Tag: teaching

Admins Helping Teachers

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This is an introductory blog-post perusing my early research and resources on supporting educator health/wellness in advance to my presentation Self-Care Cookbook 2.0 – Recipes and Resources for School Leaders for the PA Department of Education’s SAS Institute 2025 state conference scheduled for December 8-10, 2025 in Hershey, PA. Here is the summary description for the workshop:

“Do you find the harried pace of our profession overwhelming and at times crushing when buried beneath decades of keeping our noses to the grindstone and putting everyone else’s needs above our own? Do some of your staff members say they are stressed out, constantly tired, plagued by one ailment after another, or wondering how they’re going to “keep up?” If health is interfering with your colleagues’ abilities to do their jobs and find success, balance, and meaning in their lives, then it is time for change. The purpose of this session is to empower school leaders and teachers with skills and attitudes needed to make informed decisions to promote self-improvements in their lifelong health and wellbeing, to LEARN tools for better time management and to help remediate fatigue, stress and burnout, CONNECT and collaborate with your staff to inspire unique strategies for better personal self-care, and ACTIVATE creative new approaches to foster an improved workplace environment.”

Actually, previous articles at this site have dived into this subject of educator stress, burnout, and the development of a health and wellness self-care plan to build resilience, work/life balance, and reignite our motivation and passion for teaching. For a complete overview, I recommend you revisit these:

Always start with “THE WHY”

(Inspired by keynote speaker/author Simon Sinek): Why is this discussion so important now?

When I mentioned my research to my colleague (and former student) Dr. Timothy Wagner, Principal, Upper St. Clair High School (my former placement for full-time employment), he mentioned that this topic was timely and highly relevant, and suggested that perhaps there might be more statistics and resources “out there” on the stress of health-care workers and first-responders, which I found to be true. However, early looks have shown numerous parallels to the information in my 2023 Self-Care session.

My PDE SAS Institute session will become a “two-for-one” presentation, including the opportunity for school/system leaders, building administrators, and directors of school district professional development to also download my original “Self-Care Cookbook” (1.0) slides, recently updated for the DCMEA Annual State Conference (January 20, 2026). This self-help workshop is geared for educators to “on-their-own” explore strategies, implement use of individualized tools/remedies, and formulate new goals to improve health and wellness. Both sessions hope to cover these key questions:

  • Why is it essential to personal health to achieve balance in our lives, and how can we achieve it?
  • How does dedication to wellness lower the risk of illness, injury, and the quality of a person’s life?
  • What are the consequences of our choices in terms of time and stress management?
  • How do effective decision-making skills and goal setting influence healthier lifestyle choices?
  • What are suggestions, strategies, and samples for the development of a personal self-care plan?

Using a facsimile of a prescription pad in Self-Care 1.0, I posed these personal reflections:

  1. How do I usually feel daily throughout the school year?
  2. What are the emotional and physical tolls of my job?
  3. What specific self-care activities do I need to incorporate to recharge and prevent burnout? 
  4. What boundaries do I need to set around my work to honor personal time?
  5. What support systems can I build and/or professional help should I seek to create a sustainable practice?

Good ideas…

How can school admins support their staff in dealing with the climbing incidences of health problems, teacher exhaustion, call-offs, evidence of burnout, and high turnover rate? Sorting through a compendium of online research, these recommendations for school leaders occur repeatedly:

  1. Probably should go without saying: Show high visibility (“be seen by all”), recognition, and know everybody’s name. This goes a long way in building a sense of belonging of the staff and students.
  2. Provide more time for breaks and planning. Engage teachers in problem solving teams to identify and implement substantive ways to give them more time. Examples: cutting back on testing and data analysis; holding fewer and shorter meetings; putting a hold on new academic initiatives while increasing mental health initiatives conducted by school-based mental health professionals; hiring individuals who can assist with administrative tasks; compensating teachers for extra work; protecting classroom time by minimizing interruptions; reducing teaching hours to allow for more prep time and follow-up time.
  3. Foster a supportive community through mentorship programs.
  4. Distill high-impact strategies into a handful of manageable priorities. Once the goals are set, give teachers specific time within the school day or week to focus solely on them.
  5. Communicate directly, clearly, and frequently. “Supportive administrators know that a teacher’s time is valuable and that administrative meetings compete with individualized education programs, data teams, professional learning committees, cross-curricular planning meetings, and much more. So if a meeting is only for sharing straightforward information, it can be an email instead. It’s not necessary to have a meeting simply because the schedule says that faculty meetings are in the cafeteria on Mondays.” – Edutopia: “4 Practical Ways Administrators Support Teachers”
  6. Treat teachers with respect like the professionals they are, increasing mutual trust by decreasing micromanagement or reducing unnecessary accountability documentation.
  7. Shadow multiple teachers to experience first-hand the reality of their typical day.
  8. Allow educators the option to attend meetings and professional development activities virtually.
  9. Involve teachers in the creation of targeted professional development activities that are the most meaningful for them.
  10. Ask teachers about what specific help they need to improve classroom management.
  11. Develop a plan (with the Board of Education?) to increase teacher compensation over time, taking into account that many administrative and clerical tasks that are now required of teachers might ultimately be delegated to less highly compensated individuals.
  12. Address staff performance issues on an individual basis rather than issuing global reprimands that don’t apply to most teachers.
  13. Implement policies that encourage work-life balance. For example, recognize measurable indications of quality teaching rather than behaviors that signal a “more is better” approach (always coming in early and staying late, volunteering for everything, talking about working all weekend to catch up, etc.).
  14. Support educators by acknowledging stress, providing professional development on self-care, and creating a culture where asking for help is normalized.
  15. Ask teachers what mental health or other supports they need to cope with their own distress. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of introducing trauma-informed strategies, including an emphasis on compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, as well as mindfulness strategies that are part of institutionalized wellness routines.
  16. Provide “safe spaces” (SEL) where educators can express themselves without fear of being judged, and practice “Mindful Leadership” to connect with and listen to them. “Getting to know your teachers on a more personal level makes it easier to identify the best thing you can do to support them, even if teachers aren’t sure what they need. The goal should be making sure everyone made it to work okay and that they’re in good spirits and ready to tackle the day.” – 7 MINDSETS: “5 Ways Administrators Can Support SEL for Teachers”
  17. Counteract “toxic positivity” by acknowledging that teachers are hurting and need space to grieve the continued losses associated with the pandemic.

Bad ideas…

These strategies cited by Effective School Solutions will NOT help teachers in the long-term:

  1. While “wear your jeans to work” days and offering coffee and donuts occasionally are nice employee appreciation efforts, they do nothing to address the underlying issues.
  2. Offering one-shot seminars or newsletters with suggestions about individual self-care activities (breathing exercises, physical exercise, time for self, etc.) can inadvertently place further burdens on teachers, conveying the impression that they are responsible for both creating and addressing the stress that is structural in nature.
  3. Don’t conduct teacher surveys or focus groups about how to reduce teacher stress and then proceed to ignore their suggestions about what would make things better.
  4. Don’t assume that short bursts of extra time (e.g., ending a meeting early to give teachers more time) is useful. Small, unexpected pieces of free time do not help teachers catch up with work that requires concentration and focus.
  5. Don’t avoid difficult conversations to address the performance problems of individual teachers by making blanket statements/warnings to all teachers, most of whom are not engaging in the problem behavior.

“Be careful not to adopt a stance of “Toxic Positivity,” that is, a stance that accentuates the positive (“we are all in this together,” “we are strong,” “it could be worse,” “look on the bright side”) while invalidating the very real pain that everyone is experiencing. Denying or ignoring unpleasant emotions tends to make them worse, not better.
– Effective School Solutions

Free Downloads

I am putting on the final touches to the SAS INSTITUTE 2025 Self-Care Cookbook 2.0 session, but have already assembled a huge bibliography of resources for your review (see below). For a “sneak preview” of my slide summary, click here. Future updates will be posted here: https://paulfox.blog/care/.

Better yet, register for the SAS Institute 2025 to see everything in person.

Sample Books

  • 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators by Tina H. Boogren, Solution Tree Press (2020)
  • Awakened – Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching by Angela Watson, Due Season Press & Educational Services (2023)
  • The Balanced Band Director – Productivity and Wellness Tips to Amplify Your Impact, Not Your Workload by Lesley Moffat, Morgan James Publishing (2025)
  • Demoralized – Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay by Doris Santoro, Harvard Education Press (2018)
  • Exhausted – Why Teachers Are So Tired and What They Can Do About It by Paul Murphy, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2017)
  • Fewer Things, Better by Angela Watson (2019)
  • The Happy Teacher Habits by Michael Linsin, JME Publishing (2016)
  • Love the Job, Lose the Stress: Successful Social and Emotional Learning in the Modern Music Classroom by Lesley Moffat (2022)
  • Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers by Grace Stevens, Red Lotus 2018
  • Rekindle Your Professional Fire – Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher by Mike Anderson, ASCD (2024)
  • The Teacher’s Guide to Self-Care – Build Resilience, Avoid Burnout, and Bring a Happier and Healthier You to the Classroom by Sarah Forst, The Designer Teacher (2020)
  • The Teacher’s Guide to Self-Care – The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Thriving Through the School Year by Melanie J. Pellowski, Skyhorse Publishing (2020)
  • Upbeat – Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond by Matthew Arau (GIA Publications (2022)
  • The Weekend Effect: The Life-Changing Benefits of Taking Time Off and Challenging the Cult of Overwork by Katrina Onstad, HarperOne (2024)

Sample Websites

PKF

© 2025 Paul K. Fox

Social Media – Revisited

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Before you begin reading this article, please take a moment and peruse these past blog posts:

Although several of the cited research links may have expired (for example, PA Department of Education modified most of their website’s URLs), these provided the foundations of background information and references for the presentation I prepared for the DCMEA Virtual Conference in 2020 (during COVID) and serve as the starting point for the workshop I will share in-person at the DCMEA Winter Conference in January 2026. This blog provides updates and additional perspectives. Taken in combination with the above sources, you will be able to identify the benefits, positive models, precautions, and dangers of social media, social networks, professional learning networks, and sample emerging technologies as they apply to teachers’ professional development and education of students.

“THE WHY”

Before every clinic or publication I develop, I always try to spotlight the theme of “THE WHY” as preached by one of my favorite authors and motivational speakers – Simon Sinek! According to him, for organizations and individuals alike, “THE WHY” (rationale and priority) is more important than “THE WHAT” and “THE HOW.” (See this video.)

