My guest for this episode is music technology guru and master educator Katie Wardrobe. Her Midnight Music website offers amazing resources for music educators including help with all things tech – from lesson plans to general advice.
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Stephen is a Google certified educator and trainer, an Apple teacher, a Flipgrid Ambassador, and a Soundtrap certified educator. Ryan is vice president of TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) the leading professional organization for the integration of technology in music education. He’s also the social media manager at MakeMusic. Both guests are also experienced music educators and presenters at this year’s International Music Education Summit.
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Today’s episode is all about finishing strong at the end of school year. Whether you’re completing your first or your thirtieth year, I hope these insights and tips will help you be more efficient and relaxed. Most importantly, I hope you finish this year strong so that you can start next year even stronger. This episode isn’t so much about ending this year as it is about laying the groundwork to start next year.
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Many music educators leave college planning to lead a secondary school music program, but find employment teaching elementary music. In our previous episode, master elementary music teacher David Row and I had a great discussion about how to get started with an elementary program. As it turned out, much of David’s advice applies to the secondary classroom as well! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to part 1, I highly recommend it.
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In this episode, I talk with master elementary music teacher David Row about everything you need to know to teach elementary music. We go over how to get started, how to shape a curriculum for elementary kids, how to build lesson plans, and how to handle classroom management.
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I’m a huge fan of parent booster groups. They can really help promote your program, make fundraising easier, and engage your community. Joining me to talk about booster groups this week is Ryan Crabtree, president-elect of the Colorado Bandmasters Association. More importantly, however, Ryan is my daughter’s band director.
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Led by the National Association for Music Education, Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM) was created to demonstrate the powerful role that quality music programs play in the lives of young people. This month we highlight how critical it is to make music education available to every student. Your mission is to go out there and promote the heck out of your program!
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In this very special episode of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast, we welcome our first GRAMMY-winning guest! I’m excited to share my conversation with Melissa Salguero, who was recently named the GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year. You may recognize Melissa’s voice from Episode 12, where she shared tips on how to get the most from music education conferences.
Melissa and I became Facebook friends after the NAfME conference, and when I realized she won a GRAMMY, I knew I wanted to share her story with all of you. In this episode, Melissa describes how she got involved with music, why she became a teacher, and how she stays motivated.
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In this episode of the podcast, I interview Steve Giddings. Steve literally wrote the book on how to start a rock band at your school, and his tips will help you whether you’re starting from scratch at a small school or have years of experience in a well-established program.
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A great recruitment strategy is key to keeping your program healthy and maintaining or increasing enrollment. Equally important is to retain the students you already have. Making sure that kids don’t run off for a shiny new elective is just as important as getting them in your door in the first place.
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What should a recruitment and retention strategy look like? What can you do this spring to make sure enrollment numbers look great in the fall? In this episode I’m joined by Wendy Higdon, a fabulous band director and recruiting expert, to answer these questions and more. We’ll go over a long-term recruiting timeline, look at simple things you can do this week to improve retention, and share our favorite resources for this crucial topic.
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Making New Year’s resolutions is easy. Keeping them is hard. One key is to choose resolutions that make a tangible difference in your life. Resolutions are about more than “setting goals,” they’re about becoming a better person.
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Whether you’re just getting started in music education or are thinking about a new position, you likely have questions about getting a job. Depending on your situation, you may not even know how to get started on your job search.
In this episode, I speak with five educators with experience in the field. They have experience in changing jobs, staying in a current position, and even in retirement. Together they offer tips on every piece of the hiring process, from building a resume to finding job postings. We also talk about how to know if teaching is right for you.
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Conferences are one of the best ways for us to challenge ourselves as educators. They present a wealth of information and opportunity in a very small time frame, and taking advantage of everything can be a daunting task.
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I chat with Michael Linsin, who specializes in this topic. He’s the man behind Smart Classroom Management, sending weekly emails with management tips to more than 100,000 teachers. Michael’s ideas can change the way you teach, starting in your very next class.
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In this episode, I speak with Michael Levine, founder, and director of the Dallas Brass, about showmanship. Michael shares the “secret sauce” that has helped propel the Dallas Brass to more than 30 years of performance success. Michael discusses accessible showmanship techniques for students, challenges for instrumentalists, and incorporating showmanship without sacrificing the educational experience that is (and should be) the focus.
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This episode of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast is all about the logistics. I’m joined by Ryan Guth of the Choir Ninja podcast. Together we cover the entire concert planning process, from choosing repertoire to the after-concert checklist. I guarantee you’ll get new ideas you can use on your very next concert.
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The number one frustration most teachers face is a lack of funding. Most teachers turn to fundraising to overcome this frustration, but most fundraisers come with their own challenges. If you’re teaching in an impoverished area, how do you ask the community for money? How do you add the time and energy required to run a successful fundraiser to your already busy schedule?
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Marketing your music program can help make sure that parents and administrators can see the value of your program, build community relationships (including with local businesses), and improve your fundraising efforts. Whether your motivation is to show everyone why music education matters, or to simply improve your relationship with your administration, marketing is a vital part of your role.
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In this episode of the podcast, Bruce and I discuss our top five ways to make your administrators love you. Some of these tips are more easily said than done, but putting them in action this school year will serve you (and your program) well for years to come.
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