Betty Wilson – Alabama Music Educators Association

ELEM/GEN: I Wish You More

Jun 10 2021

I Wish You More

I was in the bookstore last week and I found a delightful children’s book entitled, I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld (Chronicle Books, 2015). After reading a few of the pages, I bought the book as a gift for my student intern. It also made me think of you. Here are a few lines:

“I wish you more ups than downs,
I wish you more give than take,
I wish you more tippy-toes than deep (illustration of a pool)
I wish you more we than me
I wish you more hugs than ughs.. (skipping ahead…)
I wish you more treasures than pockets
I wish you more stories than stars,
I wish all of this for you, because you are everything I could wish for….. and more.”

Elementary AMEA, you are everything I could wish for and more. When the pandemic hit, you stepped up to the plate with lessons and materials to share with others. You participated in numerous Zoom and Google meets to plan how to teach and what to teach for the upcoming school year. Your colleagues reached out for help and you were there. Maybe you reached out too and found help through our organization or a colleague. You attended the 1st ever, virtual AMEA conference, making it one of the most successful conferences ever. You fill in the gap every day even though it has been hard and sometimes seemed impossible. You are amazing and I wish you more!

As we move forward into 2021, I am excited for music education in Alabama. As you know, my two-year term as Elementary Division President is coming to an end. It has been a pleasure serving you. You have elected a wonderful slate of officers who stand poised and ready to take the helm in June. Your newly elected Elementary Board is as follows:

President: Sarah McLendon President Elect: Alicia Luttrell Secretary: Melissa Galanopolous Treasurer: Devin Lacy

Past President: Betty Wilson Festival Director: Melissa McIntyre Hospitality: Erica Lutz

Please reach out to any of these educators or your district chairs if you have any questions about our upcoming workshops and conferences. We look forward to hearing from you about conference sessions, possible inservices, and/or clinicians you would like to have.

Remember, we have many excellent music education opportunities at our disposal this summer including Orff levels I and III at Samford University and Kodaly levels I, II, and III at the University of Montevallo. Also, registration for the Elementary Music Festival is open until May 7th. The festival will be held on October 15th at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery. Details are below. Lastly, we have started planning our annual AMEA Professional Development Conference. This year our 2022 conference will be in Birmingham, on January 20-22, 2022. Please consider applying for your choral or instrumental group to perform at the conference or to be a presenter. Some of our best interest sessions have come from our fellow Alabama music teachers. Please consider sharing your wonderful

ideas with us. Both conference applications can be found on the myamea.org webpage https://myamea.org/conference-apply/. The deadline to apply is June 1st. These are just a few of the amazing opportunities we have for professional and personal development and I hope you will take advantage of as many as you can.

In closing, I know it has been a challenging year. I thank you for hanging in there and for doing your best during this unprecedented time. One day we will tell our grandkids the most amazing tales of when everything closed for months, including schools, there was no toilet paper to be found, and how we had to teach music over the computers. In fact, we may go down as the first generation of digital music educators. The next generation may laugh and tell us we are spinning a yarn. Won’t that be wonderful? I wish you all the best! I wish you more. More drums than desks, more smiles than masks, more hugs than waves. I wish you more sunshine than rain and more joy than sadness. “I wish all of this for you, because you are everything I could wish for….and more.”

For questions or updates, please contact us at elementaryamea@gmail.com.

Have a Great Summer,

Betty R. Wilson, President Elementary/General Division

Workshops and Other Professional Development Opportunities Alabama AOSA

Orff Levels I, and III Summer of 2021, June 21-July 2, 2021 Samford University: contact Dr. Soja msoja@samford.edu

Orff-Schulwerk Level One Workshop: https://eve.samford.edu/index.php?formid=3423&he=no Orff-Schulwerk Level Three Workshop: https://eve.samford.edu/index.php?formid=3424&he=no

AOSA Spring Workshop
March 5, 2022, Jennifer Donovan, Clinician

Sweet Home Alabama Kodaly Educators (S.H.A.K.E.)Workshop https://sites.google.com/view/alabamakodaly/home
Kodaly Levels I, II, III, July 12-23, 2021
University of Montevallo: Contact Becky Halliday ahalliday@montevallo.edu S.H.A.K.E. Workshops

Fall (August/Sept) 2021: Lea Hoppe, Clinician April 2022: Rachel Gibson, Clinician

