Music Teacher Coffee Talk

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #133: Teacher Appreciation   Past Episodes about End of the Year Activities and Tips: #111: Wrap It Up! #90: Your Future Self Will Thank You #15: Closure Main Theme: Teacher Appreciation In this episode, Carrie and Tanya remember their favorite teachers from the past and the qualities of those teachers that have affected and influenced us. Here are some of the qualities we have noticed from our favorite teachers: Putting students first Playfulness and joy Fostering passion and creativity Importance of solid pedagogy Kind and caring Importance of research about child development If you would like to show your appreciation for any teachers you know (maybe even us), we encourage you to give back to organizations that benefit teachers such as the Organization of American Kodály Educators. We encourage you to give to OAKE's 2023 Giving Campaign. OAKE is an organization that has greatly impacted us as educators, so if you appreciate the ideas and advice...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #132: 3 Stars and a Wish   Upcoming Events: Tanya will be presenting a workshop titled "How Can I Keep Them Singing: Singing Games and Activities for Older Students" on Saturday, April 22 for the Plains States Kodály Organization (PSKOR) in Kearney, Nebraska.  Get more information here! Main Theme: 3 Stars and a Wish Carrie and Tanya share some thoughts about their first year at their new schools. We each share 3 things that have gone well, and one goal or wish for next year. Tanya's 3 Stars and a Wish ⭐: Tanya has focused on singing just for the joy of singing and not necessarily tying every song into a specific concept or skill ⭐: Tanya has been thoughtful about organized dancing and movement and how to introduce specific skills at each grade ⭐: Tanya has been including more genres of music other than traditional American folk music (popular music and "world" music) for listening 🧚‍♀️: Tanya's wish for next year is to ha...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #131: Subbing for Yourself   Upcoming Events: Tanya will be presenting a workshop titled "How Can I Keep Them Singing: Singing Games and Activities for Older Students" on Saturday, April 22 for the Plains States Kodály Organization (PSKOR) in Kearney, Nebraska. Get more information here! Main Theme Carrie and Tanya talk about lesson ideas and activities for when you are subbing for yourself, meaning you are not feeling well or have low energy, but you still need to teach. Here are some ideas for lessons where students are still actively making or responding to music, but you are preserving your health, energy, and sanity. Ideas and resources we mention:  YouTube play along videos Musication Ready Go Music Independent instrument practice time (recorder, ukulele, keyboards, etc) Stations or centers (only if students have done them before) Music listening, appreciation, and responding Individual listening (give choice when possible) Read-along ...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #130: 2023 OAKE Conference Recap   Main Theme: 2023 OAKE Conference Recap In this episode, Tanya and Carrie share some thoughts and takeaways from the 2023 OAKE Conference in Jacksonville, FL. Things we mention in this episode: Organization of American Kodály Educators Nicole Robinson: Culture Connections by Design Nyssa Brown: Music Education Forward 2024 OAKE National Conference: March 14-17 in Chicago 2023 International Kodály Symposium: July 31-August 4 in Los Angeles Know Better, Do Better Tanya brought up the idea of nostalgia that surrounds our thoughts about music and song literature, and how it's ok to recognize those feelings, especially when we are choosing to take a problematic song, book, or story out of your classroom repertoire. Work Smarter, Not Harder When using a doc camera, remember the freeze button. Carrie made use of this function while doing melodic dictation on the staff, by freezing the image on a blank staff, and then unf...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #129: "Real" Music and "School Music": Bridging the Gap   Upcoming Event: We will be presenting at the  Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference  on Saturday, March 18 at 10:15 am. Our session is titled "Bright Ideas for New Performance Traditions." We'd love to see you there! Main Theme In this episode, Tanya and Carrie discuss the challenges of bridging the gap between "school" music (the music we teach in our classroom), and "real" music (the music students listen to and are familiar with from home and/or music from different cultures that is simply important to listen to).  When emphasizing "Real" music in the classroom for study and listening, we consider the following: How can we place emphasis on more diverse and meaningful listening and less on the traditional focus of music literacy (ie: doing research and spending more time planning intentional moments of lis...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #128: Sunday Scaries and How to Tackle Them   Upcoming Event: We will be presenting at the Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference on Saturday, March 18 at 10:15 am. Our session is titled "Bright Ideas for New Performance Traditions." We'd love to see you there! Main Theme: The Sunday Scaries and How to Avoid Them Things we mention in this episode: Atlantic Article: "Why People Get the 'Sunday Scaries'" by Joe Pinsker Cube timer Meal planning magnetic board Headspace mediation Know Better, Do Better When thinking about having hard conversations with others, it's helpful to remember the "20-60-20" rule from Dr. Dolly Chugh from her book  The Person You Mean to Be . Dr. Chugh claims that 60% of people are "maliable" in their thinking and could be influenced by the 20% who are open and vocal about change. Work Smarter, Not Harder As discussed in Episode #125: Reseting the Yea...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #127: All About Sub Plans Main Theme: All About Sub Plans In this episode, Carrie and Tanya talk about ideas for sub plans that are successful but not too much work to put together. Essentials: Things to have ready in your sub plans Schedule Seating charts ( iDoceo is a great app for this ) Emergency/evacuation plans Classroom management plan Emergency, generic sub plans OR pre-planned, day-specific sub plans Content: What to plan Create sub plans that any teacher can do, even if you think you are getting a music sub. It's helpful to create plans with the same plans for multiple grades.  Create seasonal or holiday-themed plans. Play-along videos are great with subs ( like these from the Elementary Groove Tracks channel ) Use Google slides to put your entire sub plan agenda, embedded videos, and online materials in one place ( see an example from Carrie here ). Remember to have your sharing settings correct! Utilize past sub plans as well as the re...