Launching PA Educator Ethics Training

paulkfox1 Comment

Implementing the NEW PDE Chapter 49 “PE” Competencies – “The WHO, WHAT, WHY, & HOW!”

Blogger’s Note: We will return to Part II of “Bookends” next month to explore:

  • Stage 3: Inservice/Growing Years
  • Stage 4: Veteran/Sustaining Years
  • Stage 5: Next Chapter/Living the Dream

Instead, our November blog will share methods, modes, media, and other materials to provide meaningful professional development on ETHICS for EDUCATORS in the Commonwealth, resources from my upcoming presentation to school administrators at the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s SAS Institute – Successful Leadership – Shaping Your School’s Story to be held in the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center on December 11-13, 2023. Click below for my handouts.

planning-pd-for-ethics-sas-institute-handouts-s121123Download

PKFox

Interested in joining us at the Hershey Lodge on December 11-13, 2023? Please click here for more information or to register.

A Summary of My SAS Institute Ethics Session

To paraphrase the wisdom of one of my favorite recent visionaries and online workshop presenters, Simon Sinek, “Every organization should begin with “the WHY!” According to SmartInsights, Sinek’s Golden Circle theory explains “how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust and change in a business based on his research into how the most successful organizations think, act and communicate if they start with why.” On his website, he declares his own WHY: “We are here to inspire people to do the things that inspire them so that, together, each of us can change our world for the better.” I love his mission!

https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/online-value-proposition/start-with-why-creating-a-value-proposition-with-the-golden-circle-model/

“Your WHY is your purpose, cause, or belief. WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care about the work you do?” – Simon Sinek

So… lets ask the questions that define our own golden circle, my session, and this article:

  • WHY should we be so concerned about professional development in ethics for PA educators?
    (Why should you even be reading this blogpost?)
  • HOW should we train our staff?
  • WHAT should be introduced and reinforced over the long term?

And, I will add one additional question: WHO is responsible for all of this?

Well, the quick response to that last query is EVERYONE in the profession. However, this blog is particularly geared to school system leaders, career and technical center directors, and administrators charged with the responsibility of continuing education/professional development and induction programs for their PA educators.

The “WHY!”

Quick. Calling on all PA teachers! Without looking on the Internet, can you identify the exact title of your “code of conduct” (1)? Do you know the PA agency responsible for writing this code and adjudicating its rules (2)? Can you name the “code of ethics” recently adopted by PDE and the Board of Education which provides school staff comprehensive guidance in professional decision-making based on context (3)?

Hints? How about a few acronyms?

  1. CPPC
  2. PSPC
  3. MCEE?

Don’t you think “we” should at least be familiar with the commission that grants us the license to teach in PA as well as the document that “governs” our behavior, violations of which could remove us from our job or revoke our certificate?

Of course, six years ago, even I didn’t know we had a PA “code of conduct!” (I started teaching in the public schools in 1978 and it wasn’t written until 1992!) After retiring from full-time teaching in 2013, I was asked to present my first ethics workshop back in 2017 for a Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Regional In-Service Program. Already scheduling me for two other sessions, the organizer came to me, “Could you add a presentation on educator ethics?” My first reaction was, WHY? Why would this be necessary? I promised him I would do a little research before getting back to him… and found these (now updated) statistics. Here’s the WHY in a nutshell!

HORRIBLE! These are the number of PA educators by year who had misconduct complaints filed against them. Sure, a majority of their cases were not always fully prosecuted nor did they all result in a “guilty” verdict or plea, as this glimpse of educator disciplinary resolutions for 2016 (out of 672) for comparison shows (statistics from PDE):

But, if you can read the above graphic, that means that in 2016, 156 educators surrendered their license or had their certificate suspended or revoked! Obviously, no matter how you interpret the stats, this is a SERIOUS PROBLEM! And it may be due to a lack of training or understanding of the regulations and principles of ethical decision-making!

Why is this topic crucial for all pre-service, “rookie,” AND experienced professional educators? It is essential… not so much to serve as a reminder of the penalties for ethical infractions or spotlighting the occurrences you read or hear about in the news… but, because ETHICS are what we all stand for, the values we exhibit in our day-to-day decision-making, the integrity of the profession, and our “making a difference” in the lives of the students.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.

(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

The “WHAT!”

My colleague Thomas W. Bailey, a retired social studies teacher who reinstated his law license, and I set ourselves the goal of creating continuing education courses to provide REAL ethics training for PA educators. Thomas applied to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and received approval for a four-hour online Act 48 continuing education course for all PA educators (earning credits in PERMS) and a 25-hour online Act 45 PIL continuing education course for school system leaders, career and technical center directors, and other administrators responsible for planning the professional development of their school staff. The dates for our next two series of classes with open for enrollment in January 2024 are:

To register for either course, please go to Tom’s website: https://www.twbaileylaw.com/event.

Both of our courses satisfy the recently revised PDE Chapter 49 requirements of learning the “professional ethics” program framework guidelines:

For school system leaders and other administrators, PDE has set high expectations with the release of the following DEADLINES in April 2022:

“Chapter 49 requires instruction in professional ethics to be integrated in educator preparation, induction, and continuing professional development programs as follows.

  • Continuing professional development programs must integrate the professional ethics competencies no later than the 2023-24 academic year.
  • Educator preparation and induction programs must integrate the professional ethics competencies no later than the 2024-25 academic year.“

Our Act 45 and Act 48 courses cover the following subjects, definitions, and applications of these terms:

  • Fiduciary
  • Ethical Equilibrium
  • Personal Morality
  • Regulations of Law
  • Professional Ethics
  • Professional Dispositions
  • Moral Professionalism
  • Differences Between Moral and Ethical Standards (with Examples)
  • Codes of Conduct (Examples)
  • Codes of Ethics (Examples)
  • Differences Between a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics
  • PA Professional Standards and Practices Commission
  • Paths of Educator Discipline in PA (Local and State)
  • Loudermill Hearings
  • State Discipline System (from Misconduct Complaint to Appeals)
  • PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct
  • The Educator Discipline Act
  • National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification
  • Model Code of Ethics for Educators

The “How!”

I know this will sound a lot like bragging, but what makes the Thomas Bailey + Paul Fox ethics courses truly effective and different from everyone else in the game (albeit there are few “classes on the codes” sponsored in our geographic area) is the process – a focus on top-down training (administrator to teacher to student), interactive discussion, and a major emphasis on borrowing from the research of “Principled Teaching” in Domains 4a, 4d, 4e, and 4f of the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching, the Teacher Education And Mentoring (TEAM) Module 5 Guide of the Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Facilitators Guide of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

In my SAS presentation, I review several different modes of case study analysis, from simple to comprehensive, modeling small group interactive peer review, encouraging healthy discussions of diverse opinions in an “open,” non-threatening environment. The following approaches could be adapted to your setting of in-service programs or inductions:

MOCK JURY

Degree of Misconduct, scenarios for learning the PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct (CPPC): For more details, revisit the application of my misconduct rubric and explanation in the blog “Ethical Scenarios” here.

In collegiate sessions, I have used color-coded popsicle sticks and handouts of different hypothetical case studies for “the jury” to evaluate the behavior and “find the relevant code” in the CPPC.

VOICES IN MY HEAD

Random Bad Attitudes for review of the standards in the Model Code of Ethics for Educators: I doubt (or sincerely hope) you would not hear too many of these directly from the school staff, but comments like, “Don’t ask for permission, beg for forgiveness” are NOT ethical precepts! Let’s dissect these bad boys!

SEARCH FOR THE STANDARDS

Hybrid Approach for using “the negative voices” and researching appropriate provisions in both the CPPC and MCEE: Select a single bad attitude and break off into two or three teams, each focused on corroborating related ethical principles in CPPC, MCEE, and even the PA Educator Discipline Act (EDA).

