choral
“Music is an important choice we made in our life path and our connections as music educators are strong and beneficial.”
philosophy or a mission statement. As an exercise in university music education classes, it probably was just that: an ex- ercise or a graded assignment. However, for teachers who work in the education system, it can be a shaping force in their approach to teaching. Revisit the philoso- phy statement that you wrote in college or at the beginning of your career and see if your teaching continues to reflect your earlier writing. Look over your school’s mission statement, which is probably post- ed somewhere near your school’s main entrance and see if your teaching matches at least some part of that statement.
It has been recommended that having “SMART goals”1
(specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic and timely) is the key to success. Goal setting is a constant crusade in education and especially so in performance-based class settings, which is the core of many music classes. To help guide this goal setting, start your day, week, month, semester or even year with a firm grasp of what you need to accom- plish. Define what is urgent versus what is important, a concept further discussed in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.2 Goals can seem urgent, or at the very least, important. Prioritizing, defining, delegat- ing, organizing and fine-tuning are actions that music educators do on a day-to-day basis, but writing lesson plans with clear goals, whether your building administrator requires them or not, is a sure way to see your goals through.
In this turbulent time in education, we must remember to take care of ourselves. Teachers are typically a nurturing kind of
Wisconsin School Musician 17
people who place others ahead of them- selves. Nurture the “Me” in your life, as well as the “We.” Music is an important choice we made in our life path and our connections as music educators are strong and beneficial. Remember the title of this issue and reach out for your musician friends to assist and for assistance. With each other’s help we can reach the next level.
Notes:
1. Doran 1981. O’Neill & Conzemius, 2005.
2. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989.
Lynn Seidl teaches music at Luxemburg Casco Middle School.
Email:
lseidl@luxasco.k12.wi.us
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76