The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast: Music Education

Professional development doesn't always support what music teachers actually need. We all know the feeling of sitting through yet another PD that has everything to do with math or language arts, and nothing to do with music. In this episode, Sarah and Kate will help you discover how you can find the relevance in PD being offered that is both accessible and motivating for you the learner. Kate Hage...

Using centers in the music room isn't as scary as it sounds. There are ways to plan for centers and ways to provide choice centers to your students. Along with that, centers are a great way to assess your students. In this episode, Aileen does a great job explaining what centers are, different ways to group your students, and why you can adapt centers to work for your students.  Aileen Miracl...

Following a roadmap is the way to successfully build a curriculum for your classroom that you love. In this episode, I'll talk about the steps of that roadmap and what to do in order to get to your end goal.... a curriculum. Part of the roadmap is simplifying lesson planning and you'll learn how to do just that. Enroll in the Curriculum Design Roadmap course today!

Assessment and lesson planning work together and not against each other. So many times, teachers (including myself) do a great job lesson planning, but feel frustrated their students aren’t connecting the dots between concepts and it ends up making you feel frustrated. But, when you plan for assessment and not just plan the actual lesson, you’ll notice how much more your students are retaining. On...

Every grade level that comes into the music room has a different set of concepts you need to cover. It's the how to do it part that can get a bit confusing. When you use concept based teaching in the music room, you'll notice how much more efficient and effective lesson planning becomes. Instead of wondering what to teach and when, you know that you're focusing on the concepts and are checking for...

Curriculum development in the music room is already happening every day. Yes, you’re a curriculum developer and designer whether you know it or not. When you lesson plan, plan for units, prepare for programs, and use assessments, you’re a curriculum developer. But, maybe you’re wondering “if you’re doing it right” or aren’t sure the steps to take when you sit down to plan both long and short term....

There are many types of instructional models. Some are used to design courses, others are used to design lessons and curriculum, yet all can be used by you, the teacher. Although there are many instructional design models to choose from, the ADDIE instructional model is one of the most popular. In the ADDIE model, you’ll analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate the teaching and learning h...

In your first 5 years of teaching, it's important to set yourself up for success. While it's important to build a strong music program, it's also important to focus on your why, your who, and your what. When you do this, you'll center everything else around these three questions. Along with planning and teaching, taking care of yourself, setting boundaries from early on, and prioritizing your life...

Most of the time, you probably sit down to plan lessons on your own. As an elementary music teacher, more often than not, you’re the only music teacher at your school. Also, it’s hard to find the time to collaborate with other music educators, whether online or in person, due to time constraints. Maybe you want to plan with a “team” like you see the grade level teachers doing, but you honestly don...

Why are you more than a music teacher? How can you inspire your students day in and day out in the music room? What are ways you can build authentic relationships with your students? Throughout my conversation with Franklin Willis, we talk about all of this and so much more.  For more than a decade, educator, and leader, Franklin Willis has served the students and families of the Nashville. T...

Maybe you've wanted to bring more technology into your elementary music classroom, but you're needing new ideas. There's so much amazing technology available to use and it can get overwhelming knowing where to start and what to use with your particular crew of students. In this episode, you'll hear a full list of music technology ideas for elementary students that you can pick and choose from. The...

In this episode, I'll recap 10 of the most popular episodes from 2022. 2022 was a great year, and 2023 will bring new solo and guest episodes! Grab your free Simplifying Lesson Planning guide. Sign up for teacher coaching or business coaching with Jessica. Find out more about the HARMONY membership here. Get your copy of Make A Note: What You Really Need to Know About Teaching Elementary Music Joi...

What do you do when you feel like quitting music teaching? More than ever before, teaching has gotten harder for a variety of reasons. Maybe you used to love your job, but the thought of doing it anymore just drains you. If so, this this blog episode will inspire you to keep going and to remind you that you’re doing a heck of a lot better job than you think you are. Grab your free Simplifying Less...

You’ll be amazed at how well students pay attention when they have to completely focus on what you’re doing and not just what you’re saying. As you’re singing and talking all day every day, try to plan for days where you’re doing less talking and singing to not only save your voice, but to change things up in your classroom a bit.  In this episode, we'll go over ways you can talk less during:...

As a music teacher, you may be wanting to put work you've created into the world. Or, you want to consume more content, but aren't sure where exactly to go. Whether you're a consumer or a creator, the resources shared in this episode will help give you ideas you can easily use and implement.  Jaime Slutzky is an experienced and knowledgeable online technology strategist who works with music t...

Most of this episode comes from what is written in chapter 4 of my book “Make a Note” and other parts of the episode come from personal experience, different coaching I’ve done, or from conversations I’ve helped foster between music educators. You get your teaching position, and whether it’s your first year or your 25th, there are some things that you kind of had to figure out on your own or that...

You may have never stopped to think about how much the creative process promotes innovative thinking and problem solving skills in the music room. As a music educator, it's important to put on your creative mask first, then you'll have so much more to give to your students. Remember that musical studies are both a science and an art and while students are involved in the creative process, it's abo...

Implementing technology into the music room can be overwhelming. There are so many different technology platforms to use with your students, yet so little time to figure out what to use. In this episode, David Smolover of MatchMySound gives such great advice around how to use technology in your music classroom.  He talks about: easy assessment ways technology can enhance what you're already d...

Sometimes, you’ll get a class that has more students in it than normal.  Or, there might be a certain day you’re asked to combine classes since a teacher on your electives team is out for the day. It gets a little overwhelming trying to teach that many students and it’s easy to feel stuck. I’ve been there and done that and know how much it feels like you’re herding cats.  If you’re needi...

SEAL focuses on art, music, dance, and drama and they integrate with the 5 SEL competencies. The awesome thing is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to incorporating SEAL into the music room. Incorporating SEAL isn’t one more thing to do but it’s understanding what you’re already doing and building upon that, and in this episode Elizabeth Peterson does a great job explaining how exac...

You may want to bring Classical music into the music room, but aren't quite sure where to start. You need engaging activities and want your students to really connect with the music they're learning. If so, this episode ( and in this blog post ) you'll be provided with some ideas for you to begin bringing Classical music into your music room. Other links mentioned in this episode include: Black Vi...

Sometimes, it can get frustrating not being able to find the songs you're wanting to use in your music room. But, you've probably written some songs and have just stored them away somewhere for safe keeping. I'm so excited for you to listen to this inspiring interview with Dennis Mathew, who not only writes children's songs and books, but created them out of the ideas he had from years before. Thr...

The word failure is so tough. Nobody wants to mess up or make mistakes and wants to get things right all the time. But, trial and error is actually a good thing. It's an opportunity for you to try new things, mess up, learn as you go, and to grow and continue moving forward. In this episode, we'll talk about how you should get into the habit of practicing trial and error all school year long and w...

In this bite sized PD, we'll talk about how you can feel successful moving forward into this coming school year.   The resources mentioned are:  1. https://www.thedomesticmusician.com/first-day-of-school-in-music-class/ 2. https://anchor.fm/thedomesticmusician/episodes/199--4-Ways-to-Reframe-Negative-Thoughts-About-Teaching-e1h3asa 3. The Harmony membership at https://harmonymembership.t...

In this bite sized PD, we'll talk about staying organized both at home and work.    We'll talk about:  ways to stay organized action steps to take the exact systems that work for me   The resources mentioned this week include:   1. https://www.thedomesticmusician.com/organization-tips-to-balance-your-work-and-life/ 2. https://www.thedomesticmusician.com/the-music-teachers-back-to-school-checklist/...