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I believe one of the most important roles we have as educators is to allow students the space to grow and realize their own potential. Through music education, students are afforded the setting to collaborate with others, foster meaningful connections, reflect on their work, and achieve performance-based goals. These educational opportunities lay the foundation to blend educational standards and social-emotional learning standards. 

In order to elicit student engagement, I believe students need to be able to see themselves as valuable members of an educational environment. In order to establish this sense of belonging, I adapt elements from Responsive Classroom to the music room. Part of our established routines in the primary music class is to start each meeting with a welcome song that recognizes each student by name. In all classes, K-5, I use the student management system, Class Dojo, to reinforce individual accountability in the context of a group to achieve group goals. Students personalize their "dojo characters," and enjoy earning points for their class for demonstrating behavioral and learning objectives. In 6th grade chorus, we share personalized slides that allows the group to learn about each other and make connections by recognizing common interests and "fun facts." Especially in middle school, as social connections grow complex, it is important to establish an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks, such as singing, in front of each other. In all grades, K-6, we celebrate individual performance. Students enjoy performing for each other and taking turns exploring their musicianship within the context of a supportive and "low-risk," environment.