ETM Academy is continuing throughout the school year, with sessions held during the months of November and January. Facilitated by Director of Programs Peter Pauliks and the program staff, these six-hour long workshops continued to provide professional support for our music teachers. The January session, for example, focused on a unit entitled ‘Recorder Power’, where music teachers played the instrument and addressed questions surrounding why this particular instrument is taught. Teachers spent time brainstorming strategies for effectively teaching recorder and also shared ideas with others on presentation ideas for classroom lessons.
Afternoon activities included discussions on winter concerts, including the “Breakfast with the Band” event in January, and teachers’ expectations and goals for the remainder of the academic year. Music teachers also discussed method books and how to get the most out of classroom lessons and full band rehearsals. Teachers were given time to look at and take some of the year end assessments, spend time working on their curriculum maps, and discuss shaping the end of the school year in preparation for spring concerts. At the end of training, each teacher was provided with ETM’s teacher manual, student book, and accompaniment CD.
