From the Editor
* Editor’s note: Te following column was written in anticipation of an earlier publication date
Abby Butler
It’s official! Winter is (finally) over and spring has finally sprung. Daffodils and other bulbs are in bloom, robins are at the feeders, and there’s plenty of sunshine to warm the day. It’s a sign that summer is not far off. However, for teachers, there are other signs: preparations are underway for yearend concerts, field trips, and other special events. While we know the next six weeks or so will be crazy busy, anticipation of summer is palpable.
Whatever your summer plans, I hope you make time to include the 3 R’s I’ve come to associate with my summers as a teacher: read, reflect, and recharge. Teaching is hard work, a virtual nonstop roller coaster ride from September to June, with little time to make substantive changes to our practice. Tat “work” occurs over the summer months when we finally have time to process the past year, assess successes and challenges, and make plans for the coming year.
It is my hope that you will find inspiration from the myriad articles found in this spring/ summer issue of the Michigan Music Educator to complement your summer reading. Indeed, I guarantee there is something of value for everyone regardless of your teaching experience or teaching assignment. Here’s a short synopsis – just to whet your appetite.
Need a pick-me-up? Read Vitality: Reviving the Life in Your Teaching, where coauthors Peggy Bennett and Vicky Suarez offer timely advice for rejuvenating oneself and ones teaching. Although suitable for reading at any time, their ideas and suggestions are especially apropos at this time of year. Written with honesty and insight, Bennett and Suarez identify common challenges that drain our vitality coupled with concrete and practical solutions. Clearly these experienced educators have seen the dark side of teaching, yet their belief in the positive as- pects of our profession rises to the top. If their article piques your interest or resonates with your personal experiences you’ll be pleased to know that Bennett’s book, Teaching with vital- ity: Pathways to health and wellness for teach- ers & schools was released last fall by Oxford University Press.
Regardless of your musical background or what you teach, make a point of reading Vocal Health 101 by Charles Norris. Like hearing loss, vocal abuse can be a byproduct of our working condi- tions. Norris reminds us we all use our voices to teach whether we’re providing instruction, offering feedback or modeling a musical phrase. All teachers, but especially music teachers, are vulnerable to vocal problems from laryngitis to vocal fold polyps or nodes. Norris provides an overview of current research on vocal health, noting common disorders and their causes, then follows up by offering a set of daily vocal exercises along with various strategies for im- proving and maintaining your vocal health.
If you work with students who are autistic, you will want to check out Denise Wilkinson’s article, Autism and the Music Classroom. Fea- tured in the general music column, her article is jam packed with practical suggestions and links to a variety of resources. Tips encompass a wide range of ideas that help autistic students manage anxiety and behaviors that can inter- fere with their learning. Wilkinson provides straightforward explanations of various strat- egies coupled with visual examples making it easy for you to replicate them for your classroom. Of course this is a perfect summer project and will be a welcome addition to your teaching toolbox!
I was delighted to read Beth Gibbs’ article, Te Advocacy Potential of the Elementary Music Classroom. Too oſten this important topic gets lost in the day-to-day business of teaching. Fortunately, Gibbs helps us understand the value of advocacy efforts at the elementary level and provides a few simple yet effective options to get started. Instead of describing an all-inclu- sive list of strategies she targets ideas that can easily be incorporated into what music teachers already do. As we all know, advocacy is more powerful when it results from a collective en- terprise. Tis would be a great article to discuss with colleagues while enjoying a pool-side lem- onade or evening S’mores around the fire pit!
If you ever wonder whether what we do in our P-12 classrooms matters, I recommend read- ing Lisa Lehmberg’s article, Music and Senior Citizens: Research Findings and Considerations for Music Education. Lehmberg co-authored the book Music for Life: Music Participation
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