WHY is a collaborative discussion on social media essential? Why now?

 ”There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that educators are facing increasing scrutiny regarding their social media use. Concerns include unprofessional conduct, inappropriate interactions with students, and the potential for cyberbullying and other negative impacts on student well-being.”

“Educators are increasingly concerned about how social media influences students’ social-emotional development and their interactions with others.” 
— NEA Member Polling on Social Media…
— NEA Impact on Social Media and Personal Devices on Mental Health
— HHS Youth Mental Health and Social Media

Frankly, there is still a lot of confusion about the dangers of social media, social networking, and other technology integrations into education. In Social Media – Boon or Nemesis, we mentioned that teachers should “debunk the free speech myth.” We demonstrated how the improper application of social media could get educators in trouble. Check out these sites for more info and corroborative stats:
— Teacher Student Misconduct and the Critical Role of Social Media Screening
— NCBA Social Media for School Employees
— Social Media Hazards and Tips for Teachers

As always, our goal is to promote ethical practices in maintaining professionalism in the digital world.

“THE WHAT” — Review of Definitions

“Social Media”

Social media are “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.”
— Oxford Lexico.com online dictionary

“Social Network”

A social network is, 1. a network of social interactions and personal relationships.; 2. a dedicated website or other application which enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc.
— Oxford Lexico.com online dictionary

“Professional Learning Community” (PLC)

A PLC is “a group of educators who meet regularly…” (usually in-person) “…to strategically enhance their teaching skills and improve student outcomes.”

versus “Professional Learning Network” (PLN)

A PLN is “a group of educators who gather more informally…” (usually in online communications) “…to problem-solve and generate ideas to enhance classroom practices. A PLN… often takes the form of an open forum, where participants can ask and answer questions based on their experiences.”
— https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2024/08/pln-vs-plc-perfcon

“THE HOW” — Ethos of Care

Teachers use social media to…

  • Get inspired with new teaching ideas
  • Find resources for the classroom
  • Connect with other educators
  • Stay on top of trends and news
  • participate in an online community
  • Find teacher discounts and deals
  • Follow education companies and organizations

— How Teachers Use Social Media
— Teachers Social Media Use

— Social Networks for Teachers

We acknowledge that the benefits of social networking for educators are numerous by promoting professional collaboration and connections, including:

  1. Acquiring information to enhance understanding
  2. Keeping informed about latest developments in education
  3. Enhancing communications with students, parents, and the school community
  4. Fostering connections with colleagues in the field to expand an educator’s professional network.

— Benefits of Social Media as an Educator

However, educators must exercise “sound judgment” and proper professional boundaries when using social media/networks with students. While the introduction of new technology provides many opportunities for teaching and learning, it is important to establish clear rules for appropriate student-teacher communication. In order to promote safety and appropriate boundaries while transitioning to a virtual teaching and learning environment, the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Practices Commission offers suggestions to help educators protect themselves and their students.

  1. All technological resources and applications should be school entity-approved and only used in the manner prescribed. Ensure that you are familiar with the tools you are using in order to use them properly. 
  2. Communication with students should occur at designated times, consistent with traditional school day hours. Maintain transparency and protect yourself by keeping a record of all communications with students. 
  3. Clearly communicate when and how students should contact you and provide a timeframe for when students should expect responses to questions. 
  4. Avoid one-to-one interactions with students in chatrooms, FaceTime, Skype, or any other online space. School psychologists, school counselors and others providing one-to-one services to students should consult with school administration about the best mode of communication. 
  5. Use approved forms of communication by your school entity to connect with students and parents (i.e. Remind), use only your school email to communicate, and copy administration when communicating with parents or students. 
  6. When creating content or interacting in an online space with students, conduct yourself as you would if you were in school. If appearing on camera, dress professionally and be mindful of your surroundings and the camera’s view. 
  7. Do not “friend” or follow students on social media and do not allow students to “friend” or follow you on your personal social media. Remember, you do not have a “social” relationship with your students. 
  8. Keep your personal and professional lives separate. Do not share overly personal information about yourself with students.

— PSPC Digital Tips for Educators

While exercising responsibility to maintain a respectful, safe, online environment, there are many benefits for the application of social media for students in the classroom:

  • Real-time communications can increase student engagement, collaboration, communication and overall participation
  • Many students may find it easier to participate in online discussions that in the classroom
  • Students can easily ask each other or their teacher questions about assignments outside of class
  • Students & teachers can quickly share resources at any time.
  • Teachers can easily share class announcements.
  • Social media can provide a contingency plan for last minute remote learning scenarios.
  • Students can organize school events with each other or with the help of a teacher.
  • Teachers can augment an online-only class by establishing a social media page or account simply for building community.
  • Students can practice using social platforms responsibly, including maintaining a respectful online discourse.
  • Teachers can communicate directly with parents as needed, and parents can stay informed of school news via a convenient, easily accessible platform.

However, please watch out for these potential drawbacks:

  • Social media can be a major distraction, especially if students are accessing their personal accounts independently.
  • If students primarily use social platforms to participate in class discussions, they can miss out on practicing face-to-face conversations and respectful in-person discourse.
  • Some students may see social media assignments as an opportunity to cyberbully their classmates, and there is always a risk of someone posting inappropriate content or language.

— Social Media in Education

“THE WHAT” — Several Success Stories

Balancing the positives and negatives and taking into account all of these precautions in order to maintaining professional boundaries, the integration of new technology into the classroom may offer excellent enrichment and increase student motivation for advanced learning. This may take many forms. Here are a few interesting models.

Prior to preparing for the DCMEA online session in 2020, I stumbled upon a truly inspiring post from Derek Muller, a gifted teacher, physicist, filmmaker, and founder of the YouTube channel Vertiasium which has captured millions of subscribers. He offers one of the BEST models of using social media to enrich the understanding of learning math and science (applicable to all fields of study), while at the same time, provides warnings against unbridled use of so-called “innovation for innovation’s sake.”

“I feel like people over the years are invariably drawn to use these words:  revolutionize and education. And there’s this sort of amnesia that we’ve had a hundred years’ worth of these predictions, worth of really groundbreaking technologies that have transformed other areas in our lives but have failed to fundamentally change the way we do education. So, I stand here today as a voice of caution, to think that the future of education is not one of revolutions…”

You need to watch this: How is Social Media Transforming the Future of Education? (2016)
— Derek Muller

Say what you want about how COVID significantly disrupted our educational programs, evidence of learning loss, problems in socio-emotional development, decline of student engagement and self-motivation, rise in mental health struggles, decreased instructional time, and the effects of a new digital divide of under-served students (Annie E. Casey Foundation), happily there were surprisingly a few positive advancements — the results of exploring new tools and methodologies we had to employ to tread water and cope with the catastrophe. (“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”)

As one example, in the middle of preparing music for my community orchestra, we were shut down in 2020. No in-person rehearsals at the school. I then pivoted to creating my own online platform called SHJOOLA (South Hills Junior Orchestra Online Academy) in 2021 using MusicFirst. For a nominal yearly subscription fee, I was able to continue my Saturday morning classes (synchronous) as well as asynchronous (on-their-own time) learning using excellent applications in a virtual environment: MusicFirst Classroom, Focus on Sound, PracticeFirst, Sight-Reading Factory, Musition, Auralia, a web-based music notation program, and a huge library of method books and ensemble music. Several past blogs showed how we rolled out SHJOOLA:

The latter link above also provided a comprehensive list of supplementary resources (at the time) for online music education. Please peruse these even though some of them may have now gone inactive. We will provide supplemental links at the bottom of this article.

Another direction accented by the onslaught of the pandemic was digital streaming performances, incorporating technology in both the solo and ensemble settings. The following are two of my favorite examples of these to be viewed on YouTube:

Circle of Life from Disney’s Lion King (2015-18) by Sam Robson, arranger, innovator and performer using multitrack recording of a single performer mixing as many as 50 voices at one time.

Cloudburst, a Virtual & Live Choir and TEDTALK (2013) by Eric Whitacre

Well… sorry this blog has grown to be so large! If you admit to understanding the potential hazards of and precautions for integrating social media, social networks and other technologies into education, we’ll close with the following bibliography of additional resources for further study. If that is not enough to whet your curiosity, stop back in several months to download a copy of my slide summary for the session I will present at the DCMEA Winter Conference on January 30, 2026.

Be careful — stay safe and professional — but ENJOY!

Sample Blogs

Several Major Platforms

Examples of Music Applications/Websites

PKF

© 2025 Paul K. Fox

Sharing is Caring!

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Join the “Fox Network”

“There is no joy in possession without sharing.”
— Erasmus

“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”
— His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“There is no delight in owning anything unshared.”
— Seneca

“The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have.”
— Leonard Nimoy

This is a quick blog-post to announce my upcoming professional development initiatives, and an invitation to share your own pet peeves or “thoughts, theories, and teachings.” Of course, I will give you full credit for any contributions, “tips and techniques,” background research, or “quotables” provided!

It has been a challenge motivating any reactions to these articles. Although they would be most welcomed, we typically receive very few online remarks. (If you would like to voice your opinion or add anything to the conversation, PLEASE click on the “comment” button next to the title at the top of the page.)

I feel privileged to have been asked to present three sessions at the DCMEA Winter Conference at the Columbia Heights Education Campus (3101 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20010) on January 30, 2026. These are for music educators undergoing pre- and in-service training and include the following:

  • SOCIAL MEDIA – Boon or Nemesis?
  • ALL ABOARD THE E3 TRAIN – Essential Ethics for Educators
  • SELF-CARE COOKBOOK – Reflections, RECIPES, and Resources for Music Teachers

I would especially appreciate learning about any of YOUR “success stories” or resources on…

  • Favorite examples of “safe and meaningful” social media for teaching music students.
  • Anecdotes of ethical “conundrums” or issues in the daily decision-making of music educators.
  • Sample “stress-reducers,” time management tips, and other self-care strategies to avoid music teacher burnout.

In addition, I am in the process of updating my INTERVIEW 101 and EMPOWERING EDUCATOR & STUDENT LEADERSHIP clinics for future blog posts and clinics. Any thoughts?

