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 this week's #musedchat. Our topic: advocacy within your own program. Be sure to tag your tweets with #musedchat, and introduce yourself. #musiced
In GIF form, how is everyone doing this week?
My Rectial bearing is in a little over two weeks. I actually feel prepared, but it’s kinda like packing for a trip, you always act like your going to forget something 😅😅 #MusEdChat#sp19edfb4338
My recital Hearing is in a little over two weeks. I actually feel pretty prepared, but at the same time somewhat stressed, kind of like when your packing for a long trip and you think you’re always missing something! #MusEdChat#sp19edfb4338
A1: To me, I think that parent outreach will look like sending home welcome letters to the families with a section for them to add their contact information. Also, making phone calls to them to introduce yourself to the parents. #MusEdchat#Sp19edfb4338
A1: Parent outreach is difficult. I don’t speak Spanish or Creole, so I’m limited in what I can do. My school’s neighborhood is low on resources, so it’s tough. #musedchat
A1: My district has really pushed using ClassDojo for family communication. I post around once a week what we're doing or pictures of the kids. I've had a lot of positive feedback. #musedchat
That being said, my concerts & the school’s dance performances are bursting at the seams. We get huge audiences & a lot of appreciation for performances. #musedchat
A1: #musedchat This year, our district has implemented @Seesaw for Schools, and it has been fantastic for parent communication. The family members that have connected can see their child's work and I have sent messages (both privately and as class announcements) to them all.
A1: For me at the elementary level, parent outreach involves communicating via email and letters home in communication folders. I also share things through school Instagram and Twitter accounts, but that's more for day-to-day class happenings. #musedchat
A1 Parent outreach really comes with the band parent association. The directors along with the BPA do a fantastic job of reaching out to parents who’s students are not yet in the high school band program #Sp19edfb4338#musedchat
I also use Remind & send home lots of (translated) flyers.
For our most recent Beginning Band Showcase, I made a Google Slides presentation & displayed it in English, Creole, and Spanish. #musedchat
For future students, I go to our 6th grade concerts, and try to follow up with an introductory letter home. #musedchat Also, older siblings are great at making those connections.
#musedchat no, I've found that I need all of these to reach the maximum amount of parents. @RemindHQ wasn't used by anyone at my school until I came last year. I'm hoping that more parents will use it as I promote it.
A1: Parent outreach for me starts with our open house event in the early fall, and continues regularly throughout the year on bus/parking lot duty, emailing or calling home...whatever means I can to keep info about our program flowing. #musedchat
A2: I don't have a program yet, but I would like to think that we would talk about it everyday in our staff meeting to plan out the day's activities. #MusEdChat#Sp19edfb4338
A2: I send out an open invitation at the beginning of the year for people to come visit my room at any time. Usually have only a couple of takers. #musedchat
A2: I talk to my music colleagues frequently about ways we can support eachother in the music prograj. I try to also talk to non-music colleagues about the great things Ss are doing in music. #musedchat
No one method of communication is going to get to everyone. It has to be varied.
Often, you can’t lose with good old fashioned flyers (and those are the easiest to translate). #musedchat
A2: #MusEdChat For my general music classes, I talk to the teachers on my team all the time - we see the same kids and deal with many of the same issues, so we are good sounding boards for each other. But for the after-school ensembles, I don't really share too often. Hmm...
A2: I send out an open invitation at the beginning of the year for people to come visit my room at any time. Usually have only a couple of takers. #musedchat
A2: There are only 3 music teachers in our district, so when there's a window to have a meeting and discuss our program's evolution, we take it. I try to catch up with our MHS band teacher weekly. We're always looking to move forward and improve. #musedchat
A3. We have professional growth plan meetings with our principal twice a year. This is my opportunity to discuss my program and views on music education. #musedchat
A3: I have always told my principals what is going on in my rooms. Explained projects, etc. I also invite them into the classroom for days when we perform our projects. I've also made sure to let them know that what I do ISN'T teach concerts! #musedchat
A3: We have a new principal this year. He had meetings with all of us before school started. It was great to discuss my program with him. I also recently presented to our Board of Ed. #musedchat
A3: If I were to try to convey the importance of Music Education to an Administrator I would point out the recent study posted all over Facebook about SAT test scores by TMEA. #MusEdChat
There’s been a lot of discussion lately. It’s frustrating, because I adore my school, my admin, and most of all my kids, but our music program has not been set up effectively for 25+ years. #musedchat
A3: My administrators are quite supportive of our music program's evolution. It's easy to have a conversation with any of them and for them to see that #mused is one of our district's sweet spots...that it keeps getting better! #musedchat
A3 - Whenever we do get that opportunity we share statistics of the most recent all state ensembles, such as average SAT score verses the national average. Super blessed that the admin is very supportive!! #Sp19edfb4338#musedchat
It is also W-I-L-D to hear folks talk about “districts” because in Florida, every school district is set up by county.
