“HELP! I trained to be a band director, and now I’m teaching elementary music!”
Clinician(s): Oscar Pangilinan
If you’re like me, you studied and received a performance degree for your undergrad before pursuing a credential and becoming a music teacher. In my transition from teaching middle school to elementary school music, I’ve had to re-evaluate how and what I teach. How do I make foundational learning fun and engaging? How do I prepare and reinforce students for the rigors that accompany higher musical skill development? How can we convince young students that music is a worthwhile pursuit?
This session will go over the lessons I’ve learned in this transition, discuss the challenges with reframing and adapting my practice towards supporting elementary musical development, and examine the ways I’ve been able to turn the corner with instrumental music instruction for grades 3-5.