Finally, I would also love to hear from you if you have any feedback on a proposed future sharing session for the parents of music students called ADVICE TO MUSIC BOOSTERS. If you have ever sponsored a music parents advocacy group for your school music program, what suggestions would you give to your colleagues and booster officers?

Feel free to reach out to me via email here. Thank you for your willingness to help our profession!

Editor’s Note (things to look forward to): In mid-July, our next blog for this series geared to “the life cycle of a music educator” will be from guest author Ed Carter entitled “Bigger Dreams, Bigger Home: How Retirees Can Upsize for Homesteading and Hosting.” In addition, I plan to share links to materials of the “Retirement 101 – It’s Not All About the Money,” a free workshop I am presenting to residents at the Upper St. Clair Township Library on July 10, 2025.

PKF

© 2025 Paul K. Fox

The Get-a-Job Toolbox

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Preparing for Those Upcoming Employment Screenings

So much of what I do at this blog-site is to archive articles offering advice on a host of topics:

Surveying my past blogs, I feel like I had to repeat (repackage) the content until my readers reached that particular stage in their career. Once they experience first-hand that sometimes tumultuous “passage,” they would be ready to reflect on this information. But, I doubt they would closely examine it until then. As an example, for more than a decade as the PMEA Retired Member Coordinator, these past articles I wrote for PMEA News and the PMEA Annual Conference’s session Retirement 101 revisit the voluminous insight of gerontologists exploring the “who, what, when, where, and why” of retirement. Regardless at how often it is presented, you tend not to consume advice on coping with post-employment until you feel you are “ready” to retire. This is the same issue for soon-to-graduate collegiates and those transitioning to a new job; who wants to read about branding, marketing, and interviewing until they are in the middle of seeking first-time (or new) employment?

Please click on the “plethora” of links throughout this article to be redirected to these past writings. My apologies in advance to what may seem like to be a lot of duplication!

I went as far as updating the most comprehensive and “perfect” PowerPoint for collegiates: Bookends – The Life Cycle of a Successful and Happy Music Educator – portions of which I have presented several times to Professor Jessica Vaughan-Marra’s Seton Hill University music student teachers. This slide handout starts with the material from the first three bullets in the first paragraph above and then adds information about teacher health and wellness, time management, and retirement. We offer Bookends… to preservice music educators in their junior, senior, or graduate years and “rookies” to the profession. I encourage you to download this resource, visit the PCMEA website (click here/scroll down) to read past issues of Collegiate Communique, and the paulfox.blog posts. While you’re at it, acquire your own copy of the Ultimate Interview Primer. Click away before these links become inactive.

Soon it will time for graduates to enter the workforce… and boy, do we need you! By most accounts in PA and the surrounding states, we are experiencing a teacher shortage. School districts are seeking quality candidates to apply for their open positions. But, much of what happens in the job screening process seems to be influenced by chance. Collegiates, ask yourself: Are you truly prepared to market your experiences and abilities, share your brand and stories of your interactions with children in educational programs, and relate positive anecdotes of your teaching, problem solving skills, and other professional attributes? I may have been a little Type-A when I first applied for those music teaching positions back in 1978, focused on saturation publicity and persistence, and organized with a large paper portfolio of past experiences, but I was clueless in responding to those tricky interview questions and what administrators actually wanted to see in prospective new members of their staff.

One more piece advice for first-year and recent transfers to music education: Seek out a PMEA mentor and/or a member of the Retired Resource Registry (access from the PMEA Retired Member focus area after you login to your member portal)… both are groups of volunteers willing and able to help “newbies.”

Have a question about selecting music for your ensemble, a dynamic lesson plan, classroom management issue, interviewing, curriculum innovation, or a conducting tip? Stop by the “coffee and conversations” informal lounge at the PMEA Annual Conference on April 10 and “sit-a-spell” with us!

In conclusion, the following is a sequential outline – a “to-do in this order” list – a preservice toolbox of past posts and other resources for you to assemble a marketing plan. Take time to sort through these “nuts and bolts” (all links in this blog), process the information, save anything you want to read further, and then “practice, practice, practice!” This “gift” to PCMEA and music education majors embraces my best wishes for successfully finding the job you always wanted and preparing yourself for the greatest “calling” of your life – an enriching and satisfying lifelong career in music education! Good luck!

Using the Collegiate Toolbox – A Roadmap for Becoming a Music Educator

  1. Peruse everything in this and past paulfox.blog postings.
  2. Download the PDF documents to your hard drive. Review a portion of them each week!
  3. On your computer, create a “ME” file documenting your accomplishments, awards, experiences interacting with children, etc. – a library of the things you may wish to include in your future resume, professional website, and (e-)portfolio. Add to this folder throughout your college years.
  4. To reflect on your perceived strengths and weaknesses, complete a self-assessment of YOU from a typical professional evaluation form, these ideal effective teacher attributes and more criteria
  5. Prioritize what you think you need most. Write down your goals! Pobody is nerfect!
  6. While you are still attending college, work on shoring up any weak content areas or specialty skills (e.g., how is your “piano chops,” knowledge of specific methods, grade level repertoire, etc.?)
  7. Write a philosophy of school music education (overview) and your mission statement: “Why do you want to teach?”
  8. Be ready to answer the question (and defend your response), “What is your vision of the role of music education in the schools?”
  9. Be ready to define your “brand.” What are your professional attributes? What makes you unique? Why would you be a good candidate for a school music position?
  10. Begin to assemble a list of stories that would “show not tell” your positive attributes.
  11. Identify the impressions you want to “sell” yourself, and practice strategic storytelling.
  12. Practice answering interview questions and use a rubric to evaluate your performance. If you can, share all of this with your peers and sponsor mock interview sessions. Record/assess yourself.
  13. Get started on drafting the marketing tools you will need (e.g., your professional website, resume, portfolio, etc.)
  14. Review educational acronyms, jargon, and terminology such as this list plus these recent additions: CR-SE (Culturally Relevant & Sustaining Education), DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging), and SEL (Social-Emotional Learning). These terms may come up at your next interview.
  15. Read cover-to-cover your PA code of conduct (CPPC) and the Model Code of Ethics for Educators.
  16. Practice ethical decision-making (with your peers) by reviewing these mock scenarios, first deciding what level of misconduct (if any) is reached in each case study, and then more discussion on the incident’s effect on the students, parents, staff, and community, and what proactive steps may be taken to remediate the situation.
  17. Join and become active in appropriate music education professional organizations (renew your memberships and add new ones): ACDA, AOSA, ASTA, NAfME, NBA, PMEA, etc. to name a few.
  18. Attend a conference of your professional association(s) and network with other colleagues. For PA colleagues, register for the PMEA Annual Conference (April 9-12) at the Kalahari Resort (Poconos).

Feel free to leave comments about this blog. (See the link just below the title.) How did you use these tools? What was particularly beneficial? What suggestions would you have for future music teacher applicants?

To PCMEA chapter officers/members, music education majors, and college instructors: I am available to present Bookends or other online or in-person workshops for college students. Send me an email.

© 2025 Paul K. Fox

Rising Educators Conference

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June 28-July 1, 2024
Marriott Marquis – Washington D.C

It is my pleasure to be invited to present two sessions at the Educators Rising Conference on June 29, 2024 in the Liberty L/M Room of the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C.

This is a very unique venue, something in which I encourage other educators and clinicians to consider participating. The event brings together prospective future educators, middle to high school and college education majors, with veteran practitioners and experienced educators in the profession. This is from their website:

Each year, Educators Rising hosts a national conference to convene our network of rising educators and teacher leaders. It’s a unique opportunity for students and their teacher leaders to:

  • Connect and learn from each other through more than 40 breakout sessions;
  • Network with other members from across the country;
  • Compete for national titles in competitive events designed to allow students to develop and showcase their teaching skills; and
  • Be inspired by keynote presentations from national education leaders

Want to learn more about what you can look forward to for 2024? Check out the 2023 National Conference Program Book, 2023’s Conference Daily, and our conference highlight video to see what current and future educators experienced last year.

An outline of the conference schedule may be viewed here. Additional information may be found at the conference website here. You can still register for the event.

My two offerings will not come as a surprise to anyone who has been following my work at this site:

GETTING A JOB

My first workshop, “Interviewing & Branding 101” (Saturday, June 29 at 9 a.m.) will provide an overview of important definitions (e.g., “professional,” “total educator,” etc.) and dive into interactive exercises to exploring the basic building blocks of personal self-assessment, building “a brand” and “marketing plan” for the job search, practicing networking and storytelling skills, and analyzing and “playacting” better interviewing techniques. Although I will need to shorten the presentation to fit in the 45-minute time block allotted and provide more focus on the interactive partner and small group exercises, this was the initial outline that was accepted by the Rising Educators Conference Session Selection Committee:

My favorite candy, Hershey Symphony bars, will be distribute as incentives for the more “brave” attendees who volunteer themselves to serve as good (as well as bad) models of the mock interviews.

In conclusion, this is “the session” I wish someone would have provided me before I went out into the labor market! We will have some fun connecting with each other, learning something new about our core values, goals, and strengths – especially those areas we want to broadcast to future employers – building a marketing plan of the essentials to promote ourselves in future employment screenings, and breaking-out into “duos” and small groups to “practice-practice-practice!” The branding and interviewing exercises and suggestions may be applied to finding any job, but will definitely be a big help for landing “the one” teaching position you always wanted.

For the participants who attend my session (facsimile of slides available after June 28), here are links to the printed handouts and other supplemental materials:

EDUCATOR ETHICS

My second workshop (offered one hour later), “Embarking the E3 Train – Ethos, Ethics, & Engagement,” brings to fruition my passion for the preparation of future educators to embrace the essential ethical standards of our profession. Again, back in 1977, no college methods course nor student teaching prep covered the meaning behind such terms as “fiduciary,” “ethical equilibrium,” “moral professionalism,” etc. To be fair to my college professors, Pennsylvania had not yet written its Code of Professional Practice and Conduct which now “governs” the educators in our Commonwealth, nor had the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification facilitated the creation of the amazing document called The Model Code of Ethics for Educators. It was not until 2017 (four years after I retired) when I was asked to research and present my first educator ethics session for PMEA District 7 did I “discover” the need for interactive, open, peer discussion of these core questions:

  • How do ethics inform a teacher’s personal and professional actions?
  • Why is the study of educator ethics essential for all educators entering the profession?
  • What does it mean to be a “fiduciary” and “moral exemplar” in the community?
  • What is the difference between a “Code of Conduct” and a “Code of Ethics?” Is one more important than the other?
  • How do you avoid any action and/or appearance of impropriety, and prevent the “slippery slope” of inappropriate student-teacher relationships, and other ethical problems?

