I know many music teachers are in the trenches, feeling overwhelmed with the demands of the profession.  Sometimes it’s nice to take a moment, breath, and remember exactly why we were drawn to this profession.  I am teaming up with some amazing music education bloggers this week on a series called #whyiteachmusic.  We’re all sharing why we love what we do and hosting a giveaway as well, because, who doesn’t like free stuff? 

Teaching Chose Me

I can tell you with all honesty, I did not choose teaching.  It chose me.  I always loved working with children, but I also loved music.  I loved playing, practicing, and performing on my flute.  My undergraduate degree was in flute performance.  My senior year, I took a class called Early Childhood Music.  All my friends took the class their junior year and every one of them loved it.  “Go sing with the babies!”  “It’s the best class ever!”  So I enrolled in the class to fulfill the final 3 credit of my degree.  It changed my life forever.

Every Child Is Musical

In that one little class, I learned that every child is musical.  Every child has an aptitude for music. There isn’t a person alive without the capacity to learn music.  I learned that every child can sing, chant, move, and play, but it was up to me find that access point in the child and move them forward. What I learned in that early childhood music class never left me.  It was such a powerful experience that instead of going to graduate school for flute performance, I went to school to get my teacher certification.
Twenty-one years later, I’m still using everything I learned in that class each and every day.  Every child that enters my room has the potential to learn music.  I simply have to find their access point.  

That One Thing

I love finding that one thing a child loves musically, and helping them to grow and see themselves as musicians.  The best thing is that I get to champion children who may be lost in the shuffle.  The child who struggles in the classroom is the best drummer in my class.  The child who is the outlier in her classroom shines as a singer in my class.  The disabled child who is non-verbal hums along to every tune in my class.  Every child has music aptitude.  Every child has music in them and I get to bear witness to that development each and every day.  Why I teach music?  Because it chose me and I cannot do anything else.
So want to win some amazing prices?  Enter our giveaway!  Here’s what you need to do:  
  • Comment on my blog post!
  • Share your inspiration on social media using #whyiteachmusic
  • Share my blog post with your friends on social media so they can enter too!
  • Share every day until Monday, November 21st
Every blogger is giving away a different prize.  You can win a copy of my Differentiated Recorder Bundle!  It’s a fantastic resource to help every student in your room!
Make sure to enter the giveaway below!  And leave me a comment!  Good luck!

 

 

Related Blog Posts