East Alabama Music Educators

August 28th, 2021, Auburn, Alabama
Contact Dr. Rob Lyda for details lydarob@me.com

AMEA Music Festival
October 15, Eastmont Baptist Church
Clinicians: Rhonda Tucker and Jeremy Howard
For details email: ameafestival@gmail.com
The sign-up deadline is Friday, May 7, 2021, and all sign-ups must be completed online using this link: https://forms.gle/bb5syP2Y9Ci8UQfTA

AMEA Fall Workshop
October 16, Eastmont Baptist Church, TBA

AMEA Professional Development Conference January 20-22, 2022, Birmingham, Al

GREATNESS LIES IN YOU – CONFERENCE REVIEW from the ELEM/GEN Division

Feb 14 2021

ELEM/GEN: Greatness Lies in You – Conference Review

Feb 5 2021

Wow! Just wow! I was sincerely blown away by our recent virtual AMEA Professional Development Conference. I will admit that coming into the conference during an unprecedented pandemic ridden school year, I had some skepticism and reluctance about spending the weekend on the computer. However, my attitude quickly changed with the very first session. A little later in the evening, keynote speaker, Dr. Judy Bowers reminded us to focus on what we can do instead of all the things we can’t do. She encouraged us to continue to do everything we can, to collaborate with others and to think outside the box to further music education during these unusual circumstances. She said “ The only real power that any of us have for change is personal or professional action.” This can be hard, but we took the first steps! We attended this conference, we learned from others, we collaborated, we expanded our professional learning communities. I know that “greatness lies in you.” One day, our students will tell our story. Let’s help them write the most amazing tale of strength, perseverance, and love.

My time as your Elementary/General Division President is coming to a close. I would like to thank AMEA President, David Raney, Garry Taylor, Dr. Rob Lyda and the entire AMEA Executive board for the extraordinary work that went into the AMEA conference. I would also like to commend Carl Hancock and our elementary division zoom hostess, Adrienne Wiggins, for all of their hard work and support. This year was the 75th anniversary of our Professional Development Conference and it was exceptional. Presenters David Row, Dr. Julie Bannerman, Quaver, and many of our own educators shared their gifts and talents with us. I would also like to thank, Past President, Phil Wilson, and long time, elementary treasurer, Lori Zachary. At the conference, you elected your new incoming leadership team. These officers will be installed in late May and take office June 1st. They are as follows: President: Sarah McLendon, President Elect: Alicia Luttrell, Secretary: Melissa Galanopoulos, Treasurer: Devin Lacy, Festival Director: Melissa McIntyre, and Hospitality: Erica Lutz. Next year, our Professional Development Conference will be back in Birmingham, Alabama in January. I am looking forward to seeing you in person at this wonderful event, but remember, your elementary AMEA division is here year round to help you. Keep us up to date with your teaching and contact information by emailing us at elementayamea@gmail.com. Continue to “sharpen your saw” as an educator by attending some of the workshops and events listed below. Reach out to us anytime through our Elementary AMEA Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Betty R Wilson, President Elementary/General Division

Workshops and Other Professional Development Opportunities

Alabama AOSA Spring Workshop

March 6, 2021: Manju Durairaj, Clinician

Cost: FREE!

Virtual workshop 9-11 and 12-2

March 5, 2022 Jennifer Donovan, Clinician
Orff Levels I, and III Summer of 2021, (date TBA)

Samford University: contact Dr. Soja msoja@samford.edu

Sweet Home Alabama Kodaly Educators Workshop

https://sites.google.com/view/alabamakodaly/home

Fall (August/Sept) 2021: Lea Hoppe, Clinician
April 2022: Rachel Gibson, Clinician
Kodaly Levels I, II, III, July 2021 (date TBA)

University of Montevallo: Contact Becky Haliday ahalliday@montevallo.edu

East Alabama Music Educators
August 28th 2021, Auburn, Alabama
Contact Dr. Rob Lyda for details lydarob@me.com

AMEA Music Festival
October 15, Eastmont Baptist Church
Clinicians: Rhonda Tucker and Jeremy Howard
For details email: ameafestival@gmail.com