ALL CODES

“Deep Dive” Case Study Analyses in small group break outs for comprehensive interactive discussions using an adaptation of the questions in the Connecticut State Department of Education TEAM Manual:

  1. What possible issues/concerns might this scenario raise?
  2. How could this situation conflict with school policy, CPPC, EDA, MCEE, or case law?
  3. In this situation, what are some potential negative consequences for the educator’s students, fellow educators, and the school community-at-large?
  4. What responses/actions will result in a more positive outcome and/or what proactive measures might be considered?

A single hypothetical scenario would first be presented to the full group, and then the educators would break off into 4-6 smaller groups to review these questions. Individuals may or may not all agree. A group leader is usually appointed to record their responses and then upon reconvening, report back to “the whole.” Here is a sample case study (painful reading; fictitious but based on actual past incidents):

The moderator may promote further discussion (sample answers below) and even pose additional questions like the following:

  1. What if the relationship was always of mutual consent?
  2. What if the teacher never taught the student while she was enrolled in his school?
  3. What if the relationship did not start until after the student graduated?
  4. What if his student was over the age of 18 during the time of the relationship?

It deserves mention here that this final training mode, representing perhaps the highest degree of scaffolding of the learning for the ethics training of your staff, proposes the establishment of a permanent school district Professional Learning Community (PLC) or ethics committee. We know from our past experiences in providing continuing professional development of educators that promote free, open, healthy sharing of potential professional decision-making conflicts or ethical “conundrums” – “what would you do” scenarios – will foster lasting long-term benefits. Danielson Framework for Teaching (Domain 4) and CSDE reinforce this philosophy of peer collaboration.

“Teachers must engage in district-facilitated conversations that focus on ethical and professional dilemmas and their professional responsibility to students, the larger school/district educational community, and to families.”

Connecticut State Department of Education

My educator ethics mentor and “hero” Troy Hutchings, Senior Policy Advisor to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, admitted that in his early years of teaching, he felt a little reticent about going to his principal for advice in handling a situation of a student developing a “romantic crush” on him. To paraphrase his remarks during his webinar, “I was concerned that my supervisor might think I was encouraging the girl… Who could I turn to?” Sharing these anecdotes and talking informally with other faculty members will go far in building teamwork, mentor-mentee relationships, and intra-building trust in allowing more peer review towards enhanced educator decision-making.

If you need a resource on PLCs, my colleague (PA Principal of the Year to be honored at the upcoming 2023 SAS Institute) Dr. Tim Wagner recommended the handbook Learning by Doing by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Thomas W. Many, and Mike Mattos (Solution Tree Press, 2016).

The authors’ summary of reasons to implement a PLC in your school building(s) are to:

  1. Improve staff’s individual and collective practice
  2. Build on staff’s “shared knowledge and experiences”
  3. Build clarity and understanding in the use of a common vocabulary
  4. Develop a library of accessible tools, templates, and protocols (i.e., ethical scenarios)
  5. Promote non-threatening, thought-provoking discussion on ethical decision-making

Wrapping It Up with More Resources

Every school setting is different, and your application of these staff ethics training ideas will be unique. Hopefully I have given any interested PA school system leader, CTC director, professional development or building administrator, or department chair some “food for thought.” For example, if you wanted to set up a PLC to meet regularly to discuss ethical issues, many of you may need to involve your teacher’s professional association and/or review their contract… or perhaps on-your-own implement a rotation of educators to experience these case study discussions during pre-scheduled inservice or induction days.

For “the keys to the car” to build your own local ethics professional development programs, we encourage you to sign-up for one of our classes here. For our PIL series, Thomas Bailey shares the native files of his PowerPoint presentations so that they can be turned around and taught to other educators, and then even students who are studying their own discipline code or online anti-bullying school policies. Here is an image of our PIL brochure which will be offered beginning on January 3, 2024.

I also suggest perusing Thomas Bailey’s free videos on this topic, slide #61 (page 31) from the handouts to my SAS Institute presentation (above), and these links to other blogs on paulfox.blog.

NOW YOU HAVE IT… the entire toolkit and rationale… the “who, what, how, and why” of educator ethics training and satisfying the new PDE Chapter 49 “PE” competencies.

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

Bookends – Part One

paulkfox1 Comment

The Life Cycle of a Successful & Happy Music Educator

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Colin Powell

I feel blessed to have spent five decades in the field of music education. No other career has offered so much personal satisfaction, discoveries and growth of hidden potentials and skills I never knew I had, sharing my love of creative self-expression, and facilitating others to seek their own connections to music. I am trying to follow my own “retirement” advice, remaining active in the profession in ways that matter, helping others find their own success, and embracing author Ernie Zelinski’s mantra to “find purpose, structure, and community” throughout my years as a retiree.

Parallel to the mission of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention, serving “the life cycle of a music educator,” this blog site is my “gift” to future and current music educators and those contemplating retirement. Recently, I presented a workshop on this topic for student teachers in music education at Seton Hill University (Westmoreland County, Greensburg, PA), summarizing a framework for “professional development for life” in order to foster these goals and nurture meaningful successes of pre-service music educators. No “road map” (or to retain the analogy in my title, “library” of resources) is applicable to everyone nor will the journeys/readings be the same… but since my collections of past blogs over ten years are now vast, I offer this simplified checklist for any “newbie” interested to seek their own pathway. Happy travels!

  1. Preservice/Training Years: Marketing, Interviewing, & Networking
  2. Rookie/Practicing Years: Ethics & Professionalism 101
  3. Inservice/Growing Years: Career Development (next blog post)
  4. Veteran/Sustaining Years: Time Management & Self-Care (next blog post)
  5. Next Chapter/Living the Dream Years: Retirement Prep & Mastery (next blog post)

The slides to the entire presentation are open to anyone to view below.

bookends-slides-for-website-s101823Download

However, here’s a shamelessly offered advertisement. It would make more sense to see this “in-person” or online with my moderation. I would be happy to present this session (giving me at least an hour to allow for more interactive discussion) to collegiate members, a music education methods class, a regional workshop, or festival meeting via Zoom or in-person (in PA). If interested or to inquire, please send me an email here.

Now… the checklists. Depending on your current status and interests, peruse the following resources. It is possible a few of the links contained within these blogs have gone inactive, but I believe enough is there for you to gain the insight, tools and motivation to achieve “professional development for life.”

Stage 1 – Preservice/Training Years

The focus during our early years in any profession is learning the “shtick” and getting ready for the job search and interviewing. Probably before anything, we revisit our inspiration and what Simon Sinek directs us to “the why” of any organization… in this case, “the why” of becoming a music educator – our philosophy, mission, vision, and understanding of the purpose/role of music education n the schools.

[ ] 1. The Meaning of Pro: Are you a professional? Do you have the skills, habits, and attitudes of a professional in the field of education?

[ ] 2. Marketing Yourself and Your Pre-K to 12 Music Certification: What is your professional “brand?” Do you plan to “sell” yourself as a specialist, e.g., “band director” or “elementary general music teacher, etc.? To those potential job candidate screeners, promote the image of being proficient – “a total music educator” – and don’t emphasize your major/emphasis or perceived skill or experience limitations. The only thing that really matters is whether you are the “right fit” for a particular opening, and of course, deciding whether or not to accept the offer. Your license (certification) implies that you do indeed have the necessary training to teach all K-12 music classes. Don’t sell yourself short!

[ ] 3. Criteria for Selection of the “Ideal” Teacher Candidate: The best way to prepare for a job interview is to become aware of how you will be judged in comparison with your peers. What are the standards (or behaviors or criteria) of outstanding teachers? For what are administrators looking to fill the vacancies and build/maintain a quality staff?