My county has absolutely incredible things going on, but it’s huge, and sometimes hard to replicate successes. #musedchat
#musedchat sorry I’m late to the party... A1: Mostly social media & emails thru Alma. At concerts I make it a point to mingle afterwards and say hi. Monthly booster meetings. I help w/ the elementary music programs so they can see my face before we pitch band.
We have districts here in MI, but also some resources exist at a county level. The exact type of county level resources varies depending on where you are #musedchat
A3: #MusEdChat We meet to discuss dates for performances / shows, but that's about all. The admin is pulled in so many directions that they don't make it to the music room for observations very often.
#musedchat A2: I y’all a lot w/ the art teacher, helps she’s my mentor. Talk a lot with the elem music teacher as well to brainstorm ideas for growing our total music program, choir and band. Need to talk more to other teachers though.
#musedchat sorry I’m late to the party... A1: Mostly social media & emails thru Alma. At concerts I make it a point to mingle afterwards and say hi. Monthly booster meetings. I help w/ the elementary music programs so they can see my face before we pitch band.
Like, Miami-Dade County is the fourth largest school district in the country — behind NYC Public Schools, LA USD, and I think either Houston USD or Chicago USD.
#musedchat
I get it. It looks awesome to say "music makes you smarter". But that data just as easily says "school music attracts the type of student that tends to enjoy academic success". #musedchat
#MusEdChat A3: luckily, my principal was in band at my school, even got the Band Directors Award! Her door is always open. My super played trombone in HS. He’s a lot busier, so sometimes it takes a while. Both are super supportive!
A1: (sorry I'm late, forgot it's Monday!) We start putting out info about our music programs w/ counselors on their very first visits to elem schools. Band website has FAQs about beginning band and we have active social media accounts. #musedchat
But then counties surrounded by much smaller cities — Broward (tiny Ft. Lauderdale), Hillsborough (Tampa), Orange (Orlando), Duval (Jacksonville), Palm Beach (dude West Palm Beach is eeeeetty bitty) — are almost as big as the urban behemoth school districts. #musedchat
A2: Often do a quick share out about events (both recent and upcoming) happening in band at out staff meetings. Also put things in the school newsletter. #musedchat
A2 + : It’s super apparent teaching on a drum corps staff, we are consistently looking for ways to improve. We have our technique but we also always look for ways to continue to get better at what we do! #MusEdChat#sp19edfb4338
Q4: How do you communicate about your program with the community at large? The school board? How much do your other stakeholders know about your program? #musedchat
What I use that stuff for is to counteract bad information.
Low SES families, newly upwardly mobile families, first generation & immigrant families have all been sold the perspective that ensemble music takes away from academic achievement. #musedchat
I saw a great quote from @berglinmusiced on FB tonight regarding that study.
"parents, aren't these the type of kids you want YOUR kid hanging out with?" #musedchat
In reply to
@rebelmusicteach, @TaylorTevebaugh, @berglinmusiced
A4: Social media is key for us. Being able to share pictures and video makes a big impact. Our district recently hired a new communications director who is social media savvy and it has made a big difference. #musedchat
If you’ve been in the US for less than your middle schooler’s lifespan (lots of my families), you’ve been pushed an NCLB-informed generation’s worth of test score importance. It’s seriously caused detriment to so many programs. #musedchat
A4 :Honestly, because I’ve only ever been a “tech” for a high school marching band, because I haven’t graduated yet, I haven’t ever seen that side of what we do! I’m curious to see what other programs do in that aspect! #sp19edfb4338#musedchat
A4: #MusEdChat We post concert dates on social media, and sometimes send the kids home with 4-5 paper invitations to share. Each December, we tour through the city, including a stop at the district office. In the spring, we try to organize a "vertical alignment" concert, too.
A4: Social Media is the biggest form of communication for my elementary program. Twitter and Instagram. I would love suggestions on how to grow the (community) following for both of those though! #musedchat
A4: My principal is great about contacting the newspaper on our behalf so we've had several articles, social media is huge with our district (we're encouraged to tweet and to send things in for the district facebook). #musedchat
Jacob is a genius.
Funny enough, a friend of mine was on the drumline in HS & says he does not want his (now 2 y-o) daughter in band under any circumstances.
Oh, drumline. #musedchat
In reply to
@jguarr, @TaylorTevebaugh, @berglinmusiced
I went to TJC for my Associates Degree. My old band director Jeremy Strickland used Social Media a lot to communicate in mass about the band. #MusEdChat#Sp19edfb4338
Some districts have buildings do presentations to the board, sometimes board members tour buildings during the day, you could invite them to a performance. #musedchat
