Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
Welcome to #musedchat! For Halloween week, we’re discussing our fears as educators. Be sure to introduce yourself. #musiced
Are you dressing up for Halloween? Share a GIF that describes your costume.
Hello! Jessica from Texas, k-5 music. Super excited for our Halloween parade at school this week - my team chose "Dinosaurs Love Tacos" as our book 😏🦖📚 #musedchat
Emily; Palm Bach County, FL; middle school Band & Chorus. #musedchat
(I’m going to be the updated Clarabelle Cow, a la the 2010s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.)
A1 as a primarily instrumental musician my first gig was teaching vocal. I just jumped in and transferred concepts over to the vocal classes. #musedchat
Welcome to #musedchat! For Halloween week, we’re discussing our fears as educators. Be sure to introduce yourself. #musiced
Are you dressing up for Halloween? Share a GIF that describes your costume.
Q1: I always worried about classroom management but I learned that by developing relationships with my students many of those issues resolved themselves. I also taught choir for my first teaching years so I occasionally worried about my piano skills, too ☺️#musedchat
A1: my worries were that I didn’t have enough knowledge to teach high school (first job) and definitely did not have enough of a background for jazz band. #musedchat
A1 1st yr was at a charter w high Ts turnover. Had to figure out how to help Ss take risks and feel they had a voice while also controling the classroom. Struggled all yr long but the Ss ended up doing some gr8 things #MusEdchat
A1: I was worried that everyone would know that I couldn’t possibly be an expert on every instrument and there would be kids way better musicians than me! That, was the least of my worries. #musedchat
I worried that I wouldn’t teach my students well because I felt I knew so little, and that I wouldn’t be able to manage my class. I worked through them by adopting the mantra, “No matter what happens today, I will come back tomorrow.” 😂 so, perseverance and practice! #musedchat
Teaching an area that is out of my comfort is something that am anxious yet excited about. The ability to teach beyond comfort is certainly a valued trait in educators #musedchat
A1: My first job was K-12. My biggest worry was keeping my head above water. I survived but not sure how great an experience those early classes got. #musedchat
A1: Most of my experience was at the HS level, and I landed at a MS. Was scared about being able to relate to the students. Turns out they're just as goofy as I am. #musedchat
A2. I can comfortably say as a new teacher I had almost no idea what I was doing. Trial by fire and I got better each year. Listen and learn from others who have done it for a long time #musedchat
Hi #musedchat ! Sarah, K-5 music/band/chorus/Orff in MA. No Halloween at my school this year, but it's favorite hat day and I'm repping the world champion Boston Red Sox
A1: Most of my experience was at the HS level, and I landed at a MS. Was scared about being able to relate to the students. Turns out they're just as goofy as I am. #musedchat
A1. I can comfortably say as a new teacher I had almost no idea what I was doing. Trial by fire and I got better each year. Listen and learn from others who have done it for a long time #musedchat
A1 in my very first interview i was forced to sight read something on piano and told i had no business applying for a choral job...then i ended up taking a choral job. So i was afraid of the piano! 😳#musedchat
A2. My biggest fear is burning out and having a heart attack or something. Music teachers cut a crazy pace and as I get older I need to spend more time thinking about treating myself better. Better sleep, eating, exercise, etc #musedchat
A2 at a k-8 school n 6-8 doesnt have music. Im worried my Ss will not have an outlet to continue their musical journey after leaving 5th grd. #MusEdchat
A1: college really beat the crud out of my self-confidence. I wasn’t really sure I could do it. I had to have a few years of successful teaching before I felt like I even had a clue what I was doing. By about year 6 I actually felt good about it! #musedchat
A2 that in year 12 I still question if I'm doing the right thing. It's mainly a result of working by myself since day 1. Twitter and 🍻 with fellow music teachers help affirm that I am or at least on the right path #musedchat
A2: Balancing life and work. I love my job, but I need to be there for my own kiddo. Still working on finding the best way to do that, especially now that she's in kindergarten. Learning to better prioritize and say No when needed. #musedchat
A2.2 I worked at my first job for 10 years. I dedicated every ounce of myself and never thought I’d leave that district. I was cut to half time for budget reasons bc i was still the newest. Needless to say, that is now my new big fear. #musedchat
A2: where I’m going from here. I’ve taught for 16 years, 13 in high school. I just stepped into this 50% Coordinator job. I have a lot of wonder about where the second half of my career is leading. #musedchat
A2: I started my career at the quiet beginning of the late Aughts recession. I’m afraid of the economic bottom dropping out — again.