[ ] 4. “S” is for Successful Storytelling: The number one method to land a job is “SHOW, don’t TELL!” Stories are up to 22 times more effective than facts alone. Identify the key impressions you want to convey. Pick interview stories that will “sell” the right message. Learn how to share unique personal examples of your interactions with children, colleagues, and music programs. These additional resources can be shared about “strategic storytelling” and how to prepare (a.k. practice) telling your anecdotes:

[ ] 5. The Ultimate Interview Primer for Pre-Service Music Teachers: This super-packet has a collection of more tips on marketing yourself and mastering the “science” of finding a job, interview strategies and sample questions, evaluative rubrics, follow-ups, “bad habits” to avoid, etc. Take the time to download and explore these excellent tools!

Homework for Stage 1 – Developing a Marketing Plan

  • Standards: Define your personal mission, goals, and philosophy for teaching music, modeling the highest ideals of professionalism, and becoming the “total music educator.”
  • Marketing: Design and distribute a “state-of-the-art” résumé, e-portfolio, website, and business card.
  • Skills: Compile a list of anecdotes and true stories of you overcoming challenges, solving problems, and demonstrating  “best practices” of professionalism and self-improvement.
  • Assessment: Practice, record, and evaluate yourself answering job interview questions.

Stage 2 – Rookie/Practicing Years

[ ] 6. Ethics for Music Educators – Part I, Part II, and Part III: You may think that the primary focus for our early years as a novice teacher would be the reinforcement of what we learned about education – curriculum, content, methods, classroom management, and assessment, but something else trumps all! Before we ever step foot in a classroom, rehearsal room, or stage, it is essential we first review those ethical standards in education, terminology, philosophy, and “the codes” that bind us. We should be able to show in depth understanding of these concepts:

  • Fiduciary
  • Moral Standard
  • Ethical Standard
  • Ethical Equilibrium
  • Moral Professionalism
  • Differences Between a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics
  • Student-Teacher Boundaries and the Slippery Slope of Ambiguous Relationships
  • Function/Relevance of “The Codes” to Daily Teacher Decision-Making

For nearly every presentation I do on “ethics for pre-service music educators,” I hold up a fifty dollar bill and ask, “Who wants this? Can you name the exact title of your state’s code of conduct for educators and the government agency that enforces it?” So far, no one has made me $50 poorer. Indeed, few active teachers “in the trenches” have read their “codes,” and frankly, that is surprising. Violation of any major provision in our code of conduct will result in a serious reprimand, being fired, losing one’s certificate to teach anywhere, and/or criminal/civil prosecutions. Wouldn’t you think all of us would be intimately familiar with the “rules” of our professional?

For my Pennsylvania colleagues, please download and READ these:

[ ] 7. Ethical Scenarios (and More): The study of morality in professional decision-making is essential to pre- and in-service training of music teachers. Our goal should be to reinforce recommendations for the avoidance of inappropriate behavior (or even the appearance of impropriety), and defining and modeling the “best practices” of a serving as a “fiduciary” by promoting trust, fostering a safe environment for learning, acting in the best interests of our students, and upholding the overall integrity of the profession.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is to discuss ethical scenarios in small peer groups, an interactive exchange of opinions – “what would you do?” – in analyzing hypothetical case studies. Perhaps in a college methods class, student teaching seminar, department meeting, faculty committee, or PLC (Professional Learning Community), the following thought-provoking questions from the Facilitator Guide for Professional Responsibilities – Module 5, written by the Connecticut State Department of Education T.E.A.M. (Teacher Education & Mentoring) manual should be discussed in an open, reflective, nonthreatening setting:

  1. What possible issues/concerns might this scenario raise?
  2. How could this situation become a violation of the law, the “Code” or other school/district policies?
  3. In this situation, what are some potential negative consequences for the teacher, students, parents, and/or school staff?
  4. How would this episode affect a teacher’s efficacy in his/her classroom, demean the employing school entity, or damage her position as a moral exemplar in the community?

Please visit link #7 (above) for sources of ethical scenarios to study, including my “conundrum series.”

Homework for Stage 2 – Are you an Ethical Educator?

  1. Self-assess your own habits of professionalism, and identify goals for at least two “personal improvement projects.”
  2. Read “cover-to-cover” any documents relating to your own state’s code of conduct and the NASDTEC Model Code of Ethics for Educators.
  3. Discuss the ramifications of “choices” and teacher decision-making in context by reading a few of the fictitious scenarios highlighting ethical precautions, disputes, and “conundrums.”

Coming Soon…

Bookends Part Two

PKF

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

Interviewing Boo-Boos

paulkfoxLeave a comment

Dodging a Few Potholes & Pratfalls at Job Screenings That Could Eliminate You from Consideration

By now, I hope all music education college graduates, newcomers to the profession, or transfers who have satisfied the credential and certification requirements for the state in which you intend to live and work, have had at least one interview! With the looming teacher shortage across the country coupled with an onslaught of openings due to retirements, resignations, leaves, etc., this may be the BEST time to apply for a music teacher position. If you have not had much success at recent interviews or the job search process altogether, this blog post, supported by the many other articles I have written on the same topic (see list at the bottom), may “cut to the chase” and highlight any bad habits you may be exhibiting that take you out of the running! I heartily recommend you “dissect” the problem and analyze your less-than-professional communication skills or what “image” you are unintentionally projecting, and then do a self-assessment of your “interview performance” (just like any other performance) to determine what you need to “fix” in order to improve your chances and market yourself for the job offer you always wanted. The bottom line? The advice I always give at workshops is that you need to enlist the help of your family members, friends, or peers, record yourself doing “mock interviews,” and evaluate your “performances” looking for any flaws (and let your onlookers offer feedback, too!). Then it’s time to rewind: PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE!

PKFox

FIRST… THE BAD HABITS

  1. Repeated verbal pauses, or exclamations of “Umm” or “Ahhh” or “Like…”
  2. Unsubstantiated or unsupported statements
  3. Use of “weak words” that suggest a lack of conviction (“kind of” or “sort of” or “I feel like”)
  4. Failure to look directly at the interviewer(s)
  5. Verbal clutter (too many long run-on statements)
  6. Fidgeting (tapping your foot, spinning a pen between your fingers, wiggling in your seat, etc.)
  7. Fast talking or dropping the ends of your words
  8. Answers that are too casual, personal, or informal, or “flip” conversation
  9. “Bird walking,” changing of the subject, irrelevant or unclear responses to a question
  10. Touching of your hair, clothes, nose, mouth, or anywhere else on your body
  11. Responses that go overboard and/or volunteer too much
  12. Forceful, dominating, one-sided, opinionated views or arrogant attitudes
  13. Nonverbal cues that reflect nerves, insecurity or lack of confidence (slouching or poor posture, looking down, failure to smile, clenching or keeping hands in lap)
  14. Hollow, insincere, or disingenuous conversation

These additional tips were provided by the Novoresume Career Blog:

1. Going unprepared10. Making it all about you19. Not being prepared to answer salary questions
2. Arriving late11. Sharing personal details20. Selling yourself too much
3. Arriving early12. Being too personal with the interviewer21. Failing to sell yourself
4. Appearing unpolished13. Using your phone22. Neglecting the “biggest weakness” question
5. Displaying low energy14. Badmouthing past employers23. Failing to recover from a mistake
6. Displaying too much energy15. Talking in circles24. Not having any questions of your own
7. Not getting the tone right16. Talking too much25. Not asking about next steps
8. No paying attention17. Messing up body language26. Forgetting to follow-up
9. Not rehearsing in advance18. Bringing up salary and benefits first27. Following up too aggressively
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/interview-mistakes

Now, from my own past experience in assisting hiring seven new music staff members for my school district, here are a few “interview pet peeves,” common blunders or misdirections which may eliminate you before you even have a chance to get started.