AMEA Fall Workshop
October 16, Eastmont Baptist Church TBA

ELEM/GEN: Life’s Full of Tough Choices

Nov 10 2020

To say that the start of the school year was unusual would be an understatement. Many of you are facing and conquering challenges you’ve never dreamed of. You might be teaching online, in a general education classroom, or in a hybrid model where sometimes synchronous and asynchronous learning occurs at the same time. Again, I am reminded of the seven habits book, I referenced last October, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. Habits 2 and 3 begin with the end in mind and put first things first. What do we want our students to know at the end of the year and how can we accomplish that in a COVID-19 teaching and learning environment? While we know that some of our traditional teaching methods have been suspended temporarily, there are many ways to accomplish our goals. It’s a good thing that most music teachers are creative because we are all having to think outside the box. (I don’t know who wanted to be in the box in the first place, but that’s a different article.) To attain these learning targets, we must put first things first. This is where the tough choices come in. There’s no way to do it all, every day! Some days that may mean making a lesson plan, or a video of yourself singing a song for your kids or a video of you reading them a book to post in your Google classroom. Other days, putting first things first may mean attending to your family’s needs, making sure that the grass is cut, the laundry washed, the homework checked. Or maybe it’s putting yourself first, taking time to meditate, pray, exercise, or get your nails done. When you feel refreshed, you will be better equipped to handle the daily stresses that accompany this pandemic and the months ahead. Begin with the end in mind and put first things first today.

As many of you already know, our AMEA Choral Festival was cancelled, however, the fall workshop was not. The fall workshop, featuring clinician Jeremy Howard, will be held online from 9:00-12:00 on October 17th, 2020. I would like to thank AOSA and SHAKE President, Deanna Bell for partnering with us to provide this workshop for free. Members need to preregister to receive a link to the Zoom meeting. Make sure you include the email you would like to use to receive your link to the workshop. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2020AMEAFallWorkshop Jeremy will present a session on Elementary Improvisation. During the session participants will “extract the core tenants of improvisation (framework + choice + time); explore aural, kinesthetic, and visual preparation methods for improvising with movements, vocal explorations, words, instruments, rhythms, and melodies; and foster Kodály’s vision for complete musicianship.” The workshop will be followed by our fall board meetings. This year, the Elementary Division will be nominating officers for the following positions: President-Elect, and Secretary. A nominating committee has been working on securing nominations for these vacancies, but we will also take nominations from the floor. To nominate a person for a position, you must first have their permission and they must agree to serve if elected.

Finally, on January 21-23, 2021, we will host our virtual AMEA Professional Development Conference. Conference planning is well underway. Since we know it might be difficult to find a sub and take time off, the Executive Board has made several adjustments to the schedule that will allow you to stay at work during the day and enjoy sessions in the evening. Please check out the excellent sessions we are planning for you. David Row will be our main clinician. You may know David from his amazing Facebook Live broadcasts, Teachers Pay Teachers page (TPT), and Make Moments Matter webpage. David is an excellent educator and we are thrilled to have him share virtually in January. We will also have sessions by Dr. Julie Bannerman (University of Montevallo), Toni Garza (Quaver), and various other Alabama music educators. Additionally, you may sign up to share a lesson at the lightning round on Thursday night, or plan to share a book at the Elementary Happy Hour Session (BYOB, Bring Your Own Book) on

Saturday. Be sure to renew your NAfME membership as soon as possible to register for these events and to take advantage of all that NAfME and AMEA have to offer this year.

Thank you again, for your hard work, dedication, and continued support of the Elementary/General Division of the AMEA and the children of Alabama.

See you in October,
Betty R Wilson, President Elementary/General Division

Upcoming Dates:

Fall Workshop – AMEA/AOSA/SHAKE Saturday, October 17, from 9-12 Online Format

NAfME National Conference
November 4-8, 2020
In-person conference is cancelled.
Visit Nafme.org for upcoming virtual sessions

AMEA Professional Development Conference January 21-23, 2021
Online Format

Alabama AOSA Spring Workshops (Details TBA) March 6, 2021: Manju Durairaj, Clinician March 5, 2022: Jennifer Donovan, Clinician

Sweet Home Alabama Kodály Educators Workshops (Details TBA) April 2021: Lea Hoppe, Clinician
April 2022: Rachel Gibson Clinician

ELEM/GEN: Lemons or Lemonade?

