ETM teachers are lifelong learners and we work hard to give them enrichment opportunities to continue their education. This extends to our professional development opportunities. Last week, our teachers had fun learning from Dr. Stephen Neely and Valeria Cossu in our third in-person professional development session of the year.

During the full-day of learning,  teachers learned new ways to give their students the opportunity to express their understanding of rhythm and the feeling of the music in new and creative ways from Dr. Stephen Neely, a professor at Carnegie Mellon. From expressing what they heard by walking along with whatever was being played, and  the beat  using tennis balls. It was heaps of fun!

Later on that day, teachers made some noise with Valeria Cossu, a professional choreographer. Valeria’s session, who focussed on body percussion. Teachers used their bodies to create simple and complex rhythms and even compose their own collaborative song. She emphasized how much a student can learn in a simple rhythm exercise. She also covered concepts of steady beat, improvisation, dynamics and so much more, making this session amazing, NOISY, and educational. 

The teachers had a blast at this professional development session: not only were they all together (which rarely happens since the pandemic’s outbreak), but they also they got the chance to see things “from the other side of the podium” as they say. That is, the teachers became the students.

“I love focusing on learning new musical activities. I get a better sense of how my students feel learning something new for the first time, which, admittedly, is something I sometimes forget.” 

– ETM Teacher Ashley D’Amico, P.S. 046

Without music teachers, we can’t offer music classes.

To ensure that ETM can hire and promote more teachers, we need to enhance our teachers’ compensation and resources when they work for us.

That’s why we’re raising $90,000 to make sure our teachers – and their students – get everything they need. And we can’t do it without you.

Join our Teacher Corps Campaign today.