It’s summertime, and you know what that means! Vacation, beach reads, family reunions, picnics, and, of course, preparing your classroom for the new school year. In addition to preparing your classroom – deciding where the new composition corner should go and selecting repertoire for the first concert – you can also take time to prepare yourself through professional development. Professional development and learning can expand a teacher’s understanding of their subject, pedagogy methods and proven practices, and innovative ways to engage students. You could also meet new people, refine and practice your skills, borrow some brilliant ideas, and discover new music and artists. Your boosted energy, knowledge, and empowerment will transfer to your students, and they will be excited to learn, too.
Teachers and administrators who routinely develop their own knowledge and skills model for students that learning is important and useful. Their ongoing development creates a culture of learning throughout the school and supports educators’ efforts to engage students in learning.
— from Why Professional Development Matters, Learning Forward
Summer is a time to relax, recharge, and refresh – we love that! But we also encourage you to take some time to get ready and level up your teaching for the 2024-25 school year. Read that research study you bookmarked months ago, enroll in a course you’ve always wanted to take, or listen to the expert educator you’ve been scrolling past on social media.
Save The Music has curated a list of organizations and platforms providing professional development, learning opportunities, and music education resources this summer. Go ahead and check it out! 😎
AOSA TEACHER EDUCATION COURSES
The American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) offers teacher education courses, workshops, and virtual opportunities. Find an Orff Levels course near you this summer or join your local chapter.
LEARN AND MAKE YOUR OWN BEATS
Save The Music’s Get Started Recording Your Own Music tutorial videos help you easily navigate the ins and outs of producing music with easy-to-access software that you can find right on your own personal technology devices.
MUSIC EDUCATOR’S SUMMER ACADEMY
Hosted by MakeMusic and Alfred Music, the Music Educator’s Summer Academy (MESA) is a professional development opportunity for music teachers to participate in self-paced courses developed by experts and interactive sessions to learn about specific topics and network with fellow educators.
MUSIC CONSTRUCTED
Music ConstructED provides high-quality lesson plans, resources, and professional development – including on-demand workshops, courses for graduate credit, and learning subscriptions – for the general music educator. Explore dynamic, responsive, and relevant materials across the site.
MUSIC WILL
Join Music Will for a summer of in-person and online professional development workshops designed to instill knowledge and confidence in educators so they can deliver an impactful music program for students. Check out the Music Will Academy for more online courses.
THE POLARIS DAWN AND EL SISTEMA USA® STUDENT CURRICULUM
A Musician’s Guide to Reaching for the Stars is a brand new resource focusing on the intersection of music, science, and social-emotional skills. This was developed in collaboration with Polaris Dawn Mission to Space Specialist Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer and astronaut classically trained on violin.
NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS
Brush up on your knowledge of the national standards for dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. Explore and dive deep into the process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school.
STM MUSIC EDUCATION RESOURCES
Save The Music has curated the best online music education resources and experiences for students, teachers, and families. Get started implementing digital music learning with lessons, academic curriculum, programs, free resources, and more!