On episode 282 of The Elementary Music Teacher podcast, we get into the nitty-gritty of how musical concepts and standards intermingle in music education. We all know that it can be a real head-scratcher for a lot of us music teachers. But understanding this is key to planning amazing lessons. Let’s break down the main ideas from the episode, giving you clear explanations and handy tips to navigate this web.
In the episode, we draw a line between musical concepts—those cool things you teach your students like rhythm, tempo, dynamics—and standards—the benchmarks your students should get from day one to the last day of school. I chat about how marrying these two can lead to a smooth-sailing teaching experience. We also discuss the value of backward planning and demystify the idea about having a ‘one-size-fits-all’ teaching method. It’s all about teaching tunes in a way that vibes with your personal style and your students! In this blog post, we’re gonna dive deeper into these ideas and dish out some practical advice on how to seamlessly blend musical concepts and standards in your music classroom.
The difference between Musical Concepts and Standards
Musical concepts are like the lego blocks of music education. We’re talking about stuff like beat, rhythm, form, tempo, and dynamics – you know, the basics. When we say teaching musical concepts, we mean showing the kiddos how these music elements work. Such as teaching them how to keep the beat, spot different rhythms, get musical forms, read tempo markings, and pick up on dynamics. It’s these concepts that lay the groundwork for their musical know-how and skills.
Now, on the flipside, we’ve got standards. These are like the educational goalposts that spell out what kids should know and be able to do by the end of the year. For teachers, these standards are like a GPS, pointing them to the important stuff to focus on and what they want their students to learn. These standards usually come from the big guys at the national or state level and give us a consistent game plan for education, no matter the school or district.
Here’s a fun fact: sometimes, music education standards might call out specific musical concepts to teach. Like, a standard could say that students should be able to identify and rock out to a variety of rhythms by year-end. So here, the rhythm concept is right there in the standard. Other times, the standards might be a bit more vague, leaving it up to the music teachers to decide which concepts to teach and when.
Merging Musical Concepts and Standards
If you’re wondering how to balance teaching the basics like rhythm, and still meet the grade level standards, the secret is it’s not about choosing one or the other, but rather about mixing them together in your lessons. This way, you’re giving your students the full package!
Take rhythm as an example. You can teach it along with a standard that’s all about being a whizz at rhythmic patterns. That way, your students are not just getting the gist of what rhythm is, but they’re also ticking off the boxes of what they need to know for their grade level. Of course, this juggling act between standards and concepts can be a bit of a head-scratcher sometimes. The trick is to find a sweet spot where your lessons are fun, engaging and still checking off those educational goals. Maybe that means designing lessons that sneak in those musical concepts within the standards, or the other way around.
Sure, it might be a bit of a challenge, but with practice, it’s totally doable and totally worth it. It gives your music lessons a more rounded feel, where students learn the nitty-gritty of music while also hitting those educational targets. It’s all about giving them a well-rounded, complete learning experience.
Through group lessons, students can still receive detailed instruction and practice on their chosen instrument. They’ll also have the opportunity to learn from their peers, observe different techniques, and gain experience in playing music collaboratively. It’s a balanced approach that can help bridge the gap between general music education and private instruction, making quality music education more accessible and affordable.
Expertise in Making Informed Decisions
So, as a music teacher, you have the opportunity to shape how your classroom works. This is super important because it means you can change things up to fit how you teach best.
Standards are like the roadmap for what your students need to learn. They show where you’re going, but they don’t always tell you how to get there. That’s where you come in.
Since you’re the professional in the classroom, you can figure out what music concepts are the best fit to meet those standards. You can switch up your teaching to match what your students need and what they’re interested in, making class a lot more fun and effective. You could bring in things like rhythm, melody, harmony, or dynamics to give your students a full picture of what music’s all about.
Plus, you’re the one who gets to decide what order to teach these concepts in. Maybe you start with the easy stuff and get more complicated as the year goes on. Or, you could mix a bunch of concepts into one lesson to show your students how many different parts go into making music.
In the end, the fact that you get to decide what music concepts to use really shows the blend of creativity and knowledge that goes into teaching. It’s a reminder of how important it is for teachers to be able to do their own thing when it comes to inspiring creativity, critical thinking, and deep understanding in their students.
The Importance of Backward Planning
Backward planning, also known as backward design, is a super effective way of planning your curriculum. You start by figuring out what you want your students to learn by the end of the course, and then you build your material around that. It’s all about focusing on the end game from the start instead of just diving in.
With backward planning, you first decide what musical skills and knowledge you want your students to have by the end of the school year. Then, you design your lessons to help them get there. It’s like having a roadmap for your teaching.
One of the cool things about this approach is that it makes sure everything you do in your teaching is aimed at reaching those learning outcomes. You can figure out which musical concepts need more emphasis at different times during the year, making the learning journey more organized and coherent for your students.
Another bonus is you get to think about how you’re going to assess your students’ progress from the get-go. Since you know what you want them to learn, you can create assessments that really measure their progress towards those goals.
And to top it all off, backward planning lets you create connections between different musical concepts and standards. This can lead to a more rounded music education. Students get to see how different aspects of music relate, and this can deepen their understanding and love for the subject.
There is no ‘Right’ Way
Contrary to what you might think, there’s no one-size-fits-all method to teach music. It’s a dynamic process that should be tailored to the unique needs of the students, the teaching philosophy of the educator, and the specific requirements of the curriculum. Fundamentally, the teaching approach should be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the learning environment.
For some music teachers, starting with the musical concepts like rhythm, tempo, and dynamics is an effective strategy. They introduce these basic building blocks of music to the students first, then gradually integrate the standards into the lesson plans. This approach allows students to grasp the fundamentals of music at an early stage and provides a solid foundation for the introduction of more complex topics and standards.
On the other hand, some teachers prefer to begin with the standards, which serve as educational benchmarks outlining what students should understand and be able to do by the end of a specific stage. By starting with these standards, teachers can ensure that the lessons are in line with the required educational outcomes, and then decide which musical concepts to teach in order to meet these standards.
The choice between starting with the musical concepts or the standards is not an either-or decision. Instead, it’s about finding the right balance and integrating both in a way that enhances the overall learning experience. Remember, the ultimate goal is to foster a deep and lasting understanding and appreciation of music in the students.
How do you plan by using both concepts and standards? Tell me about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post. I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it too.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
Also…I wrote a book called “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music” to help music teachers move forward in your teaching career. You can get your copy here.
