New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers!
As a New Year is on the horizon, it’s time to think about making some New Year’s Resolutions for your classroom. Resolutions for your classroom are goals you make for yourself as an educator. I’d like to keep it simple, and choose just three.
1: Take Time for Self-Care
You will be in the best position to provide care for your students if you first take care of yourself. Make a commitment to decrease your workload through more efficient planning, by taking a moment each day or at least each week to appreciate what is going well, and strive to find a better balance between your work life and your personal life.
2: Increase Efforts to Reach Out to Students
Increasing your efforts to reach out to students should be on the list of goals for any educator, not only for New Year’s, but every day you walk into your classroom. Take time to remember that relationships are at the heart of any teaching program. You’ll be richly rewarded for any effort you make to connect with students.
3: Try Something New
Trying something new, creative, and innovative periodically is very stimulating. It’s important to avoid getting stuck in a rut. If you haven’t tried anything new for a while, now is the perfect time. Create a new lesson for a concept you have taught many times before, or integrate a new technology tool into your curriculum. Read a book about pedagogy for your subject area, do some research, or take a free online course. Whatever you choose, always strive to better yourself and your instruction.
Incorporating these three strategies into your New Year’s instructional practicers will very likely result in a more productive and rewarding year for yourself, and for your students. Give them a try!
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Patterson, Friesleben, and Strohmaier lead Warrior Regiment in Rose Parade
The Waukee Warrior Regiment from Waukee, Iowa, will perform in the 133rd Rose Parade under the direction of Director Jeff Patterson, Chad Friesleben, and Chris Strohmaier. Photo credit: Waukee Community School District.
On Jan. 1, 2022, the student musicians that form Iowa’s Waukee Warrior Regiment will be marching in the 133rd Tournament of Roses Parade. The Regiment is a combination of bands from two Waukee high schools: Waukee High School and Northwest High School. The Regiment will be led by three Directors of Bands: Jeff Patterson, Chad Friesleben, and Chris Strohmaier.
The Regiment was selected to perform in the 2021 Rose Parade in Oct., 2019, from more than 150 high school bands from around the globe. The group was one of 20 schools selected to participate and the only one from Iowa. When the pandemic shut down the 2021 parade, the Regiment was invited to appear in the 2022 parade instead. When first selected, all the students attended Waukee High School. But between the time of their selection and now, a second high school, Northwest, was built in the city, and about half of the Waukee students were enrolled in the new school. For their appearance in the Rose Parade, students from both schools will be reunited and will participate. Today, the Warrior Regiment is comprised of 325 ninth through twelfth grade students from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds.
Co-Director of Bands Chad Friesleben said being chosen for the Rose Parade is a “tremendous honor.” Says Chad, when he was informed his students had been selected, he did a happy dance with Co-Director Chris Strohmaier.
Waukee Director of Bands Jeff Patterson graduated from John Glenn High School in 1987. He earned. his Bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University in 1991, and his Master’s degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago in 1999.
Northwest High Co-Director of Bands Chad Friesleben graduated from Valley High School in1994. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Drake University in 1998. He also earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Sant Thomas School of Law in 2006. Northwest High Co-Director of Bands Chris Strohmaier earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Drake University in 2001.
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Melissa Gustafson-Hinds leads O’Fallon Township Band in 2022 Rose Parade
Director of Bands Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds will lead the O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers in their second appearance of the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2022. Photo credit: St. Louis NPR
One of the marching bands that will be making an appearance in this year’s Rose Parade is the O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers, under the direction of Director of Bands Melissa Gustafson-Hinds. This will be the second appearance in the 108th Tournament of Roses for the Marching Panthers.
Melissa is originally from Monmouth, Illinois. She attended Illinois State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, graduating with honors. Melissa earned her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She also garnered an educational leadership endorsement from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis in music from the University of Missouri St. Louis. She has been a music educator in O’Fallon for the past 13 years. Her career has spanned 27 years in all.
The O’Fallon Township Band Program has a long tradition of musical excellence dating back over 70 years, and is well-known for the high quality and comprehensive music education offered. The band is comprised of 224 students. “I think my passion, at least for music education, is providing just amazing experiences for kids,” declares Melissa.
Under Melissa’s direction, the Marching Panthers have been finalists many times at the Bands of America (BOA) Regional and Super Regional. They have also been named a Grand National Finalist in 2018. In 2018 the band marched in the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Hollywood, California. In addition, O’Fallon Township has been honored with the NBA Program of Excellence Blue Ribbon Award and two Music For All Advocacy Awards. The group’s previous appearance in the Rose Parade was in 2015.
To read more about Melissa, see this article published about her by Music for All, Inc.
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Band Directors Otto and German lead PA student musicians in 133rd Rose Parade
On New’s Day, the Downingtown Blue and Gold Parade Band and Color Guard from Downington, Pennsylvania, will be marching in the Rose Parade under the capable leadership of Band Directors Ed Otto and Andrew German.
The Chester County band consists of all the student musicians from both Downingtown West High and Downingtown East High. Their appearance in the 133rd Tournament of Roses Parade will make the third time Downingtown has marched in the event. The band also marched in the the 2001 and 2011 parades. The 300-plus member combined band was selected based on videos of both East’s and West’s field shows, previous notable parade appearances, and the impressive resume of the music programs for the two schools.
Downingtown West High School Director of Bands Ed Otto. Photo credit: Downington West.
Director of Bands Ed Otto earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from West Chester University in Chester County. He has been a music educator for ten years at Downingtown West. He has been a high school band director for 29 years, having also been the Band Director at Coatesville and Oxford High Schools in Pennsylvania and Pennsauken High School in New Jersey. Ed has been involved in designing, instruction, and serving as a clinician in marching band since 1981.
Downington East Director of Bands Andrew German. Photo credit: Downington East.
Director of Bands Andrew German teaches at Downington East. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and his Master’s degree in Music Performance, both from West Chester University.
This year the Downington Band and Color Guard students provided more than 3,700 hours of community service before their trip to Pasadena, California. In 2011, Downingtown became the first band in the history of the Rose Parade to integrate community services into fundraising activities for their parade appearance.
