The Elementary Music Teacher Podcast: Music Education

In a 45 minute class period, it's easy to feel stuck when trying to figure out what to do with your students throughout the class time.  Of course, there are a lot of factors to consider including if you see your students more or less than 45 minutes, what your teaching situation is like, and also the unique needs of your different classes.  Whatever the case may be, this breakdown will...

Teaching on a cart is something many music teachers find themselves doing at one point in their career.  There are a lot of questions surrounding on a cart teaching and I'm so excited to have Amy Walworth on the podcast to help answer them.  In this episode, she breaks down her experience in teaching on a cart including: why she likes it what's hard about it why teaching in the general c...

Every year, I do a recap episode to reflect back on the episodes recorded and to share some of my favorite moments.  2021 was a fantastic year for the podcast and I'm so excited to keep this show going and to continue bringing on guests and creating solo episodes that meet you where you're at.  Happy New Year and may this be the best year ever! Find out more about and sign up for the HAR...

What is a mission statement and why do you need one as a music teacher?  When you do goal setting and really strive to reach those goals, it’s what keeps you motivated to keep going. Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve thought about goals or you’ve never really done anything like this besides your teaching philosophy you had to think through in college. What I want to help you do in this epi...

In this episode, I want to give you 5 steps that will help you to find renewal before you head back to school after Winter break. Let go of unrealistic expectations put on you by others or yourself Process through the successes and struggles you’ve had so far this school year Think about what you'd like to improve upon going forward Consider how or what will improve your teaching practice or life...

Being an empowered educator means that you notice how you're feeling, and are therefore able to take a deep breath and focus.  A lot of times you don't have your feelings validated, which is so hard. In this episode, Jen Rafferty does a great job of explaining what an empowered educator is, why this is her mission in helping teachers, and how refocus your thought patterns to help you move for...

If you aren't aware by now, I'm beyond passionate about serving, mentoring, and coaching elementary music teachers.  With that said, I've been doing not only group coaching, but 1-on-1 coaching with some of my HARMONY members.  I wanted to share this coaching call with one of the music teachers in the membership for you to get advice and strategies about what you might be facing in your...

Working with English Language Learners in the music room can feel intimidating, yet rewarding at the same time.  How can you teach music to student who speak a different language than you?  What are ways you can communicate and help them progress in the music room?  In this episode, we'll talk all about that including: the best strategies for connecting with your students why you do...

Teaching right now is hard.  There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Although things are going back to "normal", they're not quite there yet.  So what do we do? How can you move forward? In this episode, I'm going to talk to you about reframing the way you view thankfulness and gratitude.  It’s not going to be sunshine, unicorns, and rainbows all the time.  We're all ve...

In this podcast episode, I'll talk about what to know about students lining up to leave the music room.  Every class time will look different and will change according to what you're doing with your students and what grade level is leaving your room.  But, the ideas I share in this episode will help you to get your students lined up and ready to leave in an easier way. In this episode, I...

What does it mean to deconstruct a music standard?  It can be overwhelming having objectives, deciding what quarter to teach them in, lesson planning to teach the objectives, and knowing if you're doing it "right." In this episode, I break down step by step how to deconstruct a standard to help you move forward in your music classroom. Read this blog post that goes right along with today's po...

What does decolonizing music education look like?  Are there steps you can take to make sure you're making your music classroom equitable for every student who comes through your doors?  In this episode, I brought on Giuliana Conti to discuss this with me.  The advice she shares throughout the entire episode is awesome and you'll get practical tips you can apply into your teaching r...

If you aren't aware by now, I'm beyond passionate about serving, mentoring, and coaching elementary music teachers.  With that said, I've been doing not only group coaching, but 1-on-1 coaching with some of my HARMONY members.  I wanted to share this coaching call with one of the music teachers in the membership for you to get advice and strategies about what you might be facing in your...

As an elementary music teacher, you bring drama into what you're already doing with your students, whether you realize it or not.  As you put on performances, do movement activities, read stories with action words, and create different sounds, you're integrating drama.  I'm so excited for the conversation I had with Deb Baldwin in this episode about drama instruction and integration, bec...

Are you struggling with feelings of being left out or lonely?  I know I sure have.  In fact, I've gone through some anxiety and stress the past two months and know others have as well from conversations I've had.  If this is you too, then I recorded this episode just for you.   During this episode, I talk about how to move past the feelings of being left out or not included. &n...

Diversity in music education is so important.  Making your classroom equitable starts with you first... understanding who you are, what your knowledge is, and where the holes are. In this conversation with Nate Holder, we discuss: why it's important to learn and to keep relearning the importance of helping students to see themselves in your music classroom including music from your students c...

Have you wanted to bring centers into your elementary music classroom but you're just not sure how?  In this episode, we'll go over simple ways you can begin doing centers with your students. These include: Boomwhacker melodies Student devices Listening activities Using keyboards Recorder or mallet instruments Music games and activities Read the blog post that goes along with this episode rig...

What if I told you that you can step into being a leader in your school building and amongst your peers as the music teacher?  You have the advantage of teaching every child or each grade level, know how to adapt lessons on the fly, and can deconstruct a standard to reach the different ages of learners.  Not only that, you're great at getting the unengaged learners excited about learning...

In this podcast episode, I'll talk about what to know about students entering the music room.  Honestly, when you set yourself AND your students up for success before they even step foot into your classroom, your class time will run smoother than ever. Throughout the episode, I discuss: The importance of meeting your students at the door Doing body percussion activities as they walk in Greeti...

While working with students with exceptional needs, you'll encounter students who deal with behavioral challenges.  It's so tough as the music teacher knowing how to best work with these students and to stay patient in the process. In this episode, Dr. Erin Parkes discusses how to take an empathy based approach to the behavioral challenges you may encounter. But, not only that, she and I have...

Maybe you've wanted to start a side hustle or sell some products or services, but you're not quite sure how.  I remember starting out and having all of the questions and no idea how to figure out the answers. In this episode, I'll break down the first steps to consider while pursuing your edupreneur dreams.   Some of these tips may be strategies you've never heard before, and my goal is...

What is a student-centered classroom?  How exactly does it empower your music students?  In today's episode, Theresa and I talk about these exact topics and help provide you with strategies to move forward with implementing ideas into your classroom.  Theresa is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and Innovator, frequently working with teachers to help integrate technology into...

Personal development for teachers is an important topic, to help you in both your teacher life and for your students.  A lot of times the focus is on professional development only, and personal development for teachers is forgotten about.   It's important that you know how much you matter as a person, and not just a teacher.  Then, show that person to your students and form those co...

Whether you already taught in person last school year or you'll be headed back into your building this school year, there's a lot of fear, uncertainty, and unknowns facing not only you, but your students too. In this episode, I'll address some thing to think through as you head into the new school year. We'll discuss: How music class may feel new to your students Why things may feel awkward for a...

There are so many mindset beliefs music teachers deal with on a daily basis.  In this episode, I'm going to tackle the 3 I hear mentioned the most.  Today, we're going to talk about the thoughts: "I'm not good enough..." "I feel like giving up..." "My students are behind..." The doors to HARMONY are officially open, but hurry because doors close tomorrow, June 29th!  You can find ou...