ETM Academy

For many of the PP55 fellows who are working in education, summer is a strange time to begin work. On the one hand, school is not in session, so it allows a fellow to ease into the position, learn about the organization, internalize work flow, and determine what the job entails before the school year begins. On the other (or same!) hand, school is not in session, which means that during the early weeks of the fellowship, the mission of an organization may seem abstract or at least far removed from the everyday happenings in the organization.

I can certainly say that I have felt both of these points. Especially as I work on grant proposals for Education Through Music (ETM), I have felt somewhat disconnected from the words on the computer screen; I ask myself, “what is 'ongoing professional development?'” “What does computer-assisted instruction look or sound like?” Or even the more basic, “who are ETM music teachers?”

I recently attended the first day of ETM Academy, a professional development series for ETM music teachers. The workshop was held at M.S. 180 in the Co-op City area of the Bronx. Although the students had not yet returned to school, this was my first opportunity to see the music classroom at one of ETM’s partner schools. Our music teachers were buzzing before training began, and I could only imagine what the first day of music class would be like for students heading back to school.

The morning session included discussions and hands-on activities focused on topics including classroom management and lesson planning. There were even a few sing-alongs (cue "Hip Hop Turkeys") to give examples of how to coordinate music class curricula with holidays, geography, etc. Because ETM Music Teachers are largely trained as music educators, ETM Academy is meant to reinforce their previous training and help them find creative ways to teach the ETM curriculum.

After lunch, we got a sneak peek of a brand new, state-of-the-art Music Technology Lab at M.S. 180. This classroom houses 30 student work stations that are completely decked out with Mac computers, keyboards, electric guitars, and all kinds of music software. The ETM Music Teachers were introduced to this amazing technology. While only two ETM partner schools anticipate having technology labs this school year, the session also introduced various websites that host free activities, games, and programs that music teachers can incorporate into their lessons by reserving computer rooms at their schools.

All in all, I learned so much about ETM through the Academy. In the days that followed, many of our music teachers visited the office to pick up supplies to decorate their new classrooms. Rolling out sheets of colorful paper for their bulletin boards or cutting out letters to spell "I love music," the teachers were so excited and inspired to start school.

This is the first full week of school, and we have already heard some great things about the first days of music class. I can't wait for my first site visit to observe our programs in action!