Workshop: Teaching Music: Creative Ideas, Plans And Strategies That Work! by Jake Sturtevant
I thought this session might be just another session of music teachers talking ‘shop’, and complaining about how horrible schools are to music programs. I was pleasantly surprised that the group at the session was a very dedicated and creative group of music educators from around the state. They had some great ideas for how to grow and sustain a productive music program, with an optimistic approach.
Rob Westerberg did a wonderful job guiding and steering the discussion among the teachers at the session, and he took notes for all the world to see by clicking here.
As far as the ‘ideas’ thrown around, I benefited greatly to hear how other schools are building and sustaining music programs creatively. For instance, one district utilizes Skype technology to meet with all the music educators in the district and discuss common goals and objectives, and work out solutions to problems encountered. Another teacher discussed his adapting a music program to fit the students, in which case there are guitar classes, intro to music classes, and percussion ensembles, and no conventional “band”. It was apparent to me that it is precisely these small productive communities that are needed in the education spectrum. Communities that don’t necessarily have a ridged agenda, but one that exemplifies creativity in a structured approach to formulating and discussing ideas, problems, and solutions.
Though it was just a short discussion sharing forum, the teachers in the breakout session seemed encouraging and creative in approaching problems, and though there were some complaints about how schools and systems make it impossible to teach music, there was a more productive atmosphere of how to work creatively within those systems. It seems to me this exemplifies the “practice what we preach” mentality, and it was wonderful to be a part of it in this session.
me arts ed 