“Quite a few people spend the summer playing or performing for joy instead of work! I love that.” – @girlfromPBO
The #MusEdChat held on June 28th, 2010 discussed ways teachers spent their time during the summer. This spanned from professional development to rest and relaxation.
What Teachers Actually Do During the Summer
The chat began by discussing activities that they actually participate in over the summer. While many stated the importance of taking some time for yourself, they also suggested some great ideas to become better music teachers. A few of the participants said that they were using the summer months to become more literate in Web 2.0 Technology as it pertains to music education. Some teachers use the summer to catch up on some administrative duties of the job, like file music, organize things, and @shawdave will be adding his entire music library holdings to Google Docs. Other teachers are spending the summer brushing up on instruments. Performing is also an activity that teachers spend time with during the summer, generally through community groups. Advocacy is also an important aspect to summer that some teachers take advantage of, including getting principals and administrators behind their programs. @jimfrankel said that when he was teaching, he made a list of 5 things he would improve on for the next year. Since summer is a generally busy time for band directors, it offers a great opportunity for both undergraduate music education students, and teachers who don’t teach band to gain some experience in that area.
In an Ideal World…
Music educators began discussing what they would like to do over the summer. Many said that the summer should be spent doing whatever prepares them for the upcoming year. @jimfrankel suggested that teachers learn to compose, or brush-up on their composition skills. Along with this, some participants cited the importance of knowing how to improvise. Others would love to tour or staff with DCI bands. @LindsayMorelli said, “I think teachers should form summer performance ensembles. Great way to keep playing/singing, as well as talk about music!”
#MusEdChat Books
At one point during the chat, participants recommended a multitude of great books to each other. Some also tossed around the idea of collaborating with each other in a #MusEdChat Book chat. Since summer seems to be a time of professional development and relaxation, reading seemed to be a way to conquer both. @Zweibz7 compiled all of these books into a easily-navigable #MusEdChat Book List.
Connect With #MusEdChat!
Be sure to join us tonight at 8 PM EDT/12AM GMT for the next #MusEdChat. The topic will be, “What are ways we can teach across the curriculum in the music classroom?” Also, check out MusicPLN.Org, the new community for music educators which launches to the public today! This is a great way to connect with many of the #MusEdChat participants, and carry our Monday-night chats into full fledged discussions and learning opportunities! Check out MusicEdMajor.Net’s post,”Music Education Professional Learning Network Opens to Public.”
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