I think we can all collectively agree that trying to teach to students still fixated about who won or lost (or cheated) in their most recent athletic endeavor in gym class is not only time-consuming, but also teeth-gritting and nerve-fraying. As an elementary music teacher, 50% of the students I teach each day are coming […]
music
Posted inOpinion
Why Every Teacher Should Play De La Soul for Their Students
What De La Soul can teach Black students (and teachers) about breaking the status quo Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I grew up listening to De La Soul. They are part of the landscape of my adolescence and young adult development. The trio from […]
Posted inPedagogy
It’s Time to End Elitist Music Education
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! For many students, music is part of their everyday lives. They constantly have AirPods in, nod their heads and tap their feet when they hear a beat, and use music to make themselves feel better if they’re feeling down. […]
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Using Popular Music in the Secondary Classroom
Teachers born between 1950 and 1980 makeup both the baby-boom generation and those known as “Generation X.” The music with which they grew up is a reflection of the historical periods that produced it – Vietnam, the Cold War, the Fall of Communism, September 11, 2001, and the events that followed. Teachers of social studies […]
Posted inSchool Improvement
Students Need “Specials”
What is the practical purpose of those “specials” kids have in school- you know, P.E., Art, Music, Library? There is even another special to simply help kids keep up with the gadgets that find their way into schools: a Technology class! Do these specials interfere with the demands for academic proficiency? Do they make it […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Technology in the Elementary Music Classroom
Technology is an inevitable part of today’s world of education. Each week, I work to balance more traditional activities, such as playing instruments and singing songs, with technology-based instruction. Parents and students (and sometimes even other teachers) are often surprised to find that we use technology in music class. I believe using technology keeps students […]