TELL PERSONAL STORIES –

Don’t regurgitate data, titles, grades, and past jobs.

“Stories are up to 22 times more effective than facts alone.”

“We are wired to remember stories much more than data, facts, and figures.”

“A story can illustrate a journey that may more than inform but move or persuade the listener.”

https://leanin.org/education/harnessing-the-power-of-stories

Most interview panels are made up of administrators who have limited knowledge of (and perhaps no personal practice in) the Fine and Performing Arts. You may be surprised that “they” (the ones with the most influence during public school employment screenings) may not be as impressed with your level of virtuosity or artistry… singing a recitative in a Wagner opera or playing a Paganini Caprice. Stick to anecdotes about your interaction with children and dealing with (the number 1, 2, 3 questions) classroom management, assessment of learning, and accommodation of students with special needs.

DON’T “BIRD-WALK” OR GO OFF-TOPIC!

Back up statements with examples. Try to make specific and to-the-point responses to the interview questions. Be careful in talking about the “tough topics” (see https://paulfox.blog/2016/06/04/those-tricky-interview-questions/) and avoid “oversharing” personal reflections on weaknesses. I am always amused at candidates who dig a hole for themselves by sharing too much information or negative past experiences. If somehow a mistake you made in a former job comes up at an interview, tell what you learned from it and how you remediated the problem.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

Are you a specialist or a “total music educator.” DO NOT downgrade your abilities nor broadcast a limited educational philosophy, mission, or vision by stating “I’m a band director.” If you are certified to teach PreK-12 Music and want to promote an image of being “qualified,” than present yourself as proficient in all areas of music. You teach children, not a subject.

MORE DON’TS TO AVOID

NEVER talk negatively about your last employer. Right or wrong, this will usually imply you have poor interpersonal skills and tend to not get along well with other staff or supervisors.

DO NOT bring up questions about salary and benefits (especially in the first or second interviews – in education, these are pre-determined by the teachers’ contract – but you can ask the HR rep about them just before you sign on the dotted line).

If you don’t know an answer or understand the meaning of a term, be honest. Just say so! Inexperience is not a crime!

MORE DO’S

You CAN and SHOULD ask about the definition of the job assignment (grade level/subjects) for which you are under consideration and whether the opening is a permanent contractual position or a long-term substitute offering.

Bring your updated resume, (e-)portfolio, and a business card with the link to your professional website.

Be prepared with a list of your own questions about the school district, community, music program, etc.

Say what you mean – if you get the job, you may be “stuck” with your promises. I would not tell an administrator (just to make yourself look good) that you are interested in becoming the assistant marching band director, choreographer for the musical, yearbook sponsor, and the girls volleyball coach. (Anyway, it would not be practical that you offer to do a boatload of extra-curriculars in your first year that are not a part of your main job assignment!)

NOW THE GOOD HABITS TO PORTRAY AT THE INTERVIEWS

It is easier to share the bad habits, but let’s recap by focusing on the positive recommendations.

Positive First Impressions

  • Promote a positive and cheerful attitude.
  • Share a warm greeting and firm handshake
  • Build rapport and demonstrate an attitude of openness and sensitivity to the interviewers’ style
  • Show a feeling of mutual responsibility for creating a comfortable atmosphere and establishing common ground
  • “Be yourself” and model relaxed speech, posture, and body language

Positive Nonverbal Cues

  • Respond to interviewer with an occasion affirmative nodding of the head
  • Sit erect in chair with hands, feet, and arms unfolded leaning forward slightly
  • Offer good eye contact and smile appropriately
  • Angle your position a little so as not to sit directly across from the interviewer (avoid barriers)
  • Look interested and listen to the interviewer

DEBRIEFING – Learning from Your Mistakes

  • Write down everything you feel you handled right and wrong
  • Note information you need to include in future correspondence/follow-ups
  • Add names to your contact files.
  • Write a personalized thank-you letter or email
  • Follow-up your visit by making phone calls, sending requested materials, etc., but do not become a NAG!
  • If you are not selected, don’t take it personally. You may not have been the right “fit!” this time.
  • Prepare for the next interview… “DO BETTER!”

MORE RESOURCES – “MY TOP-THREE FAVORITE BLOGS”

Or check out all of my previous interview blog-posts (in reverse chronological order) here.

GOOD LUCK!

PKF

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

Monetizing Our Skills & Passions

paulkfoxLeave a comment

Creative Ways for Musicians to Make Money Beyond Gigs

Most of us who chose becoming music educators were motivated by our own experiences in creative self-expression and playing or singing in ensembles, and inspired by our incredibly dedicated school and private music teachers and ensemble directors. The “calling” of entering this profession was due to wanting to share this joy of making music! The best part of all of these musical experiences and training? Most of us retain these skills throughout our careers and even in retirement — many participating in community bands, orchestras, choirs, or jazz combos — some for hire!

Guest blogger Ed Carter reminds us that there are many ways to literally “cash in” our musicianship and supplement our income.

Article by Ed Carter

As a musician, making money can be challenging, especially when starting out. However, there are unique and unconventional ways through which musicians can earn extra money. Here are some ideas worth considering.

Live Streaming

Live streaming has become a popular way to reach audiences, especially because of its convenience and cost-effectiveness. As a musician, you can leverage this platform by hosting online concerts, meet-and-greet sessions, and private performances. To earn money from these events, consider using these platforms.

Selling Merchandise

Merchandise sales are a great way to promote yourself while creating extra income.
Consider offering merch such as hats, stickers, or even signed t-shirts. The key is to make your offerings unique and appealing to your fans. To ensure maximum exposure and sales, consider selling your merchandise at live events and through your website or social media channels.

Starting a YouTube Channel

YouTube has proven to be a powerful platform for musicians to gain exposure, build their fan base, and earn money. You can create a channel hosting content such as behind-the-scenes clips, tutorials, or even live performances. To earn money through YouTube, consider joining the YouTube Partner Program or utilizing sponsored content. Additionally, use other forms of social media platforms to promote your channel and gain more subscribers.

Tutoring

By sharing skills and experience, musicians can earn money through teaching. Consider offering lessons to beginners or those looking to advance their skills. To ensure consistent income, you can offer both in-person and online lessons. Creating a lesson plan, setting a reasonable rate, and marketing your services online will help you attract students.

Networking

Getting involved in your local music scene is essential to connecting with other musicians and growing your fan base. Consider attending open mics, local concerts or festivals, joining a band or musical group, or even volunteering. By building relationships with other musicians, you can collaborate on projects, gain valuable experience, and increase your exposure.

Playing Gigs

Playing for events is a great way to not only earn extra money but also gain exposure to potential fans. Consider contacting event planners, wedding coordinators, and event organizers to offer your services. To succeed in this avenue, be reliable, punctual, and consistently produce quality music. By offering a unique musical experience, you will earn more referrals and increase your client base.

Composing

If you have experience in musical arrangement and composition, there is a high demand for those skills. Consider working with bands, orchestras, and other musical groups to create unique arrangements. To get started, create a portfolio of past arrangements, market your services online, and network with other musicians in your community.

Striking a First Impression

If you are a musician, having an engaging and memorable business card can help you stand out from the crowd and promote yourself. One solution to create professional and visually appealing cards is to use online tools. You can include your contact information, social media handles, and music style description on your card and distribute them at events, live performances, and networking opportunities. This may be a solution to help you make a lasting impression and expand your fanbase.

As a musician, there are various ways to earn extra money while building your career. By leveraging different platforms and services, such as live streaming, YouTube, and
merchandise sales, you can increase your revenue and grow your brand. Remember,
consistent quality and hard work are key to achieving success in the music industry.

