Unlock Your Teaching Potential

Have a question for the show? Text us here! What’s keeping you from achieving your health and fitness goals? Is it mom guilt? Do you think it’s selfish to invest in yourself? Or, do you keep putting your health on the back burner because you don’t have the time for it? The truth is, building generational health is as important, (if not more so) than many other things you’re prioritizing in your li...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! What effect does a school principals’ approach to collaborative decision making have on teachers and students? What is the role of creating invitations and agreements versus stringent expectations, constriction and restraint on teachers? A collaborative leadership style is one that opens the door to conversations and viewpoints that foster an environment...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Why does representation and diversity in the classroom matter? How does it make an impact on how our students view themselves? Our students need trusted adults who are available to answer questions about identity and therefore can make a difference in their lives in the long term. Encouraging conversations about all sorts of intersections of identity in...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Does the simple act of sitting down to look at your finances stress you out? Do you avoid tapping on your bank app because you tend to think ignorance is bliss? When you think about money, do you shift directly into scarcity mindset, and feel your body contract? As we uncover our stressors, one thing that comes up over and over again is money. And while...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Do you feel depleted, overwhelmed, and burnt out from your job? Are you so accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment, that stopping to take a breath seems laughable? How long do you think you can go on this way- and have ANY quality of life? It’s so easy to find yourself adopting and absorbing the cultural values of your work environment. The fac...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Hello, everyone!  I know when you went into education, you had a passion for shaping young minds, creating community, and so much vision for how your work would impact this world.  But sometimes those days can feel like they're behind you. Because today, there are so many stressors that leave you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and frustrated. And y...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Scott Sheehan is the current NAfME National President-Elect. A nationally recognized advocate and leader for the advancement of music education, Scott is the Director of Bands and Music Department Chairperson at the Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School in Hollidaysburg, PA. He was a finalist for the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award and is an Educational...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! On this week’s podcast I spoke with Abigail Blair and Kathryn Finch who are elementary school music teachers in the suburbs of Chicago and coauthors of Full Steam Ahead and Everyone Loves a Story, two books on transformational teaching strategies in your music classroom. By using student-centered techniques and the maker-space philosophy Abigail and Kath...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! On this week’s episode I talk with Randy Ward who started his career as a professional cello player for a number of orchestras throughout the southwest United States as well as and Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. He earned his Masters degree in Music Pedagogy and began teaching in Fairfax County in Washington D.C. He is now working on his Ph. D. at...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! David Knott is a professional percussionist, educational leadership advocate, and professional conductor. He currently serves as a member of the instrumental music faculty at the sweetest band gig on earth, where he coordinates and directs all Middle Division Band activities at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa.  In 2020 Mr. Knott joined the summer mu...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Elizabeth Peterson has devoted her life to education and to reaching out to other teachers who want to remain inspired.  A former music teacher and current elementary general ed teacher, Elizabeth loves to bring artistic and creative experiences into her classroom.   An arts integration specialist, she is the host of www.theinspiredclassroom.com providin...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Dr. Renee Duncan talks about methodologies, pedagogies and theories outside of music education to better inform how we teach music to our students. Dr.  Duncan holds a B.A. in Multi-Instrumental Performance, an M.A. in Music Education: K-12) from New York University, and Ed. D. in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. With over a de...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Guy Michel is a marital artist and well-known professional cellist. He began his music career at the age of 5 in his native country, Haiti. He believes that music goes beyond Bach and Beethoven, or simply playing complex notes to showcase an individual’s talent. It is a form of self expression; A vehicle in which to awaken and stimulate the imagination a...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Laurie Orth's book, Rocket Recorder: Volume One is an innovative music workbook for recorder students that combines the contrasting disciplines of music with space exploration (shifting STEM to STEAM). She currently teaches on her YouTube channel, Laurie Orth Music Teacher . Laurie also serves as the Vice President of Aerospace Education for the Sav...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Dr. Derrick Fox is the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He launched The Derrick Fox Choral Series with Music Spoke to publish works by and about marginalized people, & created the Diversity and Inclusion in Action workshop which focuses on outlining personal & systemic bias, metho...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Diving into the science of the brain Lauren Waldman became her own best case study and learning experiment. Through her challenging, emotional and victorious learning journey, she came to understand what learning really is, how it feels and how to methodically approach it. It is her passion and purpose to evolve the way we learn now and share it with oth...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Dina Bolan is a third-grade teacher from NJ and a fierce advocate for playful education beyond the early childhood years. She is the creator of Club in a Crate, a play-based virtual Social club for kids ages 6-10. Find Dina here: clubinacrate.com clubinacrate@gmail.com @clubinacrate on Instagram and Clubhouse If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and sh...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Educator, consultant, and writer Allison Russo has over 10 years’ experience bringing issues of equity and ethics to light in the world of arts education. Her areas of interest include social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. A former public school teacher, Allison is a graduate of Ithac...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Josh Emanuel is a music educator, percussionist, music technology specialist, and composer from Suffern, NY. He received his B.M. in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and his M.S. in music technology from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and has taught students ranging from kindergarten to graduate music stud...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Veerle Ponnet is currently the Academic Director for Dusemond Study Programmes in the UK. Her vision and expertise draws on insights from the world of neuroscience. All of her programs promote a growth mindset, task-based learning, with an emphasis on empowering students to see the positive potential for growth in both themselves and in others. To find o...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Beth Slusher, CEO of the Give a Note Foundation, and Juliana Lee,  Strategic Development Director knows what it takes to be an awesome music education. The mission at Give a Note is to support innovative music educators who are rock stars in their classroom, providing access to high quality music education to every student. It was a pleasure talking with...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! I met Beth Slusher and Juliana Lee from the Give a Note foundation and after some passionate and heartfelt conversations about music education, they asked me to write an article for them: Mind the Gap: Traditional vs. Non-traditional Music Education. You can read the full article (and their other great content) at Giveanote.org Also.....You can reach Jim...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! Theresa Hoover is a music educator, speaker, and writer. She is an advocate for student voice in the music room and works to empower students throughout their musical experiences and help teachers transform their classrooms to become student-centered learning environments.  Theresa is currently a middle school band director in Arlington, Virginia. She is...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! This week on Take Notes, I had the pleasure of talking with Lourenço Dias Amador about neuroscience and music education. Lourenço is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, in Educational Neuroscience & innovation studies. He's currently investigating innovation and how it can be modeled as a skill, specifically how it could become an educ...

Have a question for the show? Text us here! It's the pilot episode of Take Notes! Dig deep and uncover your why - your reason for teaching. This will be your identity for who you are as an educator, and a guidepost for your professional decisions. email: music@jenrafferty.com IG & FB: @jenraffertymusic Clubhouse: @jenrafferty take a look at jenrafferty.com for upcoming events Cover art: h...