Sep 21 2020

Normally, this article would focus on getting back into the classroom and the start of a brand-new school year. It would be filled with optimism and joy about lesson planning and getting to see our colleagues and students again. This year, not so much. This year many teachers are filled with anxiety and fear about returning to the classroom. Many teachers are faced with the new challenges of social distancing, sanitizing instruments, and teaching online or teaching on a cart. To top it all off, Principals and Superintendents don’t have the answers to many of the questions that teachers and parents have. We are all doing our best to address multiple scenarios that may arise due to COVID-19.

What we know: many school systems have delayed the start of school. Several have opted for virtual learning only, while several have given the parents the option to choose in-person learning or virtual learning. Teachers will have to be creative with their teaching and delivery options. Teachers also have a choice. We can choose what attitude and skills we bring to the table. Will we bring our best selves? Will we choose to collaborate with our fellow music teachers? Will we choose to adapt and grow no matter what our Principals ask of us? Our attitudes are a choice. Motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar says “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” My son’s best baseball coach often told them “You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.” He didn’t tolerate any “fit pitching” after a bad swing, dropped ball, strike out, etc. This coach expected your best attitude and effort each time you came to the field. We must bring the same thing when we show up at school or turn on the computer.

AMEA and NAfME have published several articles and have updated their webpages to help teachers navigate through these tough times. On the AMEA webpage, www.myamea.org you can find Covid-19 resources contributed by your fellow teachers. The National Association for Music Education has more free resources at https://nafme.org/covid-19/. This website includes tips on instrument cleaning, online learning and copyright, professional development resources and lesson plans. In addition, to guide your planning for in-person, hybrid or virtual learning, the Essential Standards for music education have been added to the Alabama Roadmap for Reopening Schools which can be found the ALSDE webpage https://www.alsde.edu/. I would like to thank Dr. Rob Lyda, Dr. Becky Halliday, Dr. Jeff Shultz and Devon Lacey for their tremendous work in developing these essential standards.

During this transitional time, we all must continue to communicate, collaborate and care for each other. Teachers must address their own and their students’ social and emotional wellness. Key components of music education include the way making music with others makes us feel and think. Participating in music ensembles enhances our social awareness and allows us to build relationships. This connection can be lost during virtual learning. There are several great resources for addressing social and emotional learning (SEL) on the NAfME webpage and in the Alabama General Music K-8 Essential Standards published in the Roadmap for Reopening Schools. The Essential Standards have been added to the Elementary AMEA Facebook page and they have been shared via email to our membership. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam folder and/or contact me or President elect Sarah McLendon to update your email address. Connecting through the virtual workshops offered by AMEA, NAfME and others is a great way to keep in touch, as well as learn and collaborate with your colleagues.

In closing, we are faced with a choice; we can lament all the lemons that have come along with COVID-19, or we can make lemonade. Our good friends Randy Delles and Jeff Kriske once said, “Whenever you’re feeling dismayed, Or someone rains on your parade, Remember this tip, Don’t give up the ship, With Lemons you make Lemonade!” I hope you choose to make lemonade this school year!

Musically Yours,
Betty R. Wilson, President,
AMEA Elementary/General Division

East Alabama General Music Workshop,
August 29, 2020, ONLINE
Register here: https://forms.gle/ aeP2DUM9XTHLR6Vz5

AMEA Choral Festival:
October 16, 2020: Cancelled/Postponed October 2021, Contact Melissa McIntyre, Festival Director Ameafestival@gmail.com

AMEA/AOSA Fall workshop:
October 17, 2020, Jeremy Howard, online. More details to come!

AMEA Professional Development Conference
Jan 21-23, 2021, Online

Details will be available soon at www.myamea.org

The World Turned Upside Down

May 9 2020

“Yet let’s be content, and the times lament, you see the world turn’d upside down.” This is a line from an old English Ballad that dates back to the 1640’s when the English Parliament banned portions of Christmas celebrations. Later, it was rumoured to have been played by the English at the Battle of Yorktown during their surrender. Probably, the most famous recent quoting of this line is from the musical Hamilton in the song “Yorktown” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Although historians have searched Revolutionary War records, there is no source that can confirm this tune was one of the songs that was played when the English surrendered. Whether true or rumor matters very little in 2020, as the legend lives on. Now we know that the world [is] turned upside down.

