As much change as we are going through in music education right now—and no matter how unsure the future may seem—some things stay the same. We are still student-oriented. We still have our directive to teach music, only now we get to explore new ways to do so. We still have to do almost all of the things we’ve always done while keeping in mind that we’re going to want to maintain all of the in-classroom skills so that when we do go back, however that looks, that we haven’t missed a single step.
In this episode I welcome my dear friend Mia Ibrahim to discuss how to know when to be transparent with your students about who you are outside of the music classroom, and how this can affect your relationships with your students, your colleagues, your administration, and the community.
Mia is a queer person of color (QPOC) who teaches in the South Bronx, residing in the poorest district in the nation. She volunteers with a myriad of organizations in her spare time, lives with her partner and our wonderful dog Charlie, plays post-collegiate lacrosse and is principal clarinetist and orchestra manager of the Downtown Symphony in Manhattan. You can probably guess at the wealth of experience she is bringing to our metaphorical table today!
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Topics Covered:
- When it’s okay to tell our students about ourselves
- Handling if/when students get offended, or if parents call admins
- Where to set boundaries
- How to react when students confront us about ourselves
- Guiding students when they confide in us
Additional Resources:
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An experienced K8 music educator, Elisa Janson Jones specializes in helping music educators build, manage, and grow thriving school music programs and have long and happy careers. She holds a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Business Administration, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Instructional Design.
Elisa uses her vast and diverse skill set to help nonprofits, businesses, and music educators around the world. She serves as conductor of her local community band, a columnist for SBO Magazine, and maintains a private lesson studio. Elisa is an internationally-recognized speaker, and has presented at national, state, and local conferences as well. She is the host and producer of the Music Ed Mentor Podcast, founder of the Society for Online Music Education, and author of The Music Educator’s Guide to Thrive and The Music Booster Manual.