And more so, I’m afraid of the care I’m giving my kids. I’m doing my best most days, but is it really enough? #musedchat
A1: I had almost no idea what to do the next week and the week after that. It took me years to work through it, really, and I spend a lot of time now helping young teachers work out what they want to teach into the future. #musedchat
A2.2 I worked at my first job for 10 years. I dedicated every ounce of myself and never thought I’d leave that district. I was cut to half time for budget reasons bc i was still the newest. Needless to say, that is now my new big fear. #musedchat
I was in a similar boat. Spent seven years in my first job. Wanted that to be "the job" but got cut down to part time due to budget. Hard to start over after investing so much. #musedchat
A2: burning out. I love my job but have had a lot of new and extra stressors this year. I'm trying really hard at not letting the kids in on that, but I've haven't been terribly successful at putting the stress aside while I teach.. #musedchat
Q2: I worry I’m going to make mistakes with some of the extra management things that go into teaching: all the side organizational tasks. I keep my financial clerk close and ask more experienced teachers questions. And, just keeping doing and practicing. #musedchat
A2: I’m afraid I’m nearing the age (year 21) where I become the teacher who is phoning it in until retirement. As I get older it gets more important to keep learning and growing. #musedchat
A2: Not producing the quality product I need to, convert after concert, show after show. The bar is high, but sometimes, overwhelming. I also fear I’m not engaging my students to the capability I should be. #musedchat
A3: being laughed at is huge with my upper elementary school kids. I shut down smirks/giggles/etc. during solos or small group performances so fast because it's not ok for kids to be mean to each other even if it's unintentional. #musedchat
A2: Not producing the quality product I need to, concert after concert, show after show. The bar is high, but sometimes, overwhelming. I also fear I’m not engaging my students to the capability I should be. #musedchat
We had a teacher in my building who retired just last year. Close to 70 years old. Was still going out and observing other teachers during his prep each week. Still learning. #rolemodel#musedchat
A1: co-teaching with someone who had been at the job several years whereas I came from a MS/HS internship, plus the stress of moving away from my college friends and not having them as support. Time and having my own space to experiment in my ideas has helped so much #musedchat
A3. I find my student’s biggest fear is failing. They don’t like having a bad performance. The best thing we can do is let them know failing is okay as long as they learn from their mistakes and do things better the next time #musedchat
A3: I think my students are afraid of making mistakes. They want to do things right (which I relate to!). We can support them by making the classroom a safe space to try and to reach for more, and to insist on kindness and encouragement. #musedchat
A3: My students can be afraid to sing in front of others (who isn’t?). This fear of not being “good enough” is normal, but through restorative practices, I try to create a climate of respect and care within our walls. #musedchat
Q3: I think so many former students (aka adults) are uncomfortable making music now because they were terrified of having to sing and move as kids, so I tried to make that a completely normal and comfortable experience starting in kindergarten. #musedchat
Seems like there's definitely been an uptick in anxiety in students. We've become so high stakes, results-driven in almost all aspects. Easy to lose sight of the fact that music has failure baked into it. #musedchat
A3 ss have a hard time taking risks involved in learning performing n creating. I have to model risk taking almost every day,Ss feel a little more comfortable but it is a constant convo. Ss also find it hard when there isnt 1 righte answer #MusEdchat
A3 fear of failure or being teased. I stop that right away and all my students know the music room is a no bully zone. But it took some time to get there. #musedchat
A3: the older students get, the less they like to sing in front of others, especially boys. It's important to create a supportive environment where messing up (like I do, a lot) is an acceptable outcome #musedchat
Observed a MS choir teacher once who would discreetly toss a kid a Starburst when their voice cracked. Didn't want them to lose confidence and stop singing out despite an embarrassing moment. #musedchat
Sure is! It's also very difficult given that I get less than 30 hours per year with my students... Sometimes "you won't laugh when classmates perform or you'll owe me recess" is the efficient way to solve the unkindness problem #musedchat
Q2: what gives me a lot of anxiety is how negative some outside the school are towards teachers. The only thing I can think of to counteract it is to do my job the best I can and to communicate how much I care about my students and our community. #musedchat
Always afraid that I’m not doing enough for my students. Am I meeting each kid where they are? Am I creating a safe environment where they feel comfortable?