Book by Ed Carter

About Ed Carter, Guest Blogger

I’m Ed Carter, and I am a retired financial planner. Over the years, I’ve worked with clients of all ages, backgrounds and incomes. About 10 years into my career, I saw a need for financial planners who specialize in helping individuals and families living with disabilities. Regardless of their nature or how long they’ve affected someone, physical and mental limitations often cause stress and confusion when it comes to financial planning. Many people are unaware of just how many options they have when it comes to financial assistance and planning, so it’s an honor to offer my experience and change people’s lives for the better.

Now that I’m retired, I’m committed to continuing my services, even though I work on a broader scale than when I was working 9 to 5. I now spend my free time writing financial literacy articles for people to share on their blogs, collecting resource links for people to share on their websites, and collaborating with like-minded folks who want to make a difference.

— From Ed Carter’s website

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

“The Codes” & School Law

paulkfox1 Comment

Free Five-Part Series on PA Educator Ethics Updates

Since the NAfME and PMEA conferences in April, we have been busy creating additional opportunities for professional development in PA educator ethics training. My colleague Thomas Bailey and I have been preparing a Zoom meeting/video series for interested Pennsylvania school system leaders, administrators, department heads, educators, and PA Act 45 or 48 continuing education providers.

Please see the schedule below. The first seminar was recorded.

Session 1: 
William Penn vs. PDE – May 30, 2023 @ 4:30 p.m. 
Click here to view the video.

Session 2: 
Model Code of Ethics for Educators – June 6, 2023 @ 4:30 p.m.

Session 3: 
PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct – June 13, 2023 @ 4:30 p.m.

Session 4: 
PA Professional Standards & Practices Commission – June 20 @ 4:30 p.m.

Session 5:
Educator Discipline Act – June 27 @ 4:30 p.m.

To join the Zoom meetings and participate “live” in the upcoming question-and-answer sessions with our speakers, go to this link and scroll down to the bottom of the page. After completion, the YouTube URL for each seminar will also be posted here.

An intriguing follow-up resource is to visit Thomas Bailey’s website, especially the informative educator blog he has published including analysis of the William Penn vs. PDE hearings on equitable school funding in the PA Commonwealth Court (first session above) and other “ethical conundrums” and issues in the news.

I am also happy to report that we are expanding our PIL Act 45 professional development class offerings and Thomas has reapplied for PDE approval of a revised version of our Act 48 workshop on “PA Educators – Your Ethical Codes and School Law.” Click below to download a copy of our trifold brochure on the PIL course and summer in-service programs.

230530-pil-and-summer-pamphlet

Finally, to all of my music educator friends in the Commonwealth, I hope you have registered for the PMEA Summer Conference, being held in the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg/Hershey on July 17-19, 2023. This event is in conjunction with the annual PMEA Board of Directors meeting on July 17 and the PMEA “Day of Service” assisting the Harrisburg Symphony and the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts on July 19. In addition, I am looking forward hearing a performance of the Yankee Brass Band:

Since 1987, the Yankee Brass Band has both entertained audiences throughout New England and championed the cause of “historically informed performance” within the field of American band music. 2023 marks our 36th season. Using rare and authentic period instruments, and outfitted in appropriate uniforms, the Yankee Brass Band presents the music of the “Golden Age of Bands” played in much the same manner as in the mid to late 19th century. 

The workshops, clinicians, and details for registration are posted on the PMEA website here.

Hope to see you there!

PKF

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

On the Road Again (2023)

paulkfoxLeave a comment

“Doing My Thing…” — Professional Development Conferences for Music Educators

It’s been awhile since I posted here… arguably the longest editorial break I have taken since retirement and starting this blog-site. What’s that line retirees often say? “It’s a good thing I am retired from my job; otherwise I would not have enough time to do everything!”

This has been an extremely busy couple months of renovating three bathrooms, promoting the 30th Anniversary Gala Celebration of the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair featuring a CASINO NIGHT & the local band NO BAD JUJU (to which I can’t even go because it is on the same day as PMEA), staffing a transition of new editors and an office manager for the UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY community magazine, “keeping my hand in” by conducting a small nonprofit community ensemble (now in our 40th season of the South Hills Junior Orchestra), volunteering at the hospital (see my Tales from a Wheelchair Jockey article), developing new PDE Act 45 and 48 programs on ethics (school system leaders and educators respectively), and… (deep breath): preparing four PowerPoint presentations for two music conferences in April. Yes, and loving every minute of this frenzied activity!

Pennsylvania and Eastern Division music education colleagues: Hopefully by now, you have registered for the coming conferences on the horizon:

NAfME Eastern Division Conference, April 13-16, 2023, Rochester, NY

PMEA Annual Conference, April 19-22, 2023, in the Poconos

Now to quote the inspiration of Simon Sinek — his theory of value proposition to ‘start with why’ — how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust, and change based on research into how the most successful organizations think, act, and communicate if they start with why. Check out his rationale with The Golden Circle:

The “why” of attending your professional development conferences, “sharpening your saw” (self-renewal by Stephen Covey) aka “recharging your batteries,” learning what’s new and innovative on the forefront of “the state of the art,” and networking with colleagues, and has been addressed often in past blogs:

Simply put — to maintain your mastery of music and methods and build on your “best practices” and professionalism, you MUST attend as many educational conferences and workshops as possible!

Now to my “bags of tricks” for April 2023

Mark your calendars:

April 15, 2023 at 10:45 a.m. in Hyatt Susan B. Anthony (NAfME) – OR –
April 21, 2023 at 11:30 p.m. in Kalahari Suite 40/50 (PMEA)

I was blessed to have been asked to present THE INTERVIEW CLINIC — Practicing & Playacting to Improve Your Performance at Employment Screenings at both the NAfME and PMEA conferences. This will be FUN! Perfect for college music education majors, soon-to-be or recent graduates, new transfers to the profession, teachers seeking to change positions while openings seem to be “heating up,” or first-timers looking for employment, the session targets will provide interactive exercises to build self-confidence and develop better insights, practices, and strategies to successfully land a job. “The key is in the preparation” of:

  • Standards—Defining/modeling professionalism, versatility, and ethics
  • Marketing—Branding, networking, and selling yourself
  • Skills—Interviewing, storytelling, and organizing
  • Assessment—Observing, reviewing, diagnosing, and improving

Interactive exercises, you say? Yes! Get ready to meet new people and perhaps dive into a few activities slightly outside your “comfort zone!” (We promise NOT to embarrass anyone!) We will break up into small groups or “duet partners,” and explore defining our professional “essence,” telling anecdotes about our strengths and past problems we have “crushed,” and focusing on learning “the golden gift of gab” — storytelling.

Portions of this workshop will come from material in the past posts Storytelling, etc. Part 2 and When it Comes to Getting-a-Job, S Is for Successful Storytelling. (Your homework? Peruse these before coming to either session at NAfME or PMEA!)

As always, articles, resources, and slide summaries will be posted under the “Training/Jobs” menu tab (above).

Mark your calendars:

April 20, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. in Kalahari Suite 30 (PMEA)

How many of you feel at times a little overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed out, disorganized, demoralized, or disenfranchised?

Are you at the end of your rope and wondering how you’re going to “keep it all together” over the next week, month, year?

Is your health is interfering with your ability to do your job and find success, balance, and meaning in your personal life and relationships? Then… it is time for a change.

We are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic which has brought on a “gap year” to most of our music programs, the stress of “working harder not smarter,” more teacher burnouts, and the resulting bail outs, staff shortages, and/or job cuts. We need to embrace NEW strategies for personal self-care and SEL (social and emotional learning). Do you still enjoy teaching? How have you coped with all of the changes? How will you achieve a better work/life balance and skills in time/priority management and personal health and wellness?