During this presentation on Saturday, June 29 at 10 a.m., we will discuss the thousands of daily rapid-fire decisions (many snap judgments) of teachers and evaluate the potential effects of any who “stray” – “levels of misconduct + consequences.” Furthermore, we will unpack and review a portion of the five principles, 18 sections, and 86 standards in the Model Code of Ethics for Educators. Fostering open and interactive discussion, we will empanel a mock “ethics jury” (volunteers from the attendees) to assess fictitious “fact scenarios” of potential ethical issues, hazardous choices or vulnerabilities, and even tackle a few “conundrums” or problems in educator decision-making. Our jurors will receive our thanks and an Educators Rising Mock Jury t-shirt for their “willingness to serve as guinea-pigs.”

Admittedly, some of our past material on ethics was “for mature audiences only” resulting in the need for adjustments to be made to some of the hypothetical case studies (serious infractions) for group analysis. However, the majority of my work on educator ethics is available for review on this site (in reverse chronological order) by clicking here.

Here are additional case studies for group discussions of ethical dilemmas.

For the participants who attend my Washington D.C. session on June 29, 2024, a facsimile of “Embarking the E3 Train” slides are available. (CLICK HERE.)

PKF

© 2024 Paul K. Fox

Update… Bigger & Better Things!

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T-minus Twelve Months to Year 70!

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been three whole months since I posted a blog here! Where’s the time gone? Excuses? Well, what first leaps to my mind are several quotes from this Southern Living website about being an extremely busy retiree:

“The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” — Abe Lemons

“I need to retire from retirement.” — Sandra Day O’Connor

“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” — Vince Lombardi

“I wanted to have more time to play and reflect, but I find retirement more stressful than having a nice, steady job because I have to make decisions about where I want to be.” — Walter Cronkite

“I see retirement as just another of these reinventions, another chance to do new things and be a new version of myself.” — Walt Mossberg

“Living each day as if it were your last doesn’t mean your last day of retirement on a remote island. It means to live fully, authentically and spontaneously with nothing being held back.” — Jack Canfield

“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.” —Albert Einstein

To my friends and colleagues in the profession, yes I am “living the dream” and having fun in retirement! Health remains good, and the days of my wife and I are filled with personal enrichment, unique new and renewed adventures, and meaningful service to the causes that matter to us both! Our only complaint? There are only 24 hours in a day… But, that means, as we head to bed each night, we have lots on our ever-expanding to-do lists motivating us to get up even earlier the next day to accomplish!

So, the following will be a quick (?) update, ramblings in the format of “streams of consciousness” of what’s happening in our lives, geared to my more faithful friends and followers, and perhaps modeling the activities of two happily retired music teachers. I promise that future blogs will re-engage with our series on “Bookends…” (life cycle of a music educator), ethics training of educators, and interviewing skills of newcomers to the profession (the season of job screenings will soon be upon us!), not to mention more tips towards a smooth transition to retirement for those who are planning to “pull their pin” and leave their full-time employment in the near future. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

PMEA Conference

Both my wife Donna, her cousin Judy, our two dogs Gracie and Brewster, and I just returned from Erie, PA participating in the PMEA Annual In-Service Conference. This was unique in that, for the first time since we retired in 2013, Donna could attend “the big event” with me. Judy served as our dog babysitter (we don’t believe in “jailing” our pups!), and the Bayfront Sheraton, Courtyard Marriott, and Erie Convention Center were pet-friendly. We reserved adjoining rooms, and the dogs were content to walking all around the Bayfront Area/Lake Erie and returning at night to sleep with us.

To my PMEA colleagues and other PA educators, in case you missed it, here is the link to more than 1,000 photos I took at the conference (sessions, meetings, exhibits, and performances). Attendees, I challenge you: CAN YOU FIND YOURSELF & YOUR STUDENTS?

As usual, Executive Director Abi Young, PD Council Chair Martha Heise and her conference planning committee, PMEA state EXCOM and staffers planned another outstanding event. If you have never gone to a PMEA conference, mark next year’s dates April 9-12, 2025 on your calendar, which will be held in the luxurious Kalahari Resort in the Poconos. Besides, the “world’s largest indoor water park” is a fun place to bring your (grand)children! In addition, several other professional development and career enhancement venues are on the horizon available to members of NAfME and PMEA:

  • PMEA Summer Summit (Leadership Conference), Reading, PA
    July 15-17, 2024
  • NAfME Biennial Music Research and Teacher Education Conference, Atlanta, GA
    September 25-28, 2024
  • NAfME Eastern Division Conference and Honors Ensembles Festival, Hartford, CT
    April 24-26, 2025

At the Erie conference, I hosted my last PMEA Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention and TTRR SHOWCASE. At our annual meeting, I stepped down as the state chair, but will continue as State Retired Member Coordinator on the Council TTRR. We’re in excellent hands, with TRI-M Chair Tina Bennett being elected to the state TTRR Council Chair position. Joining her is the visionary leadership of State SMTE Chair Dr. Kathleen Melago, Mentor Co-Chairs Lisa Endler and Eric Plum, PCMEA Student President Ellie Vito, Future Music Teachers Honors Symposium Chairs Aaron and Stephanie Magaro, PDE Fine Arts Education Consultant David Deitz, and Higher Education Representatives Paul Doerksen, Jessica Vaughan-Marra, Sarah Watts, Debbie Wolf, among others.

Below is a copy of the “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Council TTRR” SHOWCASE slides which were presented to a whopping 60 PCMEA members during our breakfast meeting at the conference. (Perhaps the food motivated more collegiates to get up extra-early for that first session?)

ttrr-council-showcase-slides-s041824Download

Scholarships

One of the concerns repeatedly expressed at Council TTRR meetings was the funding issues of college students. Besides an anonymous donor funding the PCMEA breakfast at the SHOWCASE on April 18, PMEA instituted a “send a collegiate to the conference” campaign (complimentary registrations) and in 2023, also announced two major scholarship (college expense reimbursement) opportunities endowed by our Stark-Fox Family Fund in memory of our parents:

  • PMEA Council TTRR Award for Music Education Majors
  • PMEA Music for Lifelong Learning for STEM Students in College Music

In the spring of 2023, three $5K PMEA Council TTRR Scholarships were awarded to:

  • Elizabeth Corbett (Duquesne University)
  • Adam Hanna (Susquehanna University)
  • Mitchell Hourt (Moravian University

Unfortunately, last year no applications were submitted for the PMEA Music for Lifelong Learning Award. A concerted effort has been made to “reachout” to this population of students who are pursuing a science-related field and participating in their PA college band, chorus, jazz, or orchestra program. Please spread the word! Deadline to register is May 29, 2024. More information is posted here.

Upcoming Workshops

I was pleased to learn that two of my sessions were accepted for the Kappan 2024 Educators Rising National Conference scheduled for June 28-July 1, 2024, in Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Marquis:

  • Embarking the E3-Train – Essentials for Future Educators – What It Takes to Become a Teacher: Ethos, Ethics, and Engagement
  • Interviewing and Branding 101 – The Art and Science of Marketing Yourself for Employment Screening

In addition, I remain active in supporting my colleague Thomas Bailey in providing PDE-approved Act 45 and Act 48 ethics training courses for PA educators. Currently, we’re teaching our fifth series of classes (25 PIL hours) for school system leaders and have presented more than 14 additional professional development workshops, webinars, or conference sessions of in depth interactive discussions of ethics and daily educator decision-making. Our next focus area is to help PA administrators to incorporate the newly mandated PA Chapter 49 ethics competencies into their school induction programs.

To learn more about course offerings or read court case blogs on ethics in education, visit Tom Bailey’s website here. This blog-site also provides a comprehensive library of past articles on educator ethics.

Who Really Reads These Blogs?

That’s a good question! Although I have always provided a “comment” link at the top of each posting and seek feedback and even “guest authors” to feature in future blogs, very few people respond to these articles. I have always hoped that “my meanderings” could help music teachers at all stages of their careers, from pre-college and music/music education majors to veteran educators to retirees. At least, this WordPress site allows me to permanently archive my writings with the hope this exhaustive but always-accessible supply of resources, links and viewpoints could be used in the future. Share on!

So recently, I was pleasantly surprised when Becca Robinson, a tutor of homeschooled children, reached out to me and said Jeremy, one of her students, did extra-credit research after reading one of my blogs on retirement resources. We are adding his recommendation for this link to the Transportation Resource Guide for Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities in the “Retiree” menu section at the top of the page. This comprehensive article by Cole Neder documenting the following is a valuable read for senior citizens and anyone who is experiencing personal mobility challenges:

    • Public Transit
    • Paratransit Services
    • Demand Responsive Services
    • Non-Emergency Transportation
    • Ride-Sharing and Taxis Services
    • Service Resources by State

    On a Personal Note…

    Yes, last week was my 69th birthday! I never imagined getting that old… er, I mean, mature! Neither my mother nor my father made it to their seventh decade! I attribute my positive attitude and active lifestyle (even though at times I could unintentionally forget your name at the drop of a hat) to embracing what Ernie Zelinski, author of How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free, says is absolutely essential to maintain in retirement: “finding purpose, structure, and community.” It is a paramount of importance to feel we matter and are needed every day, exercise both sides of our brain (the analytical and the creative), keep physically fit, jump out of our bed with purpose, maintain busy schedules and accept a lot on our plate, and stay connected to the people surrounding us. To that end, my wife and I continue to teach the pursuit “creative self-expression,” directing a community ensemble (the South Hills Junior Orchestra), teaching, walking our dogs, and pushing wheelchairs at our local hospital. At times, this latter activity allows us to catch up with our former music students, their parents, school staff, and neighbors. What FUN it is to meet someone who I taught many years ago in middle school, now grown up and busy raising their own “band” of musicians! God willing, I hope to continue with good health, a sharp mind, and motivation to live to Moses age (150 years old?), or at least have a ball along the way!

    I leave you this month with a copy of the one-of-the-kind birthday card one of my adult students (who claims me as her “adopted father?”) created using Photoshop. Three generations of her family play in our Saturday orchestra. Caption: Left is our Gracie, a bichon frise, and right is Brewster, a yorkie-poo. I’m depicted in the middle with my SHJO bow-tie, of course!)

