Last week was an amazing time in Chicago with my OAKE family. It’s always healing for the soul to spend time with your music teacher friends and this weekend was no exception. Here are my takeaways.
Connecting Elementary and Secondary
I was in a presentation that my friend Bobby Castro was presenting about his use of singing in the band classroom. It’s a similar way to how I teach recorder. What I love about Bobby’s work is that he connects tools students learn in elementary and before (singing!) with what he does. And it benefits his students. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but I wish we could find more ways to connect elementary and secondary courses. I’d love to hear how your district is working to connect levels.
Language Barriers
ARE REAL.
But there are amazing educators who can help us overcome these with our students. Dr. Mirna Y Cabrera has some resources available for teachers who teach Spanish speaking students as well as a Spanish Phonetic Pronunciation guide on her website. She also has scripts for teaching some concepts in Spanish.
You can check all of that out here.
The Hyphen
I presented with my friend Melissa Fuller Flores about Harmony in the Hyphen. We are both half-Filipino Americans. Together we presented a session called Harmony in the Hyphen: Embracing Filipino-American Heritage Through Music, Dance, & Identity. But it’s not just about Filipino Americans, but ALL your students and finding ways to help them feel seen, represented, and validated. While I didn’t grow up with Filipino culture really entrenched in my life I’ve spent a lot of time connecting with my culture through research. Youtube. Videos of songs, dances, games, life. And books. All your students deserve to see themselves in books. Books that actually represent culture written by culture bearers. By the people who are being represented. Books that depict their family life, their living situation, or the realities they face.
A story I told in our presentation is how my Filipino side is part Chinese. I’ve only recently found out how much but I know it was part when I was growing up and I remember reading a book in elementary that made me feel seen and represented. It was Tikki Tikki Tembo. *insert sad trombone here* Imagine how that experience may have been different if what I ‘learned’ as a kid was actually true about Chinese culture, had images that been culturally accurate depictions of Chinese culture.
You Need Your People!
I think perhaps my favorite part of OAKE is seeing my OAKE friends. Every year I think about who I get to see and start getting excited for hugs, conversations, coffee runs, and learning from each other. And then I GET to OAKE and remember how MANY people I look forward to seeing. I get to spend 4-ish days with some of the best music teachers I know. People I’m lucky enough to call my friends.
People I can count on.
People I can bounce ideas off of.
People I can learn from.
People who will talk through things with me.
People who lift me up.
People understand teaching music.
People that energize me.
People who are true masters at what they do.
Find your people. Get a mentor, call a music teacher friend, meet with your team, or have a district meeting. Go to a workshop, or conference. I get so much out of spending time with my people and I’m so thankful for all I learn from them.
