I Remember when I had Time to Write Blogs

I recently realized that I haven’t written a blog since October! Suddenly, I am wondering where all the time has gone this school year. Normally, I have a prep or two to write my thoughts down, but November to April has been so busy. Since it’s been a while, I figured I would give a summary and some reflection on where I’ve been for the last few months.

I’ve been learning how to effectively teach high school. I was nervous coming into this year that I wouldn’t have the skill set to teach high school classes. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made in effectively running a higher-level choral rehearsal in a class and musical director setting. I think the place where I’ve made the biggest strides is in teaching my students how to sing musically. I’ve spent larger portions of classes delving into what songs mean, having students think critically about the music they’re singing, and then learning how to apply that to singing techniques. My students are beginning to be able to apply different qualities of sounds to different styles of music.

I’ve been finding new ways to teach music literacy. One of my biggest pet peeves as a choral teacher is the lack of music literacy many students have. Learning to read music is hard. It involves reading rhythms, notes, and markings simultaneously. Not only do I need to teach my students how to do each of these independently, but I also need to teach them how to combine these skills and apply them to class. It is a multi-faceted process. I’ve been creating a more well-rounded approach to teaching this to students. We isolate during sight-reading, define and identify in our music, and then apply through competencies and independent learning. One of the best moments I had this school year was sending my advanced choir into sectionals to learn rhythms. I set a timer for five minutes, and students came back reading their polyphonic rhythms almost perfectly. It was a big win.

I’ve been learning it’s okay to be a work in progress. Of the seven classes I’m teaching this year, five of them are brand new to me. The way that I am teaching them in March is completely different than how I started teaching them in September. It takes time to settle into new content, but learning from what you did previously is part of growing. I’ve created routines in my class and my students know what to expect now. I’m also asking questions of other teachers in my schools to see if my thoughts line up with where the school is as a whole. It’s made a change in the way I approach assigning work and direct instruction.

I’ve learned high school is fun! I was nervous to be transitioning to upper-level classes, but I’ve found a love for it this year. It’s fun to dig into my knowledge of vocal pedagogy and musicianship with my students, as that is one of my passions. There were definitely learning curves, but I am always excited to lead my choirs (even if they aren’t at 7:30 in the morning!). Upper-level classes really push me as a teacher. I’ve already made great relationships with students and seen improvements in their singing this year. It takes a bit to figure out your style at a new level, but I’m excited to see where things go.

Obviously, I’ve learned more than what I outlined above, but these are some of the big points that I’ve taken away from my work this year. As concerts and musicals start to wind down, I’m hoping I’ll have time to share some of the more specific activities I did this year that I really enjoyed. For now, please enjoy this photo of my students learning how to build pianos for Solo and Ensemble.