    Happy trails, retirees and active educators alike! Keep in touch!

    PKF

    © 2024 Paul K. Fox

    Bookends – Part Two

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    The Life Cycle of a Successful and Happy Music Educator

    Joyous Holidays, Season Greetings, and Happy New Year from “The Foxes!” This is a time for reflection and gratitude… and we feel blessed for all the opportunities allowing us to share our insights, gifts and experiences with other music education professionals.

    We hope to inspire YOU and literally model the concepts in this blog series. We continue with our discussion first introduced a month ago in Bookends – Part One – The Life Cycle of a Successful and Happy Music Educator, exploring:

    • Stage 3: Inservice/Growing Years (this blog)
    • Stage 4: Veteran/Sustaining Years (future blog)
    • Stage 5: Next Chapter/Living the Dream (future blog)

    This article is an abstract from a session presented to Seton Hill University music education student teachers on October 17, 2023. Click on this link to download the slide summary in PDF format.

    “I have written a lot of articles in support of these topics… now compiling them for your easy access. Depending on your current status and interests, feel free to peruse the checklists (links) in this series. It is possible a few of the resources contained within these blogs have gone inactive, but I believe enough are there for you to gain the insight, tools and motivation to achieve professional development for life.”

    – Paul Fox

    Stage 3 – Inservice/Growing Years

    [ ] 8. Becoming a Music Educator: For a review of Bookends – Part One, take a step backward and revisit what you have done to “get ready” for your “rookie years.” Take special note on the things-to-do list (“secrets”) as a first-year educator (perhaps completed during your student teaching semester):

    • Subscribe to a discounted NAfME + PMEA first-year membership (If you are a recent college graduate in your first year of teaching, or if you are the spouse of a current or retired NAfME member, contact NAfME at 800-336-3768 or email memberservices@nafme.org) to find out if you qualify for a reduced rate.
    • Hook up to PMEA Mentor or other state’s MEA support program for new teachers.
    • Look into finding an informal advisor in the PMEA Retiree Resource Registry for PA music teachers.
    • Need to fill in a few gaps missing from your college courses in skills and knowledge? Continue your “enrichment” viewing PMEA Webinars and the exhaustive video library in the NAfME Academy.
    • Take advantage of earning professional development credits just for reading an article in the NAfME Music Educators Journal
    • At some point you will be writing/editing curriculum, so research the awesome resource of Model Curriculum Framework (Have to be a PMEA member)
    • Too busy to participate in the PMEA Annual Conference or NAfME national events? Look into going to a PMEA summer conference (usually at a lower-cost!). Check out your own state’s MEA discounts and offers for collegiate members and new teachers!
    • Numerous free and timely blog posts from NAfME Music in a Minuet and here (paulfox.blog).

    [ ] 9. The Care & Feeding of Your Principal: Although not covered in any detail during the Seton Hill University presentation, it is recommended that you read in its entirety “The New Teacher’s Guide to Fostering Positive Relations and Good Interactions with School Administrators” offering a wealth of excellent recommendations from these trustworthy sources:

    A favorite question I pose to college music ed seniors is, “In what professional associations are you a member and actively involved?” For the price of consuming one fewer Starbucks latte a week, you can open up the Wonderful World of “C’s” – Contacts, Coachings, and other Connections, including research and resources that will benefit your Continuing Education. You can’t afford NOT to join groups like these.

    To help “nail down” a few related definitions critical to personal growth and career development in our profession, especially “engagement,” “professionalism,” “collaboration,” and “networking,” please take a little time to travel and consume the following archived blog postings.

    [ ] 10. The Meaning of PRO: This is one of the oldest articles at the paulfox.blog site. How about a little soul searching? Are you truly a professional? Do you have the skills, habits, and attitudes of a professional in the field of education?

    [ ] 11. Transitioning from Collegiate to Professional (Part II): New teachers have to move away from “book learning” or higher education research and emphasize “practical application,” and at the same time, assess the precise areas needed for immediate (re-)training… everything from new exposure to specialized teaching areas and grade level focus for the job to which you have been assigned, to the enhanced skills of classroom management, student assessment, curriculum writing, class or ensemble warm-up materials, music repertoire and programming, etc.

    While we are on the subject, it is important to intentionally seek out mentors or consultants in your early years of becoming an educator. PMEA offers a mentoring program (read all about it here) and PMEA Retired Members are also an excellent resource to “phone a friend” for advice as needed (see their section on the PMEA website here). That leads us to the next most essential “habit” of attending professional conferences… #12 below.

    [ ] 12. Getting the Most Out of Music Conferences: Our PMEA Annual Conference sites are cyclical. This article, written on March 5, 2017, showcased that year’s event at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center – coincidentally the same location for this year’s PMEA Annual Conference: April 17-20, 2023. For a sneak peek at the proposed sessions and guest performers, click here.

    There are a myriad of conferences offered every year… something for everybody in just about every state. Make plans to go, “recharge your batteries,” and pick up new state-of-the-art ideas, lessons, music, technology, etc. Again, you cannot afford NOT to attend… or becoming stale in your teaching or “stuck in a rut!” Besides, going to your state’s or national conferences and regional workshops are FUN places to meet other like-minded, inspiring colleagues! This is how professionals network, collaborate, and share their “latest and greatest!“

    A couple upcoming events:

    What are you waiting for? It’s time to DIVE INTO your customized career development!

    Coming Soon…

    Bookends Part Three – Stages 4 & 5

    PKF

    © 2023 Paul K. Fox

    Leadership Lessons

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    Summertime Reading Suggestions for Music Directors

    3 leadership books

    What do authors C.S. Forester, Simon Sinek, Jocko Willink, and Leif Babin have in common?

    They offer a fresh perspective on leadership principles, reflections perfectly applicable for the skill-set development of music teachers who desire to better “lead” their music programs, students, and parent boosters.

    It was no accident that I chose these books to help explore the truths of inspiring confidence and leading groups of people like we do daily in our classrooms, rehearsal halls, and on the stages or marching band fields. Their use of military (as well as company or government management) anecdotes defines and re-enacts the very essence of leaders, leadership concepts, goals, and public service.

    “These [military group] organizations have strong cultures and shared values, understand the importance of teamwork, create trust among their members, maintain focus, and, most important, understand the importance of people and relationships to their mission success.”

    — From the Foreword of Leaders Eat First

    Why do we admire music teacher “heroes” and most sought-after conference keynoters in our profession such as “Dr. Tim” Lautzenheiser, Peter Boonshaft, Scott Edgar*, and Bob Morrison* (*the latter two to be featured in the PMEA Summer Virtual Conference on July 20-24, 2020). They inspire us. They recharge us and pick up our spirits. They serve as models of visionaries and coaches. They challenge the status quo and help us to grow!

    I believe these books will do the same, assist in your career development to morph into an even better leader and teacher. Since many of us are “stuck at home” during the pandemic for awhile, here is a new “reading list” for personal self-improvement.

    EPISODE 1-MUTINY
    ITV/Rex Archive: Ioan Gruffudd in “Hornblower” 2001 TV series

    Who is Horatio Hornblower?

    To start with, how about a series of historical fiction from the Napoleonic-Wars era?

    Hornblower is a courteous, intelligent, and skilled seaman, and perhaps one of my favorite examples of an adaptable “leader.” Although burdened by his (almost shy) reserve, introspection, and self-doubt (he is described as “unhappy and lonely”), the Forester collection illustrates numerous stories of his personal feats of extraordinary cunning, on-the-spot problem solving, and bravery. The first book spotlights an unpromising seasick midshipman who grows into a highly acclaimed, productive, and ethical officer of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, gaining promotion steadily as a result of his skill and daring, despite his initial poverty and lack of influential friends. And yet, the common thread throughout is that he belittles his achievements by numerous rationalizations, remembering only his fears.

    A_74_gun_Royal_Navy_ship_of_the_line,_c1794
    74-gun Royal Navy Ship-of-the-line ~1794

    “Hornblower’s leadership is thoroughly self-conscious: what makes him a great leader, morally, is that he assumes as a matter course that he must lead rather than he can lead; Hornblower’s pervasive sense of responsibility would be diminished if it all came to him naturally and that he acts therefore as each situation demands. He can be self-effacing or fierce, or obsequious, all depending on what is necessary to get the job done. As it happens, Hornblower‘s many other gifts, including a formidable diligence, always beyond the call of duty, and a supple intelligence, make him a man others trust and lean on; but for the reader, especially young reader, it’s his moral qualities that are most engaging, it is instructive.”

    — by Igor Webb, Hudson Review

    This set is a wonderful “chestnut” to acquire, sit back in your leather recliner, and devour over the coming months. Even though it may take you some significant time to finish Forester’s eleven novels (one unfinished) and five short stories, I promise you, it will all be worth it!

    [If you like the Hornblower assortment, also checkout the works by Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope, all drawing parallels to the exploits of real naval officers of the time: Sir George Cockburn, Lord Cochran, Sir Edward Pellew, Jeremiah Coghlan, Sir James Gordon, and Sir William Hoste.]

    leader-2206099_1920_danymena88

    Now, how can you personally glean new leadership habits from this treasure chest? Coincidental to doing some research for this blog, I bumped into the article on LinkedIn “Leadership Lessons Learned from Horatio Hornblower.” My sincere thanks and “attaboy” go to Amro Masaad, Education and STEM Leader at Middlesex County Academies, who gave me permission to share his documentation and insightful interpretation of the following leadership tips learned from Hornblower that we can all employ as “best practices” in the education profession:

    1. Don’t be afraid to stand up to a bully.
    2. Don’t insist that all of your successes be praised.
    3. Don’t let employees sabotage your mission.
    4. If you want excellence, you can’t look the other way.
    5. Prove yourself when the situation demands it.
    6. Take one for the team.
    7. Show sacrifice and honor, even with your enemies.

    I have always been inspired by the adventures of Hornblower, mostly because of his displays of humanity at a time in history when things were inhumane and primitive. Hornblower consistently modeled his intentions for the care and success of his subordinates while other officers “stepped on them” to get advancement, his unimpeachable moral code that guided his every action, and “taking it on the chin” when necessary for his shipmates and the good of “god and country.”

    professions-2065278_1920_Peggy_Marco with border

    Leaders Eat Last

    I was struck by this quote by Simon Sinek, the author of Start with Why – How Great Leaders Inspire Action, who posted a popular TedTalk lecture of the same name:

    “There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold the position of power or authority, but those who lead, inspire us. Whether they are individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead, not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves. And, it’s those who start with ‘the why’ that have the ability to inspire those around them or find others to inspire them.”