The prescriptions and RECIPES towards stress reduction and developing a self-care plan are here! Doug Sands, a consulting hypnotist and founder of AnywhereHypnosis.com, joins me to “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” to alleviate these problems, with NO cookie-cutter, “one-size-fits-all” solutions from the chefs:

  • What has COVID done to all of us?
  • Instant personal online stress assessment
  • Taking an inventory of the ingredients towards a healthier lifestyle
  • Definitions, symptoms, and remediations for teacher stress and burnout
  • Why teachers are so exhausted and what to do about it
  • Time management tips
  • Breathe like a Navy SEAL
  • Coping and learning “acceptance”
  • How to “coach overwhelm!”
  • The role of meals, movement, music, and mindfulness (thank you, Lesley Moffat!)
  • From MEJ: A suggested self-care plan and “cognitive distortions” to avoid
  • Focusing on ONE self-care strategy from a “sea of solutions”

We’re in this together… so we need to join forces and SHARE the secret recipes for a happier life! Add your own “baking tips,” and I promise, you’ll leave with a better understanding of how we all can celebrate the coming year or decades in music education!

By the way, my “mindfulness partner” for this workshop, Doug Sands, promises us he will not hypnotize any of us during this session (although he could!).

For more about his work, including “15 Rapid Tools (and Counting) to Wipe Out Anxiety, Stress, and Panic,” please go to his website here.

You are invited to stop in to see him at his PMEA booth in the Kalahari exhibit hall.

POST-CONFERENCE NOTE: Doug sent us his Anti-Panic Toolkit entitled, 15 Rapid Tools (and Counting) to Wipe out Anxiety, Stress, and Panic – Wherever They Strike! Click here.

If you would like a sneak preview of the revised handout for the Self-Care workshop, go to the Care menu section at the top menu bar.

Taking a peek at our recent past…

Workshop for Orchestra & String Teachers

In case you missed the PMEA District 5 Professional Development Day, my wife Donna and I presented “Plucking Our Minds” at Grove City College on February 20, 2023.

We were privileged to “share some of our secret sauces” gleaned from over 80 combined years of experience on a variety of topics:

  • CommUNITY Music-Making
  • Online Academy
  • Summer String Camp
  • Assessment Projects
  • Collaborative/Creativity Projects
  • Library of “Fox Firesides”

If would be a shame to waste these resources… and reading them could inspire new adaptations to your instrumental program.

Click here for a copy of the slide handouts. Feel free to comment (above) or send an email to me (paulkfox.usc@gmail.com) if you have any questions.

Our Crystal Ball

Future Accredited Workshops on Ethics in Education

Are you aware that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has recently revised the PA educators’ Code of Professional Practice and Conduct AND adopted the Model Code of Ethics for Educators developed by the National Association of State Directors for Teacher Education and Certification? Have you seen the new Professional Ethics Program Framework Guidelines? PA Chapter 49 requires instruction in professional ethics to be integrated in educator preparation, induction, and continuing professional development programs as follows:

  • Continuing professional development programs must integrate the professional ethics competencies no later than the 2023-24 academic year.
  • Educator preparation and induction programs must integrate the professional ethics competencies no later than the 2024-25 academic year.

Not one to let grass grow (or mud sink) under his feet, retired social studies teacher, current attorney-at-law, and past PMEA conference presenter Thomas Bailey has partnered with me to design new ethics training classes for school system leaders (25-hour Act 45 PIL course) and educators (four-hour Act 48 continuing education course). In addition, we are introducing a new “hybrid” program for school administrators involving four-hour pre-recorded asynchronous webcasts (site license), along with a three-hour synchronous webinar using the webcast videos and adding facilitated interactive discussions of three ethical case studies either via Zoom OR in-person follow-up workshops led by both clinicians.

In Depth Ethics Training for PA Educators:

  • PA Model Code of Ethics for Educators
  • PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct
  • Professional Standards and Practices Commission
  • PA Educator Discipline Act

Click here for to register for Act 45 PIL Course.
Next series: April 25, May 2, 9, & 16, 2023

Click here for more information on the Ethics Webcast/Webinar and general information/landing page for the TWBaileyLaw website.

Click here for timeline of educator ethics presentations and clinicians’ bios.

Also review the Educators Court Case Blog and William Penn SD vs. PDE Blog.

Numerous articles have already been published on the subject of educator ethics, professionalism, and decision-making:

Hope to see you at one of these conferences or workshop sessions! Yes, it means a lot more to attend these IN PERSON!

PKF

© 2023 Paul K. Fox

A Penny

paulkfoxLeave a comment

by Kathy Merlino, guest blogger

Kathy Merlino is the author of kathysretirementblog.com, a blog about her perspective and thoughts on the emotional side of retirement and her journey as a caregiver. She is one of the most thought-provoking and influential writers on non-financial retirement topics. Kathy believes retirement is a journey, not a destination. Readers can leave a comment on Twitter:@kathysretiremnt

Kathy’s article was originally posted on November 26, 2022. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

PKF: This personal reflection is timely for all of us retiring and retired individuals, especially those of us with elderly or ailing family members. For a loss of a loved one, we all have to face and cope with the five stages of grief:

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance

Grief is personal and individual, and every person experiences its nuances differently. Your personality, your support system, your natural coping mechanisms and many other things will determine how loss will affect you. There are no rules, no timetables, and no linear progression. Some people feel better after a few weeks or months, and for others it may take years. And in the midst of recovery there may be setbacks — this nonlinear process can’t be controlled. It’s critical that you treat yourself with patience and compassion and allow the process to unfold.

https://healgrief.org/understanding-grief

PKF: Check out their excellent article on the common signs and symptoms, triggers, myths and facts about grief as well as ways to take care of yourself, posted by healgrief.org here.

A Penny by Kathy Merlino

Shortly after Martin died, I walked down my long driveway to fetch the mail. Usually, I have little or none.  But, in the days following his death, my mailbox held more than junk mail. There were sympathy cards and official letters from various institutions. As I pulled out the cache of the day, I saw something I’d never seen in my mail. A penny. It lay underneath the cards and letters and the ubiquitous junk mail. A penny so tarnished it almost faded into the background of the black metal floor of the box.

My mind flooded with the rhetorical questions. Who would leave a penny in my mailbox and why and how? I lived on a busy road, so someone walking by was unlikely. The leaving must have been thoughtful, intentional. “A penny for your thoughts” (Sir Thomas More) came to mind. Was it my faithful mail lady who left it? I lifted the penny out, slid it into my jean pocket, and walked back to the house. Inside, before turning my attention to the mail, I fished it out and set it on a mosaic trivet Martin had made in an art class. 

Over the next couple of days, I eyed the penny still wondering how it got in my mailbox. Did a penny have any significance? “See a penny and pick it up and all day you’ll have good luck” (Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes). Since we can pretty much Google anything these days, my curiosity finally gave way to asking Google. To my surprise, a penny has significance for the deceased or their loved ones. In the case of a veteran, a penny left at the grave means someone visited. For a widow like myself, a penny in the mailbox represents a new beginning, a rebirth, renewal of your life. A penny being first and one represents singularity. If you are part of a couple, one of you will die first leaving the other alone, single.

I’ve been alone for nearly eighteen months. While Martin still lived, it was not with me. If there is a silver lining here, it’s that I had ample time to adapt to my aloneness and grieve this impending, profound, enormous loss in my life. The outcome? I was not filled with the expected feelings of grief. Rather, as I held Martin during his final moments, I cried tears of gratitude for the end of his suffering. He was free of this disease. I was free of this disease. Our family was free of this disease. Relief instead of deep sorrow. Comfort in knowing he was at peace. As I stroked his face, I noted how serene his countenance. Peace at last.