Learning and teaching continues in a way that none of us could have imagined just 6 months ago. While online learning has been in place for many years, most of us were not prepared for what we were asked to do just a few short weeks ago. I received my Master’s Degree from the University of Florida in 2016 through it’s online Music Education program. I feel lucky to have had exposure to the possibilities of online teaching and learning. However, very little of what I did actually transferred over to what I have been asked to do as an elementary music educator. The requirements from our Principals, Schools and Districts have been wide and varied. Some teachers have been asked to do very little so as not to overwhelm the parents, while others have been asked to deliver the same amount of instruction that the students would have received in the classroom by making and posting videos of themselves teaching. No matter what your school is doing, there are many wonderful resources to help you. Let’s start with a few.

The AMEA board is working to provide you with the necessary resources, professional development and lessons that might meet your needs through our website www.myamea.org. Here, you can access a database of online lessons grouped by teaching specialty: band, choir, orchestra, college and elementary/general. Each set of lessons if further categorized by topic or objectives. You can contribute to this database when you create something for your classroom. The process is very easy and user friendly and I encourage each of you to visit this site. NaFME is also offering professional development and resources on their website www.nafme.org . Some of these are even available for non-members. I encourage you to take advantage of these courses and to keep track of your professional development hours. I would also encourage you to reach out to your local Professional Learning Community. We should all strive to “meet regularly, share expertise, and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students” (www.edglossary.org) even during this time of school closure.

Speaking of professional development, the Fall Workshop is set for Saturday, October 17, 2020 at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. This workshop directly follows our Elementary AMEA Choir Festival and will feature clinician, Jeremy Howard. The sign-up for the choir festival is open and the deadline is Friday, May 8, 2020. All sign ups must be completed online using the following link; https://forms.gle/svmHBCQ731QqbDLg9. Please email Melissa McIntyre for more festival information at ameafestival@gmail.com. The 2021 AMEA Professional Development Conference is coming up as well. We are currently accepting applications for presenters and performers. We would love to strengthen our Alabama PLC by having great sessions provided by you and your colleagues. Use the link on www.myamea.org to submit your session or apply to perform. I would also like to hear from you regarding sessions you’d like to see offered. Please email me at elementaryamea@gmail.com to suggest presenters or topics you like to see. The deadline for session proposals and performing groups is June 1, 2020 <Editor’s note. EXTENDED September 1, 2020>.

In closing, I would like to encourage you to keep the faith and stay the course. We are all gifted with many different gifts and are charged to use them to the best of our abilities. I believe we are stronger when we share what we know with others whether online or in person. Thank you again, for your hard work, dedication and continued support of the Elementary/General Division of the AMEA and the children of Alabama. I can’t wait to see you soon.

Sincerely,
Betty R Wilson, President
Elementary/General Division

Upcoming Dates:

NAfME In-Service Conference, Nov 4-8, 2020, Orlando, Florida. Elementary Music Festival, Friday, October 16th, 2020; Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
Joint Fall Workshop sponsored by Elementary/General Division of AMEA, AOSA, and
SHAKE, Saturday, October 17th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama featuring clinician Jeremy Howard
American Orff-Schulwerk Association, National Professional Development Conference, November 11-14, 2020, Kansas City. Registration begins July 1st.
2021 AMEA Professional Development Conference, January 21-23, 2021, Renaissance Hotel and Spa, Montgomery, Alabama.

ELEM/GEN: News and Conference Review

Feb 17 2020

We recently had the opportunity to “sharpen our saws.” I hope you enjoyed the sessions from our wonderful presenters at the recent AMEA Professional Development Conference. Our featured clinician, Jim Solomon, brought many tried and true strategies for drumming and elementary music education, while Laura Butler and Janet Nelson helped us to expand our thinking with music games that enhance literacy. Reading sessions by Lea Hoppe and singing rounds with Deanna Bell filled our hearts as we participated in making great music. We experienced and were inspired by an amazing performance from Hillcrest Elementary’s Choir, In Harmony, directed by Sarah McLendon. From the youngest (Dr. Julie Bannerman-Preschool Music) to the oldest (Dr. Rob Lyda and Dr. Becky Halliday- Creating Musical Communities) there was something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Most importantly, it was a time for you to renew your spirit and connect with other music educators who understand what you do and why you do it.