    — TEDxPugetSound

    silent-drill-platoon-1398509_1920_skeezeHis latest book, Leaders Eat Last, brings up the rationale of mutual collaboration and prioritizing the mission and the needs of your team members. Sinek observed that some teams were able to trust each other 100%, so much so that they would be willing to put their lives on the line for each other, while other groups, no matter what enticements or special incentives were offered, were “doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure.” Why was this true?

    “The answer became clear during our conversation with the Marine Corps general. ‘Officers eat last,’ he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What’s symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: great leaders sacrifice their own comfort – even their own survival – for the good of those in their care.”

    — Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

    Throughout his book of vivid narratives from armed conflicts to business “revolutions” of take-overs or new CEO transformations, Sinek dives into the precepts of what constitutes “great” leadership:

    • The value of empathy should not be underestimated.
    • Trust and loyalty exist on a two-way street – to earn them, leaders must first extent them to their team members.
    • The role of leadership is to look out for (and take care of) those inside their “circle of safety.”
    • For the success of the team, goals must be tangible, visible, collaborative, and written down.
    • Leaders know: There is power in “paying it forward.” It feels good to help people, or when someone does something nice to us, or even when we witness someone else doing something good.
    • It’s also a big deal when leaders express that final personal touch and shake hands.
    • Leadership is all about service… to the “real, living, normal human beings with whom we work every day.”

    I have never found a better source for defining the four “chemical incentives” in our bodies (also known as hormones) and numerous actual examples of their daily use (and misuse): endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.

    UnSelfieAlso intriguing is an expanded Chapter 24 and Appendix section in the book called “A Practical Guide to Leading Millennials.” Similar to another suggestion for summer perusal, UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba, Ed.D (Simon & Schuster, 2017) which focuses more on our current young “charges,” Sinek’s differentiation is provided to inspire and educate the ultimate multitaskers of the “distracted generation.”

    “This is what it means to be a leader. It means they choose to go first into danger, headfirst toward the unknown. And when we feel sure they will keep us safe, we will march behind them and work tirelessly to see their visions come to life and proudly call ourselves their followers.”

    “The biology is clear: When it matters most, leaders who are willing to eat last are rewarded with deeply loyal colleagues who will stop at nothing to advance their leaders vision and their organization’s interests. It’s amazing how well it works.”

    — Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

    boat-647049_1920_2_skeeze

     

    Extreme Ownership

    This next leadership philosophy, the core premise of the book Extreme Ownership – How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, will not surprise anyone who has ever taken on the inherently risky task of programming a student concert, marching field show, dance recital, or musical/play: the music director assumes full responsibility for the failures and faux pas that may occur during the performance, but instrumentalists, singers, actors, and/or dancers should get all the credit for a successful production.

    “Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the toughest leadership lessons with absolutely everything at stake. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin learned this reality firsthand on the most violent and dangerous battlefields in Iraqi. As leaders of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, their mission was one many thought impossible: help US forces secure Ramada, a violent, insurgent-held city deemed “all but lost.“ In gripping, firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership – at every level – is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.”

    — Front panel of the hardback Extreme Ownership

    be-unique-4909103_1920_mohamed_hassan

    This is a comprehensive textbook on Leadership 101. Admittedly, the rehash of their battle scenes are scary. This is a world so far apart from anything I have ever experienced. We do owe all our veterans a massive depth of gratitude to face such dangers to defend our freedoms and way of life. (As an inexperienced teacher, the worst fear I ever had to face was a homeroom of 99 excitable and talkative Freshman girls in my first year as the high school choral director.)

    When possible, I try to share the Contents (chapter titles) of my book recommendations, giving you a broad glimpse of the outline of their publication:

    1. Extreme Ownership
    2. US Navy SEAL Team Three [ST3][Patch][1.5]No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders
    3. Believe
    4. Check the Ego
    5. Cover and Move
    6. Simple
    7. Prioritize and Execute
    8. Decentralized Command
    9. Plan
    10. Leading Up and Down the Chain of Command
    11. Decisiveness Amid Uncertainty
    12. Discipline Equals Freedom – the Dichotomy of Leadership

    From these sections, we can explore these fundamental building-blocks and mindsets necessary to lead and win.

    Part I: Winning the War Within (Chapters 1-4)

    • Leaders must own everything in the world. There is no one else to blame.
    • A leader must be a true believer in the mission.
    • Even more important then “the how” and “the what” is “the why” of any plan. Not knowing the rationale of a decision or goal is a recipe for failure. It is a leader’s job to understand the mission and communicate it to his/her team members.*
    • During situations lacking clarity, leaders ask questions.
    • Leaders temper overconfidence by instilling culture within the team to never be satisfied and to push themselves harder to continuously improve performance.
    • Leaders know that over-inflated egos cloud judgment and disrupt everything: the planning process, the ability to take good advice, and the ability to except constructive criticism.

    * Who said “great minds think alike?” (Answer: Carl Theodor von Unlanski.) The concept of “the why” is also described in great detail in the aforementioned TedTalk by Simon Sinek.

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    Part II: Laws of Combat (Chapters 5-8)

    • Elements within the “greater team” are crucial and must work together to accomplish the mission, mutually supporting one another for that singular purpose.
    • In life, there are inherent complexities. It is critical to keep plans and communication simple. Complex goals and plans add to confusion which can compound into disaster.
    • Competent leaders can utilize their own version of the SEAL’s prioritize and execute. It is simple as, “relax, look around, and make a call.” Prioritize your problems and take care of them one at a time, the highest priority first. Don’t try to do everything at once or you won’t be successful.
    • Leaders delegate responsibility, trust and empower junior leaders to make decisions on their own as they become proactive to achieve the overall goal or task.

    Part III: Sustaining Victory (Chapters 9-12)

    • Effective planning begins with an analysis of the mission’s purpose, definition of the goals, and communication of clear directives for the team.
    • Effective leaders keep the planning focused, simple, and understandable to all of the team members and stakeholders.
    • Leadership doesn’t just go down the chain of command, but up as well. Communication to your supervisors is also key.
    • Leaders must be decisive, comfortable under pressure, and act on logic, not emotion.
    • In challenging situations, there is no 100% right solution, and the picture is never complete.
    • Leaders have self-control and “intrinsic self-discipline,” a matter of personal will. They “make time” by getting up early.
    • Self-discipline makes you more flexible, adaptable, and efficient, and allows leaders and team members alike to be creative.
    • A leader must lead, but also be ready to follow.

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    A Leadership Recap for Music Teachers

    I am probably not doing justice to these incredible resources. They offer an exhaustive body of knowledge and examples on leadership ideology as well as a dazzling array of practical advice on what habits/skills are essential to become an effective leader. You need to sit back and devour these books one-by-one, apply their relevance to your situation, and come to your own conclusions about prioritizing the needs for your own personal leadership development.

    To sum up a few of the theories from all this literature, we could revisit page 277 in Extreme Ownership and quote “The Dichotomy of Leadership” by Jocko Willnick.

    “A good leader must be:

    • confident but not cocky;
    • courageous but not foolhardy;
    • competitive but a gracious loser;
    • attentive to details but not obsessed by them;
    • strong but have endurance;
    • a leader and follower;
    • humble not passive;
    • aggressive not overbearing;
    • quiet not silent;
    • calm but not robotic;
    • logical but not devoid of emotions;
    • close with the troops but not so close that one becomes more important than another or more important than the good of the team; not so close that they forget who is in charge;
    • able to execute Extreme Ownership while exercising Decentralized Command.”

    “A good leader has nothing to prove but everything to prove!”

    —  Extreme Ownership

    Many years ago, my wife and I were fortunate to participate in almost all of those early PMEA Summer Conferences that were basically leadership training workshops. Initiated and inspired by our first guest clinician Michael Kumer (who was then “modeling leadership” first-hand as Dean of Music for Duquesne University), we were exposed to a rich curriculum of “the greats” on leadership, team building, time management, and professional development. If you have not consumed them yourself, a few of these resources from the first couple years should be added to your reading list:

    • 7 HabitsOne Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
    • First Things First and other sections from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People series by Stephen Covey
    • A Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior to Be More Creative and A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger Von Oech

    As a part of fulfilling “total ensemble experience” and to make the learning meaningful, I have always “taught” leadership to my students. The settings may have varied, whether it was as a part of the longstanding tradition of training marching band leaders, student conductors or principals’ who ran sectionals, our spring musical “leadership team” of directors, producers, and crew heads, elected high school choir officers, participants (grades 6-12) in a six-day string camp seminar, or even booster parents in a “chaperone orientation.” Many of my own often-repeated leadership quotes were passed down:

    • “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” – Vince Lombardi
    • “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” – Ken Kesey
    • “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
    • “The very essence of leadership is you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” – Rev. Theodore Hesburgh
    • “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” – Stephen R. Covey

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    Finally, to close this seemingly-endless essay, I would share one of my regular but more unique lessons: “leaders flush.” We advise our plebe leaders-in-training that when anyone on the team sees an opportunity to take care of something that’s not right, or someone who needs help, or a problem that can be resolved on their own, they should take it upon themselves to do what is necessary for the greater good. We cite the example that, if you visit a restroom and discover someone before you did not flush the toilet, you do what’s right. Leaders flush.

    PKF

     

    © 2020 Paul K. Fox

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    Photo credits (in order) from Pixabay.com

    Teacher Self-Care During the Pandemic

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    We thought our next article in this series on music teacher health and wellness was going to center around burn-out. But then… COVID-19 struck (was this really only 3-4 months ago?), we were forced into self-isolation, and all “brick and mortar” schools closed. In the ensuing panic, we all scurried about seeking solutions to reconnect and engage our students from afar in compliance with strict shelter-in-place restrictions.

    “Seemingly overnight, the world changed. Teachers and school leaders have had to revamp their entire instructional systems with, in many instances, only a day’s notice. To say many of us are experiencing whiplash, disorientation, and anxiety is an understatement.”

    virus-4928021_1920_HoagyPeterma“Our students are feeling it too. Typically, nationwide, one in three teenagers has experienced clinically significant anxiety in their lifetime (Merikangas et al., 2010). It’s probable that during a pandemic that heavily impacts everyday life, levels of anxiety in children and teens are even higher, and the possibility of subsequent trauma greater.”