Though I’ve had fits of grief, I’ve also felt immense joy when contemplating my future. During the last year, I deliberately divested myself of anything which smacked of negativity in my life. I decluttered the house paring my personal belongings. I feel washed clean, ready for a new start. Martin would want that for me. A friend asked if I thought Martin’s spirit left the penny. I would like to think so. I may never know who left the penny in my mailbox, but it is now my talisman for fresh beginnings, rebirth, a reawakening of my life’s potential. And a second chance at the retirement we dreamed of.

Other articles by Kathy Merlino. Thank you for sharing!

PKF

© 2022 Paul K. Fox

Two New PMEA Scholarships

paulkfoxLeave a comment

This message goes out to all of my Pennsylvania music education colleagues and especially any currently enrolled Freshman through Graduate college students in the Commonwealth.

My wife and I are proud to announce the launch of two new scholarships for the 2023-24 school year, financed by the Stark-Fox Family Fund, and managed by the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA). Official applications will be available soon (spring semester 2023) on the PMEA website here. All materials are due on or before June 1, 2023.

Do you know someone who is currently attending a PA university, college, or conservatory? Is he or she majoring in music education AND is a member of Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators Association (PCMEA) OR majoring in a science-technology-engineering-mathematics (or related) field of study AND participating in their collegiate music ensemble for credit?

Then… SPREAD THE WORD!

Here is a general summary of the eligibility requirements and expectations for application approval, subject to change by the PMEA EXCOM and staff. A performance video (or submission of an original composition) is required for either scholarship, and interested candidates could begin now (during the semester break) to prepare their piece(s), update their resume, assemble a digital portfolio, and write the essay.

PMEA Council TTRR Continuing Music Education Award

  • Amount and number of scholarships may vary from year-to-year
  • Full-time enrollment of at least one year (two complete semesters) as an undergraduate or graduate music education major in an accredited PA institution
  • Nonrenewable (selection of a different candidate each year)
  • Paid directly to candidate as reimbursement for college tuition, dorm/apartment rent, meals on campus, textbook purchases, and/or the purchase of a new instrument (must provide receipts)
  • Blind judging by PMEA members with at least one member from the PMEA Council of Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention, PMEA EXCOM, and/or PMEA staff
  • Criteria for selection
    • A minimum of at least one year as PCMEA member in good standing with letter of affirmation from the PCMEA sponsor
    • Submission of college transcript reflecting 3.5 GPA or higher
    • Demonstration of solo performance skills (recorded video) or submission of composition(s)
    • Presentation of a music education portfolio with sample lesson plans, philosophy, and development of creative instructional activities with a focus on the arts at the center of STEAM
    • Participation in at least one PMEA-sponsored professional development program e.g., the Annual Conference, Summer Conference, Webinar, or Regional Workshop
    • Completion of essay in response to the question “Why have you chosen a career in music education?” and portrayal of leadership and well-defined goals and aspirations towards a career in music education.
    • Letter of recommendation from at least one music education professor
https://www.pmea.net/council-for-ttrr/

PMEA Music-for-Lifelong-Learning Award

  • Amount of scholarship may vary from year-to-year
  • Full-time enrollment of at least one year (two complete semesters) as an undergraduate or graduate science-technology-engineering-mathematics major in an accredited PA institution
  • Enrollment for at least one semester in a music performance course e.g., band, chamber music, chorus, jazz, or orchestra earning the letter grade of an “A” or equivalent with submission of letter of recommendation (and transcript) from ensemble director
  • Nonrenewable (selection of a different candidate each year)
  • Paid directly to candidate as reimbursement for college tuition, dorm/apartment rent, meals on campus, textbook purchases, and/or the purchase of a new instrument (must provide receipts)
  • Blind judging by PMEA members with at least one member from the PMEA Council of Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention, PMEA EXCOM, and/or PMEA staff
  • Criteria for selection
    • 3.5 GPA or higher on college transcripts
    • Demonstration of solo performance skills (recorded video)
    • Presentation of a music portfolio with high school and college history of participation in music ensembles and pursuits in creative self-expression, concert programs, and/or evidence of the development of creative activities or projects with a focus on the arts at the center of STEAM
    • Completion of essay that reflects musical leadership, community service, and/or the ccandidate’s rationale and aspirations for the continuation of “music study as a life-skill”
    • Response to the question, “How does the study of music enhance your knowledge, skills, and depth of understanding for a career in science-technology-engineering-mathematics?”

We are hopeful that these will become annual awards of substantial amounts (with a goal of at least $5K to $15K per person based on market conditions), provided as reimbursement of the scholarship recipient’s higher education expenses. If you are a potentially eligible candidate, get to work on the selection process and documentation NOW and… good luck!

PKF

stark-fox-family-fund-scholarships-010923Download

The Stark-Fox Family Fund supports PMEA and PCMEA.

© 2022 Paul K. Fox

Volunteering is Vital

paulkfox1 Comment

Stories from a Wheelchair Jockey

“Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you. Even if it is a little thing, do something for which there is no pay but the privilege of doing it. Remember, you don’t live in the world all of your own.”

— Albert Schweitzer

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”

— Winston Churchill

“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.”

— Erma Bombeck

Besides spending more time with family and friends, the most precious benefit of the freedom afforded to you “living the dream” in retirement is… (drum roll, please)… becoming eleemosynary! (Look it up!) It’s crucial to make it a priority to give back to your community!

I wrote an article in our local community magazine UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY. (Yes, I guess I’m bragging a bit – find it here on page 20 and you’ll see pictures of my Pirate costume for escorting at the hospital and holding my doggies!) I cite many reasons for becoming a volunteer. (Disclaimer: Some of the statistics below are a few years old, but you get the idea… The trend is ever-growing!)

The Surge of Volunteerism

Did you know?

My home state Pennsylvania does its fair share, too. These figures are from AmeriCorp:

  • 3,506,834 PA volunteers contribute 341.0 million hours of service
  • 34.2% of PA residents volunteer, ranking them 21st among states
  • Volunteer service worth an estimated $8.2 billion
  • 98.8% of PA residents regularly talk or spend time with friends and family
  • 58.9% of PA residents do favors for neighbors
  • 22.1% of PA residents do something positive for the neighborhood
  • 33.4% participate in local groups or organizations
  • 59.8% of PA residents donate $25 or more to charity

Click to access Volunteering_in_America_States_508.pdf

Volunteering and Wellness

Volunteering has been documented to be good for your physical and mental wellness. Do you need any convincing? According to Track-It-Forward at https://www.trackitforward.com/content/use-these-volunteer-stats-boost-your-volunteer-program:

  1. Volunteering connects you with your community, which can lower the morality rate by 2.7%.
  2. Volunteering helps physical health – including decreasing the likelihood of high blood pressure development by 40%.
  3. Volunteering can help decrease high-stress levels, anxiety, or depression.
  4. Volunteering increases self-confidence and self-esteem by 6%.
  5. 96% of volunteers claim they feel a sense of purpose, therefore happier and healthier!

I recently found this website with more detailed rationale offered by Volgistics – Volunteer Logistics at https://www.volgistics.com/blog/volunteering-good-for-health:

Mental and Emotional Benefits of Volunteering

  1. Connects you with other people
  2. Allows you to contribute to a cause
  3. Gets you out of the house
  4. Connects you to the community
  5. Reduces depression and stress
  6. Improves self confidence
  7. Boosts happiness
  8. Encourages learning

Physical and Health Benefits of Volunteering

  1. Encourages physical activity
  2. Lowers your blood pressure
  3. Promotes heart health
  4. Extends your life

If you have any doubts about WHY you should volunteer, revisit my August 2021 blog “Those Were the Good ‘Ol Days – The E in RETIREMENT is for Energy, Engagement, Excitement, and Endurance” here. For retirees everywhere, this is worth repeating.

“It has been suggested that one problem of retirement is that one no longer matters; others no longer depend on us… The reward of retirement, involving a surcease from labor, can be the punishment of not mattering. Existence loses its point and savor when one no longer makes a difference.” 

