I have been a small town music teacher and a middle school general music teacher which means I get to teach everyone in the school vocal and instrumental music from preschool all the way through 12th grade! While band and choir are electives, general music has always been the core of my teaching, and with all ages, that means I need to keep everyone interested and engaged! That means I need to create lessons that work for small and large groups, that engage every student while maintaining a commitment to standards and my own desire to be a better teacher. In my free time (ha!) I teach private piano, voice and guitar lessons. When I'm not doing competitions, festivals and parades, of course...
I believe in teaching to every child's strengths, while encouraging each student to grow as a musician - and of course that everyone is a musician! I also believe in teaching with new materials, techniques and in a way that kids relate to and have fun! So, I keep buckets handy, my beatboxing syllables ready to go, and at the same time, offer opportunities with classical music, Orff methods and of course repertoire that spreads from Latin through to the pop charts! Mostly I just want to share a love of music, a joy of learning and some real skills that will translate and grow with my students as they develop into first rate musicians!
Superior ratings for my ensembles, an article in Teaching Music magazine about public engagement based on my program, and teacher of the month awards at every school I've taught at!
Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts in Education (Music)
I'm a married mother of three including a child with special needs. It's helped me see the world with a focus on success, but to let the definition of success change for every person based on their needs and abilities, with small and large steps that are worth celebrating for each individual!
PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Adult Education, Homeschool, Not Grade Specific
English Language Arts, Specialty, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History, Arts & Music, Music, Music Composition, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Other (Performing Arts), Physical Education, Drama, Holidays/Seasonal, Christmas-Chanukah-Kwanzaa, Winter, Dance, Informational Text