    “In these unprecedented times, teachers are rising to the occasion creatively and quickly to shift to remote learning amidst school closures. Even in a traditional classroom, it can be a challenge to support students with anxiety and trauma histories to stay calm and learn. With distance learning, this difficulty is magnified. However, there is much teachers can do to reduce anxiety in students even while teaching remotely. During this crisis, we need to prioritize students’ mental health over academics. The impact of trauma can be lifelong, so what students learn during this time ultimately won’t be as important as whether they feel safe.”

    — “Maintaining Connections, Reducing Anxiety While School Is Closed” by Jessica Minahan in ASCD Educational Leadership, Summer 2020

    My opinion? The Internet and other forms of media can be a godsend or a contributing factor to our feelings of malaise. The 24/7 nature and immediacy of news programs and web posts updating the statistics of new coronavirus cases, hospital admissions, deaths, shortages of personal protection equipment and respirators, unemployment numbers, and the stock market’s roller-coaster ride, have added fear, stress, and “noise” to the real problem… our ability to cope with the ramifications of this pandemic!

    Well, at least a lot of dialogue has been generated “out there” about recommended remediation and “success stories.” The purpose of this blog-post is to share some of this “advice from the experts.” Many of you (I hope) may say, “This is just common sense.” True, but however “common” it is, more people than you think are not applying these principles to their own personal lives. And like the one online post that caught my eye the other day, “Teachers Are Breaking” by Jessica Lifshitz, all of us should share our anecdotes… the trials, internal struggles, and tribulations… to make it through this emergency.

    Together, we are stronger!

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    I have been accused of being a little too emotional and I should not “feed into the negativity,” as one reader complained in reaction to one of my blogs. However, according to this article by Christina Cipriano and Marc Brackett, “emotions drive effective teaching and learning, the decisions educators make, classroom and school climate, and educator well-being.”

    “At the end of March, our team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, along with our colleagues at the Collaborative for Social Emotional and Academic Learning, known as CASEL, launched a survey to unpack the emotional lives of teachers during the COVID-19 crisis.”

    “In the span of just three days, over 5,000 U.S. teachers responded to the survey. We asked them to describe, in their own words, the three most frequent emotions they felt each day.”

    “The five most-mentioned feelings among all teachers were: anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed and sad. Anxiety, by far, was the most frequently mentioned emotion.”

    — Navigating Uncertain Times: How Schools Can Cope With Coronavirus

    Almost in unison, the strategies that seem to be echoed most often by medical and mental health professionals, educators on the front line, and even technology specialists, are outlined by this “wellness map of to-do’s!”

    1. Don’t obsess. Calm yourself. Set priorities.
    2. Connect and communicate often with your family members and your students.
    3. Set and maintain boundaries.
    4. Practice mindfulness.
    5. Take the necessary steps to maintain your own physical and mental health!

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    Avoiding Becoming Overwhelmed

    As a retiree, I “only” lost the spring season of my community youth orchestra to this crisis. In my position as state chair of the PMEA Council Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention (PMEA Council TTRR), I tried to soothe the “hysteria” of many of my still-working friends and colleagues who were grappling with the instantaneous roll-out of distance learning. After researching online music education resources, we were able to place countless links on the PMEA Council TTRR website (here). After 7+ weeks, one of our “omnibus Google Docs” has grown to 15+ pages and more than 225 separate sources of virtual, remote, and alternative music learning media and methods.

    computer-768608_1920_free-photosFor some, this has made matters worse… an “overload of abundance!” The multitude of venues and opportunities (too many unexplored “new technologies” for many of us baby-boomers!) included information about virtual ensembles, YouTube libraries, music games, lessons plans and platforms for synchronous and asynchronous e-learning, video-conferencing techniques, hardware and software reviews, etc.

    Take a deep breath! Focus! Prioritize your goals. What are you trying to accomplish? Don’t try to consume all of the available resources “out there,” nor use every application or online lesson that you find on Facebook groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/mecol/. What was it my mother used to say at the dinner table? “Sip and chew slowly… don’t gulp!” Take away what might help your situation, but approach anything brand new in moderation!

    online-5059831_1920_TumisuGo ahead and sign-up for a webinar or planned learning community meeting or two. Many professional development workshops are provided with “no extra fees” right now, like the NAfME library here, the aforementioned Facebook group and others, and if you already have a membership in PMEA, this website.

    BUT… plan to take away ONLY one or two new “teaching tools” from each session… maybe consider trying-out one new app or lesson idea every other week?

    As if to anticipate our needs, more than a year ago, Elena Aguilar published the in-depth piece “How to Coach the Overwhelmed Teacher” in Education Week blog, summarizing excellent stress-reduction treatments. (Share these if you think they will help you or some else! Read the entire article for more detail!)

    desperate-5011953_1920_Peggy_MarcoFive tips for coaching overwhelm:

    1. Describe it.
    2. Recall previous experiences.
    3. Identify one tiny next step.
    4. Listen.
    5. Plan for action.

    “When coaching someone experiencing strong emotions, it’s important to know the signs and indicators of depression and anxiety disorders. Emotions can turn into moods, and if moods hang around long enough, they may become depression or an anxiety disorder. People who feel overwhelmed a great deal may be experiencing depression, whereas those who are ‘stressed’ a lot may be experiencing anxiety. This resource, AppD Depression_Anxiety.pdf, can be offered to your coachees or used to consider whether someone may need professional help.”

    “When coaching any strong emotion, it’s useful to remember that emotions can be guides to self-understanding. They are a normal part of being a human being, and strong emotions show up to get us to pay attention to what’s going on. We can welcome strong emotions—in ourselves and in our coachees—and explore them to gain insight into ourselves and humans and educators.” — Elena Aguilar

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    Making Connections

    Your loved-ones and friends probably need you now more than ever!

    And, a myriad of research supports the assertion that social connections significantly improve our own physical and mental health and emotional well-being, such as published by the “Center of Compassion & Altruism Research & Education” of the Stanford Medical School:

    “Strong social connection leads to a 50% increased chance of longevity, strengthens your immune system (research by Steve Cole shows that genes impacted by loneliness also code for immune function and inflammation), helps you recover from disease faster, [and] may even lengthen your life!”

    “People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem, greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them. In other words, social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being.” — Dr. Emma Seppala

    There’s even evidence that “human touch” and close connections with other people increase our body’s levels of the beneficial hormones serotonin and cortisol.

    Just more common sense? Right? Probably!

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    The first thing I did during that initial announcement of school/activity closures was to reach-out to my “musical kids.” Many music directors told me they quickly sponsored a Zoom/Google Hangout meeting of their ensemble members, mostly just to check-in with their players or singers and get everyone “on board” for future online interactions.

    Perhaps COVID-19 has made me a better “citizen,” too. Much more frequently, I now call or text a friend, colleague, volunteer co-worker, or neighbor to see how they are doing. It’s terrible to admit that it took a world disaster to improve my interpersonal communications skills!

    Finally, here’s a good “recap.” In spite of the need for social distancing, these examples of “safe connections” are suggested by Jennifer Wickham from The Mayo Clinic:

    • Use electronics to stay in contact with friends, neighbors and loved ones. This could include using video-conference programs, making voice calls instead of sending texts, or talking with a neighbor through windows while maintaining a safe distance.
    • Spend quality time with the people you live with, such as playing board games or completing an indoor project.
    • Make a family meal or dessert recipe that reminds you of friends or family you are unable to visit, and then call them to tell them about it. This way, you get an experience of internal and external connection.
    • Write in a journal about your experiences during this time of social distancing. Not only will this help you sort out what you are thinking and feeling, but also it can be shared going forward as a way for future generations to connect with the past.

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    Setting Boundaries

    Something else I admit to NOT doing!

    “Going Google,” “exploring e-learning,” or “doing digital” –  it is easy to get carried away and not notice you just spent 12 hours in-a-row of “screen time” participating in online meetings or creating new remote learning opportunities for your music students. Exactly when are your classroom and office hours? You are likely pushing yourself too hard, even in your pajamas! This insane pace will only promote other health concerns!

    The foresight of Elisa Janson Jones was evident for writing this in her blog “7 Self-Care Strategies to Prevent Burnout” back in September 2018 before the pandemic:

    bulletin-board-3233653_1920_geralt“It’s hard to create a work-life balance when life is filled with work. Teachers are known for working long hours off-the-clock for no additional compensation. This is even more prevalent in music education. We add performances, competitions, musicals, individual lessons, fundraising, data entry, and even music composition and arranging to our task list.”

    “We may find pride in saying we worked 60 hours this week, flaunting to our friends that we got to school in the dark and left in the dark. Perhaps we find self-importance in their pity and admiration.”

    “However, to thrive in our profession, we must remember that teaching music is our career, not our entire life. Hobbies, families, volunteering, and other ways we contribute to our communities and our homes are also aspects of who we are.”

    “Setting clear boundaries between when we are working for our paycheck and when we are working for ourselves helps us carve out space where we offer ourselves time to be free of obligations and burdens of our career. Whether it’s a few hours per day, a full day per week, or both, setting strict boundaries for when you’re on-the-clock and when you’re off is essential.” — Elisa Janson Jones

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    Mindfulness and “Living” in the Present

    Another concept that Elisa Janson Jones covered in her Smartmusic blog: mindfulness.

    Now is the time for a little nonjudgmental “free reflection,” or what the psychologists call the best practice of “mindfulness” – a focus with full attention on your thoughts, feelings, and sensations “in the moment.” I think the “Teaching with Orff” website really nailed it in the article “7 Self Care Tips for Quarantined Music Teachers.”  Read co-author Zoe Kumagai’s examples of affirmations: “How do I want to feel today?”

    • I allow myself time and space to reflect.
    • My mind is aware of the present.
    • My heart feels compassionate and is full of love.
    • My mind is stimulated by books, stories, art, scholarly articles, music that inspire me to be my best self.
    • I maintain boundaries with technology and intake of the news.
    • My body is free to dance.
    • My voice is clear to sing, laugh and converse authentically.