– Rosenberg and McCullough

We learn from Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, and Purpose by Nancy Schlossberg that for retirees, it is important to feel “needed” and that pursuits that foster “mattering” are crucial to a positive self-esteem, good mental health, and stable life balance.

What to Do with Your Free Time?

This, too, has been covered in past blog-posts, conference sessions, webinars, and articles in PMEA News. A quick recap:

  • Walk dogs at animal shelter
  • Assist food banks and meals-on-wheels agencies
  • Enlist as special advocate for abused or neglected children
  • Work as a hospice volunteer
  • Maintain parks, trails, nature habitats, or recreation centers
  • Host an international student
  • Assist at local hospital, senior center, or nursing home
  • Serve in charity fund-raising projects
  • Become a youth director, mentor, or scout leader
  • Share your hobby or experiences in a specialty and teach night classes or summer school
  • Give guided tours or lectures as a docent at a local museum
  • Apply office management and clerical skills to benefit libraries and other nonprofit associations
  • Run a school club or coach a sport

A quick scan of the website https://www.volunteermatch.org/ would fetch many specific volunteer job openings (these for the Pittsburgh, PA area where I live):

  • Provide hospitality at Pittsburgh sporting events
  • Serve coffee and snacks at winter warming stations
  • Write articles or submit photographs to local publications and e-media
  • Visit hospice patients and provide other free-care services
  • Crochet, knit, or sew blankets for needy families
  • Connect with local veterans
  • Manage nonprofit events and organizations
  • Ring the Salvation Army kettle bells all year long
  • Mentor an underserved child (everything from athletics to computer skills)
  • Make weekly reassurance calls or personal welfare checks of senior citizens
  • Become a delivery driver of “care packages” of food, baby items, pet necessities, household items, and more

Retired music educators have an advantage, a valued skill which also represents their “calling” and “life’s work” – fostering creative self-expression. There’s so much “we” can do to “bring on more music” in our community, and if you wish, several of these may provide supplemental income:

  • Performing gigs locally
  • Directing community or church ensembles
  • Accompanying community or church ensembles
  • Coaching/assisting local music programs
  • Teaching college music education methods or supervising student teachers
  • Composing/arranging music
  • Adjudicating or guest conducting music festivals
  • Serving in the music industry

The best part of retirement is you can say “NO” anytime you want. You can cut out any perceived drudgery, routine “chores,” and excessive paperwork that “the institution” may demand, but still assist in collaborating and sharing your experience, expertise, vision in working with “the kids.” You can continue to develop your own personal artistry (now with more time to practice) and leave your “musical stamp” on other programs and projects whenever and wherever you please.

Adventures in Volunteer Escorting

Every hospital, outpatient facility, and senior nursing/assisted living center I know needs volunteers… a lot of able-body helpers. Have you considered lending a hand in pushing patients to/from their procedures, discharges, etc. in your community? I have, and it is truly a joyful experience.

For two days a week, I spend the better part of my day at St. Clair Health in Mt. Lebanon/Scott Township in the South Hills area of Western PA. (If you live in the area, visit their website here.) Although on occasion, I get to visit the Family Birth Center (my favorite) and hospital rooms to help check out patients, most of my shift is assigned to the Dunlap Family Outpatient Center, a new state-of-the-art facility (opened in May 2021 – still has that “new car” smell) for “in and out” procedures. It would not be an exaggeration that I escort as many as 50 individuals per day undergoing outpatient surgeries, endoscopies, colonoscopies, or other diagnostic testing, along with an equal number of family members to/from the treatment rooms. On a given Thursday or Friday, I can check my Apple Watch and iPhone digital health monitors and find I take as many 17,000 steps!

The best part? Do I have to tell you that since I retired to the same basic geographic area in which I spent my entire career, how many of my school colleagues, former students, and their parents I have discharged? One thing you realize helping out in your hometown (the place you taught all those years)… you will run into many of your former “charges” now grown up with kids of their own. It is a real joy to see them again (albeit due to the need for a colonoscopy or surgical procedure), and catch up with all those shared memories, their life’s happenings and successes, and future dreams.

So many stories…

Several weeks ago, I brought down to the main floor a delightful lady from our pre-post anesthesia unit to connect with her ride home, and I saw her driver was in a Uber-lit-up car. I remarked to the patient, “Wow, the only Uber driver I ever knew was one of my former choral students named Lisa…” and sure enough, that’s who came to pick up her mother-in-law. Even though we always wear masks in the hospital, I guess my Upper St. Clair HS marching band “broadcaster’s voice” is recognizable, and countless people in the lobby (usually accompanying family members) stop me, “Hey, is that you Mr. Fox?” Of course, HIPPA dictates we never repeat their identities or any confidential information…

Being a music teacher, I cannot help myself. My mission is to be “the distracter” – divert their attention from the inevitable? – and to help calm, reassure, and perhaps even entertain the patients for a few moments transitioning through those awkward (and sometimes fearful) medical procedures. They need a bright, cheerful, and funny if not somewhat crazy escort. I provide the jokes and the songs!

One day, I was literally singing Maria from West Side Story while pushing Maria-the-patient to her endoscopy, and another person walking with us for her own test said, “Well, it’s nice you are singing to us. But, my name is Sharon, and they don’t have a song for my name. No, Sharona is NOT my name,” she added with emphasis! After I took both ladies to their respective rooms, I had to do some research, but came back after Sharon was prepped and received her IV waiting for the doctor. “You forgot about The Song for Sharon composed and sung by Joni Mitchell,” I said (perhaps not my favorite example from the artist’s albums).

The hallway from the waiting room to the procedure suites is long and offers time for my style of “interaction and distraction.” Another funny episode, I was escorting two men to their appointments in the outpatient surgery unit. To the first, I said, “Did you know they wrote an entire musical featuring your name? Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He replied he had never heard of it. I sang a few bars of several theme songs, and told him to look up Donny Osmond’s Close Evr’y Door and other tunes from the show. We were almost at the nurse’s station when the second gentleman turned to me and said, “Don’t you dare!” I looked down at my call slip and saw his name was George, and searched my mind. What song could was he concerned about? “Oh, oh, not that cartoon theme George of the Jungle? ending with the lyrics “…watch out for that tree?” He told me he was tormented mercilessly by his brothers, sisters, son, daughter, and now the grandchildren re-enacting painful renditions of “his song!” In this quiet, pristine, antiseptically-clean environment, we all took a moment and enjoyed a good horse laugh together (even the head nurse)!

The male volunteers usually dress up in an all-red jacket (one giant candy stripe), but on occasion, I have been known to bring a costume… for Halloween or Christmas, to try to bring a little joy and good humor to the patients.

I feel blessed to have the good health and mobility to serve as a volunteer escort, and the opportunity to meet with on a daily basis so many wonderful people. Many of my retired colleagues (even those from where I last taught) have joined the force. To say the least, we appreciate the comradeship, gratitude, and feelings of being eleemosynary for what we can share with others!

Anyone from my neck of the woods? Visit this website and sign-up! WE NEED YOU!

As if you need any additional urging, for the young and young-at-heart alike, Joi Henry of the 2013-2014 Youth Leadership Council (21st Century Leaders) probably said it best commenting on why community service is essential:

“Community service involvement is important because volunteering teaches people of all ages and backgrounds compassion and understanding. One thing I like about community service is that there are opportunities to improve and leave your mark on your global and local community. Volunteering and putting on service events can be used as a way to advocate for causes that you are personally passionate about. Community service… can also be the avenue to explore areas that you express interest. Volunteering is something that has no time limit; you can volunteer as much or as little as you’d like or have time for and still feel some type of fulfillment from it.“

https://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/why-is-community-service-important/

So what are YOU waiting for?

PKF

© 2022 Paul K. Fox