Luckily I have a great PLN and admin. support ❤️ #MusEdChat
A3: If time wasn't an issue in classes, chunking performance levels (one-on-one to small groups) and providing positive feedback like emphasizing that mistakes are acceptable, especially in the music rooms, would help students to recognize the role of mistakes #musedchat
A3 performance anxiety in front of their peers is always an issue with music. I start with simple 4 bar 5 note excerpts then eventually grow to repertoire excerpts. This doesn't apply to everyone but most anxiety is a result of lack of practice imo #musedchat
Q4: Performance anxiety seems to be a common theme, so let's dig in a little deeper. Have you dealt with it? How have you taught your Ss to manage it? #musedchat
I then also teach the kids about how to be a great audience and encourage each other especially after a subpar performance. We tap our feet after every performance #musedchat
A4: yes, I've dealt with severe performance anxiety. Talking to a doctor who really gets it on a biological and musical level (he's a concert pianist and neurologist) helped me so much. Basic breathing exercises and humor have helped me help my Ss with it. #musedchat
A4 still have it a little (more of overall anxiety). We do many in class performances so when Ss go on stage they have experience n begin to enjoy it. Talk w Ss a lot about visualizing performance too #MusEdchat
A4: 4th just started recorders and we've been playing a lot for each other (individual assessment woohoo!) and I get really excited when they improve something. So repetition and frequency #musedchat
Q4: Performance anxiety seems to be a common theme, so let's dig in a little deeper. Have you dealt with it? How have you taught your Ss to manage it? #musedchat
A4.2: it's also helped my younger friends when they hold a stuffed animal when they sing and pretend to be the animal's voice instead of their own #musedchat
A4: We talk about the importance of routine before a performance. Going to warm up like normal, going to play through our lit like normal, we'll just have a few extra people watching. #musedchat
A4 we encourage each other and & very small with what is expected The frist assessment is how to put your instrument together then a 4 bar 5 notes excerpt & gradually grow from there. IMO,⚠ DISCLAIMER ALERT⚠, most anxiety comes from a lack of practice & seeking help #musedchat
Q4: Performance anxiety seems to be a common theme, so let's dig in a little deeper. Have you dealt with it? How have you taught your Ss to manage it? #musedchat
A4b: performance anxiety has biological components beyond the psychological and I think it's a shame that learning about them isn't required for all MusEd majors #musedchat
Q4: I have a saying: "The Music Room is a safe place to take a risk and make a mistake!" I find that driving this point home in K, 1st, and 2nd makes a huge difference as they get older. #comfortableconfidentmusicians
I feel like on some level everyone has some degree of performance anxiety it just varies from person to person. I remind my students it’s ok to be nervous. We do a live dress rehearsal too in front of different grade levels so they have an audience #musedchat
#musedchat if my daughter who's 4 can memorize her piano music (5-10 bars) so can they..... They need to put in the time and effort. Now remember not all time and effort are equal to all students.
A4 I feel like on some level everyone has some degree of performance anxiety it just varies how much. I remind my students it’s ok to be nervous. We also do a live dress rehearsal too in front of different grade levels so they have an audience #musedchat
A4: I really struggled with performance anxiety in the past and still do. I try to focus on the teamwork aspect of music in ensembles and on support and encouragement of all efforts when Ss are faced with solo work. #musedchat
Q4: Performance anxiety seems to be a common theme, so let's dig in a little deeper. Have you dealt with it? How have you taught your Ss to manage it? #musedchat
