Top 3 Units for Middle School General Music

Lesson planning for middle school general music classes can be tricky. There are not nearly as many resources out there as there are for elementary general music or middle school ensemble classes, and usually the students aren't easily impressed! I run my middle school classes very differently from my elementary classes- I use a lot more project based...

Read more "Top 3 Units for Middle School General Music"

5 Ways to Make Busy Times More Manageable

As I head into my 3rd week of the school year, and my daughters' 3rd week of kindergarten, I thought this would be a good time to share some ways that I treat myself and simplify life at home to make those especially crazy times of year a little more manageable. I tend to pull these out at the beginning and end of the school year and during concert...

Read more "5 Ways to Make Busy Times More Manageable"

Deepening and Assessing Understanding: Applied Learning Circles

Today's post is the third installment in my series on making every voice heard in the music room, and it's the one I've been most excited to share. So far we've discussed community-building circles and problem-solving circles, and today we're talking about what I'm calling applied-learning circles. What's so exciting about this teaching strategy is...

Read more "Deepening and Assessing Understanding: Applied Learning Circles"

5 Tips for Being More Productive (when it really counts)

Whether as teachers or parents (or any other hats we wear), the times we need to get the most done are usually the times when we feel the least able to actually be productive. I think the biggest inhibitors to productivity in these situations are stamina and overwhelm. Today I want to share my 5 tips to help you overcome those factors and be more productive...

Read more "5 Tips for Being More Productive (when it really counts)"