Sigma Alpha Iota

P A N P I P E S Fall 2020 5 SAI Sister Vicky Suarez published at article in the August 2020 newsletter for SongWorks Educators Association, discussing her experience with virtual teaching. W hat was an uncomfortable learning curve last spring has become the norm for many of us as we begin a new school year using virtual, remote, asynchronous, and synchronous teaching. Back in the spring we quickly learned to connect with our students using live virtual teaching or recordeed videos, or both. While I have mourned the loss of in-person interaction with both my students and my fellow music teachers at workshops and conferences, I have noticed some wonderful things that came out of this challenging time. I was thrilled to be involved in the start-up of e Singing Space, a Facebook group created by Meg Tietz, for teachers to share videos of themselves singing songs that would bring comfort to children through music. Without witnessing this heartfelt outpouring of videos from teachers from all over the world, I doubt I would have been brave enough to share my own videos. But I jumped right in during Spring Break, with simple videos of my favorite songs to share with students. is is a vulnerable time for us, putting our teaching out there for others to see. I might feel comfortable picking up a ukulele and strumming along as I sing to children, but having to do this in a video for other teachers to see is a different story. is gives me compassion for my fellow teachers. I know that what comes easily for me may not be the same for another, and vice versa. Making a goof in class in front of children is a daily occurrence, but when it happens on a video it becomes a different thing. Do I let it go or do I re-do or edit that goof out? How polished does this video teaching need to be, since other teachers--and administrators- -are watching? I think many of you might be nodding your head in recognition of these feelings! As I began to make more videos for use with my students, and as the time away from school stretched to nine weeks, I came up with some ideas: Be engaging, but be yourself. I decided that what I wanted for my students is for their teacher to talk to them the same way I would talk to them in class. I want to engage them, but I still want to talk to them in a conversational way. I choose not to add much besides just me talking to them, singing, playing an instrument, following song dots, following other notation like a map, movement to music... the same things I would do in class with them. Plan ways for the students to be actively involved. is can be as simple as asking a question and waiting as if you're listening to the students respond. It can be saying, "Raise your hand if you know this song." It can be inviting the students to antiphon while you sing a song, asking students to stand up and act out a song, or do a folk dance. I am aware of how difficult it must be for our students to sit in front of a screen and not interact with other children and teachers. We can bring activity into our students' lives through music class. Hand-drawn and homemade can be preferable. I know that I have tech literally at my fingertips, and I marvel at all of the beautiful and polished creations I see out there. But in my classroom I've always valued hand-drawn materials, have always preferred their homemade look. So I've continued that with my teaching videos. Holding up something I've drawn and asking students to follow it, to track song dots or solfege or bridge notation, seems more like what I would do in class with them. It seems more intimate to me to have hand-drawn materials. It's just another way for my personality to come through the screen to connect to my students. Vicky's teaching videos are available on Youtube at: Vicky Suarez https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC7hunClcaU8Dr5sIxO3mfZQ/featured Vicky Suarez, Treasurer of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter, teaches K-5 General Music at Shepard Elementary in Plano, TX and is President of the SongWorks Educators Association. She has a BM from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she was an initiate of the Zeta Nu Chapter, and a MM from Southern Methodist University. Tips for Virtual Teaching Learn more about SongWorks Educators Association at: songworkseducatorsassociation.com MUSIC EDUCATION

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