I would like to thank our amazing Alabama Music Educators Association Elementary Board for their hard work. Their teamwork and dedication is second to none! Thank you for your help in presenting a wonderful conference. In case you were not able to attend the conference, you may still view handouts and board meeting minutes through the Guidebook app and this link https://tinyurl.com/AMEAJan2020, respectively. District reports are also available through the link above. In case you don’t know what district you are located in, the District Chairs and Co- Chairs are by county as follows:

District I – Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, and Winston

District 2 – Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, and Walker

District 3 – Jefferson

District 4 – Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, St. Clair

District 5 – Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell, Talladega, and Tallapoosa

District 6 – Autauga, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Dallas, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, and Wilcox

District 7 – Baldwin, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington

District 8 – Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Pike

Your District Chairs are:
District 1: Lea Hoppe & Viktoria Truesdail District 2: Karla Hodges & Karen Morgan District 3: Deanna Bell and Kate Donaldson District 4: Kristina Sisko
District 5: Kari McIntosh
District 6: Christy Clark
District 7: Alicia Luttrell & Joylynn Ruffin District 8: Hilda Hagins

We would also like to welcome Erica Lutz to our elementary board. She will be filling the Hospitality Chair for the 2020 and 2021 school years. Feel free to reach out to your district chairs and executive board throughout the year to let us know what is happening in your school and school system. Please keep your email updated with us: elementaryamea@gmail.com. There are many important announcements in our Board Meeting minutes including information about grant opportunities and the upcoming AMEA board elections (Dr. Rob Lyda and Carrie Cruz) and all of the upcoming workshops (AOSA, SHAKE, Young Voices festival, etc). You may also connect with other music educators using our AMEA Elementary and the Alabama Music Educators Association Facebook pages. Remember, the 2020 Elementary Music Festival will be October 16, 2020 at Eastmont Baptist Church. Please tell Melissa McIntyre if you have suggestions for clinicians: AMEAfestival@gmail.com. The 2020 AMEA Joint Workshop will immediately follow on October 17, 2020, also at Eastmont Baptist. Please read those minutes and take advantage of all the opportunities Alabama has to offer its elementary music educators.

Thank you again, for your hard work, dedication and continued support of the Elementary/General Division of the AMEA and the children of Alabama. I can’t wait to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Betty R Wilson

President Elementary/General Division

ELEM/GEN: Developing Successful Habits

Oct 2 2019

Developing Successful Habits

A few years ago, my school adopted the Seven Habits of Happy Kids as part of the counseling program. Every teacher in the school received a copy of the book by Sean Covey and was encouraged to incorporate the principles into the classroom. The seven habits are: 1. Be Proactive, 2. Begin with the End in Mind, 3. Put first Things First, 4. Think Win-Win, 5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood, 6. Synergize, 7. Sharpen the Saw. Students and teachers were trained on using these strategies in the classroom. We put them into action through our house system (based on the Ron Clark Academy) and through our Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies plan (P.B.I.S.). Students started taking ownership of their behavior and managing their time and tasks in a more efficient way than ever. Behavior referrals dropped as teachers practiced the win-win techniques in the classroom, showing students how being disruptive was a lose-lose for everyone involved. Of course, for many of us, these techniques started to bleed over into our personal lives as well.

In our last Ala Breve, I talked about dreaming big and setting goals. This would be a part of habits two and three. In this issue, I want to mention Sharpening the Saw, which is habit seven. To sharpen the saw, you set aside time for yourself and you do the things that bring you the greatest enjoyment. Take time to enhance your physical health, your cognitive or mental health, your spirituality and your social health. Stephen Covey details each of these in his book for adults, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, but let’s focus on mental health and social health. What do you do to expand your mind? Do you like to read books and articles about teaching? Do you like participating in a hands-on training? Do you like to hang out with your music colleagues and enjoy enriching conversations about work and life over a good meal? Your elementary AMEA is offering a great workshop on October 19 and a yearly in-service in January for you to sharpen your saw.

The fall workshop on October 19th will be held at Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery and will feature two fabulous clinicians, Dr. Madeline Bridges from Belmont University and Dr. Becky Halliday from The University of Montevallo. Dr. Bridges will present the morning session which is entitled “Developing Core Singing Skills through Multiple Modalities.” Dr. Halliday will present the afternoon session on arts integration “Weaving a Tapestry: Collaborative Teaching Through Arts Integration.” In between, we are offering a catered “meat and 3” lunch that you can purchase when you register. This will allow you the time to sharpen your saw as you socialize with your fellow music educators. Please take the time today to renew your NaFME membership and register for the AMEA Professional development Conference. Visit www.myamea.org for more conference details. We would love to see you at both of these events.

