I started this website because I wanted to fill in the gaps that I was seeing from other fantastic music educators’ and their websites and hopefully I’ve begun to do that. I began giving clinics at the urging of a dear friend and colleague of mine at Rhythm Band Instruments, and I’m so glad I did! My first administrator once told me that a sign of a good teacher is that they are a life-long learner and I thought to myself “sign me up, I love learning!” I think my love for learning as lead to my love for teaching. More importantly, I believe my love for learning has led to my love for teaching teachers. I learn more about my own instruction by preparing presentations to give to you wonderful teachers! I have present at the Texas Music Education Association for the past 8 years and have loved every session, not because I gave an amazing session, but because you ask the best questions!

I hope you find something here that inspires you, answers your questions, and keeps you motivated to bring music to children.

For clinician opportunities and pricing, please contact me at askabyrd@gmail.com.

Past Clinic Topics:

Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA)

Byrd will describe how to use PBuzz for beginning brass instrument instruction at the elemental level.

PBIS in the Music Classroom 2018

Positive Behavior Interventions and Support is a systematic way to elicit desired behavior by targeting specific misbehaviors to proactively manage a music classroom. Byrd will break down a PBIS matrix and apply it to the music classroom. Gain an effective classroom management vocabulary and ideas to implement a positive approach to behavior management.

Aren’t We All Special Learners? 2020

Byrd will tackle difficult topics such as IEP/504 compliance, behavior/discipline concerns, and modifications vs accommodations. Byrd will use research, knowledge of school law, and her teaching experiences to guide attendees through scenarios about teaching our most special learners. Attendees can ask questions live via an app, Padlet, enhancing the clinic with their experiences and expertise.

Social Emotional Learning in the Elementary Music Classroom 2021

Social emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and mange emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions. Today’s kids are distracted, suffering from mental illness, and in the social media more than ever. It is becoming the job of the teacher to teach the whole child, the whole learner. We are teaching more than our content now, including their SEL needs. SEL programs effectively improve students’ SEL skills, behaviors, attitudes, and academic performance. Byrd will discuss how SEL has positive effects on academic performance, physical health, improves citizenship, is demanded by employers, is essential for lifelong success, and reduces the risk of maladjustment, failed relationships, interpersonal violence, substance abuse, and unhappiness. Her belief is that as music educators we already provide the perfect environment to implement SEL strategies into our classrooms and ensembles. After school activities (choir/Orff groups) are a great place for students to develop and apply new skills. Weaving SEL strategies into your existing curriculum and pedagogical methods sounds like a daunting task, but rest assured you, you already do so many of these strategies, it will simply require putting an emphasis on a different part of the lesson.

Sing, Say, Dance, Play, Care: Increasing Student Resilience 2022

Student resilience is on the decline for a variety of reasons (parenting styles, trauma, a pandemic)  and lack of resiliency comes across as bad behavior. Byrd will provide 5 effective strategies to increase student resilience and trauma informed instructional strategies. Byrd will discuss  how to use these strategies in a K-5 music classroom.

Microphones, Mixers and sic teacher we are often More 2023

Byrd will show attendees how to confidently mange their own sound systems on their campus. This session will guide teachers on the ins and outs of. a basic mixer and what all the components are and what they will need to run sound for their performances. This session will define parts of sound systems, microphone types, and explain their functions.

Recorders Drive Me Nuts 2023

Maybe teaching recorders gives you a headache because you are not teaching it to the best of your ability? Byrd will discuss ways to make teaching recorder fun for the teacher and the student by providing ways to divide large classes with everyone on task, making learning air production fun, and how to differentiate your recorder lessons so they are inclusive for all students and their abilities.

Are Uke Ready? 2023

Ever wondered where to begin teaching ukulele when you have zero knowledge of teaching the instrument? Byrd will provide you with tips on how to become a better ukulele player all while teaching your students. Attendees will be able to confidently design, implement and execute ukulele instruction. This session will include where to begin learning ukulele as an adult, how to present curriculum to your students with confidence and the resources to help with both.

Music and Technology Convention Houston (MATCH) 2015, 2017

Technology is a great way to enhance a lesson by teaching or assessing a concept in a unique way. TESS has made technology use even more imperative for a teacher to use to obtain an evaluation goal of Proficient or Distinguished. Byrd will show teachers how to use technology in the era of T-TESS no matter your technological limitations either equipment or understanding.

Publications:

Blog Link: http://www.rhythmband.com

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Southwestern Musician vol. 90, Issue 3, October 2021 (page 52)

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Music ConstructEd : A Blog from West Music

Puppets in the Music Room

Music ConstructEd: Recorders Make Me Nuts!