    According to this Harvard Medical HelpGuide, the habits and techniques of mindfulness can improve well-being, physical health, and mental health:

    “There is more than one way to practice mindfulness, but the goal of any mindfulness technique is to achieve a state of alert, focused relaxation by deliberately paying attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment… Allow thoughts to come and go without judgment and return to your focus on breath or mantra.” — HelpGuide

    Band director, best-selling author, and acclaimed clinician Lesley Moffat devoted an entire chapter to mindfulness in her book I Love My Job But It’s Killing Me. You know what they say, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” After learning the techniques for herself, she adopted mindfulness practice at the beginning of each band rehearsal for her students, a 4-5 minute routine of guided breathing and relaxation exercises leading up to the daily warmup chorale.

     

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    I love the symbolism in her “snow globe” analogy:

    “Just like a snow globe that’s been shaken up, it takes time for your mind and body to settle down. If you try to get the snow globe to settle down while you’re still holding it and carrying on with your regular activities, the snow may fall slower, but it won’t completely stop and allow you to see the objects in the snow globe. You must allow it to be completely still long enough for the water to stop swirling and the glitter to follow the pull of gravity and settle on the bottom. It only takes a matter of minutes until it settles, revealing the magical scene inside, and the very glitter that was covering up the view when it was moving around has become a lovely blanket of snow that grounds the scene in the snow globe. But without a few minutes of stillness, it is impossible for it to become completely settled. So it goes with a mindfulness practice. Your mind and body needs time to go from hyper-speed to a pace that serves you well, a place where you have space to think – and space to not think. That begins by bringing stillness to your body and to your mind. Easy to say – hard to do… until you practice it every day and it becomes habit.” — Lesley Moffat

    Love the Job, Loss the StressHer book should be required reading for all music teachers, even retirees who want to remain active in the profession. (Read my previous review here.) It serves as a true treasure-house of practical applications for de-stressing and re-centering your life. Her “mPower Method of Meals, Movement, Music, and Mindfulness” may be the solution to improving your situation.

    FYI, her next book, Love the Job, Lose the Stress, is on the way. You can request an advance e-copy here.

     

    “Do as I Say… Don’t Do as I Do!”

    The worst part of this? We seldom take our own advice. Hey teacher, “heal thyself,” and “practice what you preach.” Taking care of our children or elderly relatives, we are probably the last to comply with the tenets of our own sermons on health and wellness.

    Lesley Moffat also devoted a chapter in her book to the airline safety bulletin “Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First.” You cannot take care of someone else (your family members or your music students) unless you first take care of yourself!

    salad-374173_1920_stevepbMake self-care PRIORITY ONE for YOU! I know, you have heard all of these before:

    • Eat a balanced diet.
    • Hydrate.
    • Get enough sleep.
    • Exercise daily.
    • “Flex your brain.”

    The latter “exercising your mind” is referenced in the Teaching with Orff website, and is a frequent emphasis on my blog-site (with examples here, here, and here). Pursue your own avenues of creative self-expression, and grow and learn something new every day!

    According to charitable organization Waterford.org, the definition of “self-care” is “any action that you use to improve your health and well-being.” They cite extensive research from the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI), corroborating the statement that there are six elements to self-care:

    • Physical
    • Psychological
    • Emotional
    • Spiritual
    • Social
    • Professional

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    And, as explained in the article “Why Teacher Self-Care Matters, and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School,” self-care is not about selfishness.

    “Self-care is an important component of a teacher’s mental health, but there are misconceptions about what it is. It’s common for educators to dismiss the self-care movement as ‘selfish’ or ‘superficial.’ But for teachers, self-care is so much more than breakfast in bed or treating yourself to a spa day. It’s about taking care of your health so that you’re prepared to be the best teacher you can be for yourself and your students.”

    — Waterford.org

    These endorsements probably represent just “the tip of the iceberg!” Peruse all of the resources listed below. In addition, perhaps we should take a close look at Alex Wiggin’s ASCD article,  “A Brave New World: A Teacher’s Take on Surviving Distance Learning” (Educational Leadership, Summer 2020), considering the adoption of these four lessons learned from the past four months:

    1. Relying on a team reduces work and stress.
    2. Connecting with students boosts morale.
    3. Learning new technology isn’t so bad.
    4. Model being a life-long learner

    I predict that the hardest part, coming to the end of May and the completion of our first-ever “virtual spring semester,” is coming to grips with our “fear of the unknown!” At the date of this writing, no one really knows when “we” are going back to “in person” schools, how we will resume large group music instruction like band, choir, or orchestra rehearsals, and what will the “new normal” look like to successfully “move on!”

    Summer break is just around the corner… a good time to stop and reflect! And yes, we will make it through this.

    Please stay safe! PKF

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    References

     

    © 2020 Paul K. Fox

     

    Photo credits (in order)

    From Pixabay.com

     

    Virtual/Remote/Alternative Music Ed

    paulkfox1 Comment

    Resources for Teaching Music Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    COVID-19

    The dreaded messages came to almost every educator:

    EMERGENCY ALERT:

    Out of an abundance of caution relating to the prevention of spreading the coronavirus, beginning on _____, all after-school, extra-curricular, and outside group meetings and rehearsals are postponed until further notice.

    * * *

    Dear Students, Parents, and Staff:

    All ______ school programs such as sports, band and jazz concert, spring musical, choir festival, dance and voice recitals, booster meetings and fund-raisers, and the music department adjudication trip, are cancelled.

    * * *

    Important announcement:

    The spring concert scheduled for March 28 at the Performance Hall will not take place. A decision about whether to cancel this performance or postpone it to another date will be made as the community health situation continues to evolve.

    And then, the Governor closed the schools for two to eight weeks (or more?).

    Governor Wolf
    Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf

    Dear Families,

    Thanks for your patience as we work through the events that have been occurring and planning for what lies ahead. We hope you and your family are staying well, and we know that many of you are looking forward to a Virtual Learning experience for your child.

    We want to share some important information with all of you as we prepare this transition. While we do not know how long our buildings will be closed, we want to be prepared for ______ Virtual Learning for as long as it is necessary.

    The immediate effect? Suddenly, our kids were sent home for an extra-early spring break, hopefully remembering to bring their instruments and music! Trying to “embrace” this world emergency (from a safe distance, of course), no one had a “crystal ball” to predict or even imagine the far-reaching effects, many of which we are still awaiting answers!

    • When will we be able to go back to school?
    • How can we collaborate, grow, and share our music learning, personal progress, repertoire and skills learned over the past year?
    • What will happen to everything all of us were forced to leave unscheduled, unfinished, or “in production?”
    • Will commencement be cancelled, too?
    • Worst yet, will our seniors fail to graduate, receive their diplomas, and start college on time next fall?

    Every music teacher I know cried out, “How can I reach-out to my students to help them find alternative avenues to making music? The challenge is now thrust upon us to find ways to inspire our students to continue building on their “musical momentum” in daily practice, as well as stimulate other sources of artistic enrichment and the self-motivation to create new music goals.

    My first act as a community youth director was to “fire up” my orchestra’s website and Facebook page. We regularly send out Fox’s Firesides of articles on practice tips, music problem-solving techniques, goal-setting, keeping a journal, developing teamwork, learning to conduct, acquiring college references, showing concert etiquette, etc. and other notices to the members and parents using a free-version of Mailchimp.

    SHJOclips

    In addition, we launched something called SHJO.clips, low-tech but hopefully effective in “exciting” future music enrichment and exploration: online music games, worksheets, sample recordings and videos, practice excerpts, music theory exercises, sight-reading and ear training assignments, and much more… a treasure chest of FUN things-to-do or c.l.i.p.s. to do ON THEIR OWN: Create, Listen, Inspire, Practice, Share.

    Archives of both Fox’s Firesides and SHJO.clips are available by clicking the menu at the top or visiting http://www.shjo.org/ (look under “resources”).

    Are we permitted access to our students and classes online during the official closures? Does your school use Canvas or other virtual educational environments to hold digital classes, post learning activities, make assignments, provide feedback, and/or assess your students’ achievement? (Are you even allowed to do so? I cannot answer this essential question because I do not know school law and I retired from the public schools in 2013.)

    smartmusic and musicfirst

    Are you one of the “lucky ones” who had previously set-up either the Smartmusic or MusicFirst online platforms (and the students know how to use the it) and can continue encouraging your band instrumentalists, string players, or vocalists to sight-read, practice, explore new literature, perform, record, and assess themselves?

    Do you and your students need cheering up with a “pep-talk” by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, the famous “music educator’s guru,” guest speaker and expert motivator often presented as the kick-off keynote session at music conferences. “Dr. Tim” challenges us all to focus on what’s important and how we can put our time to good use:

    “Life is about 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

    The pessimist sees the challenge in every opportunity, but the optimist sees the opportunity in every challenge.”

     

    Set aside 17 minutes to recharge with this video. Then, share it with your students!

    I am proud to admit that, in a single act, our profession has so far risen to the occasion. In an effort to help our “stranded” programs and motivate music educators and their students, so many tech experts jumped into the fray to post their recommendations and resources. At the end of this blog-post is a (very long) list of links from them, at least active as of today, for distance learning strategies and virtual music education.

    logo 2
    https://www.pmea.net/council-for-ttrr/

    We have taken the time to compile many of these suggestions and warehouse them on the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention website here. Look under the heading “Virtual Music Learning – Engaging Students During the Break.” This is the impetus for this article. The samples provided below (probably only the “tip of the iceberg” and already out-of-date) are by no means all-comprising and fully comprehensive. With every minute of the day dragging on during this crisis and we are still “shut in” our homes away from our music students, new solutions are being posted to Facebook groups like Music Educators Creating Online Learning.

    Click here if you would like a printable PDF file of this revision of resources.

    Take the time to research what might work for you. At the very least, pass on the music games and puzzles offered at sites like Music Tech Teacher or Cornerstone Confessions. Venture into learning new apps like Zoom.com for webinar/meeting management.

    Music does make a difference in all of our lives… and we need to keep our musicians and singers “at it” even during this catastrophe!

    Best wishes to you and yours. Stay safe and healthy! Thank you for your dedication and contributions to music education!

    (Editor’s Note: We have continued adding many more updates to the list below at the website of the PMEA Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention accessible from this link.)

    PKF

     

     

    Sources of Online Music Media and Instruction

    Photo credit from Pixabay.com: “child-play-game-technology-3264751” by ExplorerBob

    © 2020 Paul K. Fox