Choir VP’s Message
Music Educators ... on being well-rounded
M
usic educators are often the first to understand the non-music skills that students can have when they leave our room.
Practicing and performing music can help build confidence, connect people, and encourage working toward a common goal or outcome.
Music education helps students be well- rounded. Let’s take a moment to turn it around and think of it the other direction. How can becoming more well-rounded serve us as music educators?
When former U.S. Secretary of
Education, John B. King, addressed the need for well-rounded education at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts in 2016, he said, “Being a well-educated person and passionate about learning isn’t just about reading and computing well. It’s about being skilled and knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects, expert and passionate about a few, and confident in the quest for more.”
Notice that Dr. King said “being a well-educated person” not “student.” It’s important to remember that in the same way we know our students need to be well- rounded, we as teachers have to aim for the same fullness in our lives as educators.
As teachers we are continually
stretching our time, and the task of adding more into our schedule is not generally appealing. My typical response was, “I
don’t have time for that.” It was during that time that I saw an image on social media that made me stop and think about how I was using this one life that I get. The image said this: “Make a list of things that make you happy/Make a list of things you do every day/Compare the lists/Adjust accordingly.”
While I didn’t write out an actual list,
I had an “ah ha” moment that made me start to reorganize my priorities. If it’s important, make the time. If it’s not, cut it out. It’s not particularly complicated or deep but it’s made a noticeable impact in how I choose to spend my time. I was wasting time on things like assignments that added more work for me without being the highest quality or continually scrolling through social media which left me frustrated and annoyed.
I found the things that didn’t add
value to my life and eliminated a few of them. I was able to fill in with things that I value more, for example: designating time to journal my goals and thoughts, and planning time to
exercise. I know I’m simplifying a process that is challenging, and I will continually be comparing and adjusting. Even small steps are still leading in the right direction in making time for myself to be as well- rounded as I want to be.
I invite you to think of ways that you
would like to enrich your ‘quest for more.’ Is it taking care of your health? Refining or learning a new musical skill? Engaging in thought provoking conversations? Only you can determine what that should be. How will this positively affect your classroom teaching? Compare your two lists and see what adjustments will help you to be a more well-rounded teacher.
Anne Schatz is in her fifth year of teaching junior high and high school choir and 5-12 band in Burns, WY. She is a member of NAfME and ACDA and was invited to be a guest panelist for new and upcoming teachers for Northwest ACDA in Seattle last year. She has enjoyed being a guest conductor for the northeast junior high choir clinic in 2013 and continues to fine tune her conducting and teaching skills through additional workshops and graduate courses. Anne received her Bachelors of Music Education and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Wyoming.
Anne Schatz WMEA Choir Vice President
16
Wyoming Windsong
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