Elementary/General Division Beth Davis, President
participated in stimulating
Have you ever tried to cut something with a dull blade? If so, frustration ensued quickly. A great deal of energy was spent with little result. Oftentimes, people attempt a similar task when they try to live without taking proper care of themselves. In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey posits the idea that people need to “sharpen the saw.” To paraphrase his explanation of Habit 7, people would be more effective and successful if they would take care of
themselves
physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.
I have spent the last year “sharpening my saw” as a full time student at the University of Alabama. I had the rare opportunity of being on study leave from my teaching position to attend class full time. I took classes, heard lectures, read, conducted research,
conversations, and completed the residency requirement for my degree. I sharpened my saw. I look forward to returning to my classroom this fall as an inspired and invigorated teacher ready to make music with my students and to lead them in learning.
You do not have to do something as drastic as taking a leave from your job and being on campus full time to sharpen your saw. elementary/general
division
AMEA’s has
opportunities for you to sharpen your saw this year. The Elementary Music Festival will be held October 7, 2011 with Dena Byers as the conductor. We are grateful to Samford and Dr. Moya Nordlund for allowing us the use of the Wright Center for the festival. Dr. Sara Womack serves as the director of the festival.
Contact Sara
(
sara@music.org) with any questions concerning the festival. The following day is the fall workshop, jointly hosted with the Alabama Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association
(AOSA). The workshop will be 9:00 – 3:00 also at Samford. Dena Byers is the clinician. The
state in-service
conference will be held January 19 – 21, 2012. After a successful first year in the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Conference Center, the conference will be at this facility again this year. Clinicians at the conference include Greg Gilpin, Rollo Dilworth, Joey and Andrea Coleman, Jim Tinker, and Tiffany English. Sessions will address interests such as teaching recorder, Orff lessons, technology, and choral music. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to sharpen your saw. Please do not attempt to teach your children without enriching your own life and mind. I express my appreciation to Sharon August for leading our division as president these last two years. She has been an excellent leader for our division and an outstanding example for me to follow. Congratulations to Sharon on the birth of her first grand daughter, Cora Delphine, born in June. Karla Hodges will serve as president elect for the next term, and Lea Hoppe continues to serve as treasurer. Thank you to all of these music educators who are willing to serve and lead our division.
Best wishes for the new school year. Sharpen your saw and enjoy making music with your students.
Sincerely, Beth A. Davis President, Elementary/General Division
18
August/September 2011
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