Genius Hour

My Genius hour question question is: How can I teach my future students music and inspire them with music? I am very passionate about music and singing, and I know as a future teacher I want to incorporate this into my classroom.  My goal for this project is to get students to understand basic music curriculum while also allowing them to discover a certain element of music that inspires them or that they feel passionate about. I know that every child is different, therefore not every student is going to love to sing or be able to grasp music theory, which is why I want them to figure out what they love. For instance through music exploration (which will be done in class) they may realize they love to make rhythms with drums, or that they enjoy writing songs, or maybe that they love sharing songs with the class that inspire them on a daily basis. I would develop lesson plans that cover all these elements of music, including reflective practices like music appreciation where students can "show and tell" what kind of music they like and why they like it, as well as what artists inspire them.

I would measure my progress based on the feedback and reflection of my future students. At the end of each class I would want them to write what they enjoyed about the lesson and what they disliked. I would then modify my next lesson based on the responses. I would also measure my progress by the reaction of my students, if they are excited for the music lesson I will know that they are enjoying it. I would also ensure that I am still enjoying myself while teaching music, and by showing them my passion and why I love it so much (probably by singing with them). Something that I can do for myself to ensure that I success is to learn how to play the guitar so I can bring it into the classroom. If I can remain enthusiastic or notice that my enthusiasm is increasing while I am teaching music then I'll know that I am progressing well!