Thank you again, for your hard work, dedication and continued support of the Elementary/General Division of the AMEA and the children of Alabama.

See you in October,
Betty R Wilson, President Elementary/General Division

================

Workshops and Other Professional Development Opportunities:

East Alabama Music Workshop
Grace United Methodist Church, Auburn Tiffany English
August 24, 2019
Contact: lydarob@me.com

AMEA Choir Festival:
Friday, October 18, 2019
Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery Contact Melissa McIntyre, Festival Director Ameafestival@gmail.com

Fall AMEA Workshop:
Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Clinicians: Dr. Madeline Bridges and Dr. Becky Halliday Location: Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery Contact: elementaryamea@gmail.com

AMEA Professional Development Conference
Jan 16-18, 2020
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa Featured Clinician: Jim Solomon. Details will be available soon at www.myamea.org

ELEM/GEN: Keep Calm and Move with the Cheese

Jul 30 2019

Change is hard. Change is scary. Change is inevitable. We are reminded of this often. Many of us are facing changes this school year. Maybe we have a new job. Maybe we are teaching new grade levels. Or, maybe our principal sees so much potential in us that he/she has given us extra duties in our building. We all will experience changes with new classes as we prepare for the coming school year. In the book Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson details the woes of change on the job and how to deal with it. Here’s how the book characters Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw, faced the changes in their lives.

Imagine the setting: a maze where the four characters search every day for their supply of cheese. They find great cheese and become comfortable eating it day in and day out. The problem is interjected when the reliable cheese supply is suddenly moved or extinguished. The mice in the story, Sniff and Scurry hurry out into the maze to find new cheese, while the “little people” Hem and Haw look around wondering what happened to their cheese. “While Hem and Haw were still trying to decide what to do, Sniff and Scurry were already well on their way.” (Johnson, p. 39). Finally, Haw realizes that if he does not change, he will become extinct. So he decides to venture out into the maze once again. One of the important questions that Haw asks himself as he tries to venture out again is “What would you do if you weren’t afraid” (Johnson, p. 48). What would WE do this year, if we were not afraid? Would we redesign a stagnant curriculum, finally participate in a choral festival, or take a new leadership position in our school? Johnson says that “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free” (p. 56) and that “change can lead to something better” (p. 59).

The Elementary Executive Board met recently to discuss the upcoming AMEA in-service, music festival, and fall workshop. Your elementary board has been faced with some difficult decisions this year. Many perspectives of music educators all over the state were weighed, and several options were considered. Rest assured the goal of your elementary board is to continue moving our organization forward toward the future. I believe, as Johnson says, “the biggest inhibitor to change lies within yourself and that nothing gets better until you change” (p. 71) and I believe, the handwriting is on the wall:

“Change Happens: They keep moving the cheese;”

We should, “Anticipate Change: Get ready for the cheese to move;”

We must, “Monitor the Change: Smell the cheese often so you know when the cheese is getting old;”

and, “Adapt to Change Quickly: The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy the new cheese,

Change: Move with the cheese;”

Furthermore, we should, “Enjoy Change! Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese!”

And, “Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy it Again and Again: They keep moving the Cheese.” (Johnson, p.74). Right now, we are moving with the cheese so we can continue to enjoy it again and again.

Years ago, when I was a consultant with Mary Kay cosmetics, I made a dream board. It was a way for new consultants to envision what they wanted out of their Mary Kay business. Although I gave up selling Mary Kay long ago, I never gave up the concept of dreaming big and envisioning what I wanted to achieve. I recently went back to school and completed my goal of obtaining my Masters’ degree. Consider this, another big question from the story is “What do we need to let go of and what do we need to move on to? (Johnson p. 83). What are your big dreams for this year, for your professional development, or for yourself personally? I challenge you to set goals and make a “dream board” with your goals written out and go for it. Let go of your old habits and reach for the “new cheese.”

Thank you for your hard work, dedication and continued support of the Elementary Division of the AMEA and the children of Alabama.

See you in September,

Betty R. Wilson
President Elementary/General Division